Be ready for one of the longest posts ever!!!
Arizona Family Vacation
Friday, March 21-Wednesday, March 26
While we were with Lee’s family in January, we brought up the idea to Matt and Laura that we would love to come visit them in Arizona over our Spring Break. At that time, they had to see if they would be traveling with the team to Australia. Well, it turned out for us (probably not them!) that we would be able to do a short stay with them at the end of March. We were beyond excited and started counting down months, weeks, and then days!
With Matt rehabbing right now, and the team in Australia for most of the time while we were there, it worked out nicely that we were able to spend more time with both Laura and him.
We really didn’t have any set plans while we were there, we just really wanted to enjoy the outside warmth, the sun, and the swimming pool! We did much more than that and had such a wonderful family vacation!
Friday, March 21, 2014
This was really both of the boys’ first flight. We had flown just once to Tennessee when Tyler was a baby, but he obviously doesn’t remember anything about that.
They were beyond excited to fly in the airplane and actually when we told them that we were going to Arizona for Spring Break to see Matt and Laura, there wasn’t much excitement from them. THEN when we told them that we were taking an airplane to get there, they jumped up and down with excitement!
The morning of our departure we couldn’t contain the boys at home any longer, due to their excitement, so we ended up leaving extremely early and got to the airport about 3 hours early! It ended up being kind of nice. We knew that our luggage was packed and checked in, we were through security (even with my driver’s license 11 months past its expiration) and we got to sit down and enjoy lunch and even a movie before our flight.
My mom had bought the boys the movie Frozen for our trip. They had gone to it once in the theater and it had just come out on DVD 3 days before us leaving on the trip. {We were lucky enough to have my mom come to our house the day before leaving and then she was able to take us to the airport and then she also picked the dogs up at our house to take them to hers while we were away.} The boys absolutely LOVE the movie Frozen and could watch it over and over again. That movie pretty much saved our airport and airplane experience and made things so much easier! With our portable DVD player and 2 sets of headphones, they were set!
Of course I’m the mom that has to spot out our pilots before they enter the plane from the terminal so that I can get their picture taken with the boys on their first flight!
I remember having a picture taken of my brother and I with pilots on one of our first flights and those are such great memories that my mom created for us, so I want to do the same for my kids.
The pilots went above and beyond and were so incredibly nice. After the picture they told us to walk on when the 1st class walks on and for the boys to come up to the cockpit. We quickly gathered all their things and were anxiously awaiting to enter the plane!
Like I already said, these pilots went above and beyond and were so nice to us and our boys. They taught them so much and showed them all the buttons, lights, levers…..and on and on. It was hard for the boys to take it all in, there was so much to look at!
I was so grateful that we all were able to have this experience! And it made their first flight even that much cooler! It really started our vacation off on the right foot!
Lee told the kids that they should raise their hands up when we take off, like we would do on a roller coaster, so this is Brady with his hands raised and Tyler giggling and enjoying the sight out the window on our take off! We were so lucky that we had a direct flight from Des Moines to Phoenix!!!
On the plane, they colored, we played UNO, they watched Frozen, and on the way there they actually napped! The trip there went very smoothly!
Matt and Laura picked us up at the airport on Friday evening. It was so good to see them and so good to be in Arizona. This was Lee’s first time being in the state of Arizona. I have been there multiple times with family. On our way to Matt and Laura’s we picked up some pizza and salad for dinner. When we got to Matt and Laura’s it felt amazing! Vacation had officially begun and it was time to relax and have fun! We had a fabulous pizza dinner outside and the boys swam a bit. The water was FREEZING!, but they were so excited to swim! They would jump in, quickly swim to the side, and get out. This routine went on for the 4 days that we were there!
Their first jumps into the pool on Friday evening! Vacation!!!
I think those look like some pretty happy kids!
Tyler sitting at the table outside looking over his NCAA basketball Mascot Bracket.
Hard to get a good ‘camera’ smile from Brady these days, so I result in tickling him!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Since daylight savings, Arizona is 2 hours different from us here. So, our first morning there (Saturday morning) the boys woke up at 5:00 AM (Arizona time), which would have been a decent wake up time of 7:00 AM at home. So….we watched and waited for the sun to come up over the mountains for awhile, but that didn’t end up lasting long. Then we (Tyler, Brady, and myself---Lee was still sleeping, of course) played a game of UNO and colored until it was a ‘decent’ time for us to walk downstairs and make some noise. I’m sure our ‘decent’ morning time was not the usual time for Matt and Laura, but they were champs for those 4 mornings that we were there and up and at it EARLY!
After a quick cereal and fruit breakfast, Brady was out by the pool by 7:15. And then in his trunks and ready to swim by 7:45 AM!
I enjoyed my coffee each morning sitting outside by the pool and watching the sunrise! The boys loved playing a video game while everyone else was still sleeping and I loved my time alone, outside, drinking coffee, in warm weather, watching the sunrise over the mountains. That’s what vacation is all about and I absolutely loved every morning!
7:45 AM—Ready to swim!
Tyler joined us as well and was just as excited to get the day started in the pool!
After some morning time in the pool, Laura and I headed to the McDowell Mountains to hike and Lee and Matt decided to take the boys to the field to tour and walk around. Fun was had by all!
I absolutely LOVE hiking! It’s a workout that doesn’t feel like you’re actually working out! And you can stop at any point to see some pretty amazing views! I love it!
Laura took this picture of me with this pretty large cactus.
The boys in Matt’s (and the Diamondback’s) workout area.
Matt playing ball with the boys on a Spring Training practice field.
I love this picture with the background!
After a busy morning for all, the rest of the day was relaxation by the pool! Absolutely wonderful!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
On Sunday morning we all decided to go to the McDowell Mountains and all did the Nature Trail together. This area is only a mile or two away from their house! It was very informational and the kids were able to see all sorts of cactuses! Seeing a real cactus was one of the things that Tyler was the most excited about seeing in Arizona! And they did not let him down! He was pretty impressed!
After the Nature Trail, Matt and Laura took the boys to a park and then back to there house, while I took Lee on his very first hike! Turns out that he didn’t really enjoy it much. I really thought that he would like it, but I guess I thought wrong. I, however, really enjoyed my second hike on my second morning in Arizona! I was lovin’ it!
The boys at the park while we were on our hike. Laura said that this was a ‘family picture’, because Lee and I were hiking up the mountain in the background.
After another busy and hot morning, the pool was the place to be!
Brady’s hilarious pool move was to get out of the water and shake off like a dog. It was actually very funny and cute to watch him do this!
That’s vacation!
Sunday evening we went to a fun kid place named Crackerjax and had a great time! We went miniature golfing and then the boys did go-carts for their first time! The weather was gorgeous and it was a great family night out!
Smiles were glued on their faces during their first ever go-cart ride. They had such a good time!
After Crackerjax, we went out for Mexican and enjoyed our dinner outside! It was so nice to be eating outside everyday!
Monday, March 24, 2014
This is where and how you would find the boys each morning while we waited for everyone else to wake up. As I enjoyed my coffee out by the pool watching the sunrise, the boys were in the front room on the couch playing video games.
Early morning on Monday. The McDowell Mountain Range view from their house/pool.
Another morning poolside enjoying the sun and warmth. The boys warming up after jumping into the chilly water.
I am always very content poolside in the sun!
Monday afternoon we decided to go to a Spring Training baseball game and watched the Rockies vs. Royals. We met Judy and Rex at the game which was awesome! We all sat out in the grass for awhile and took in the sights and sounds from out in the ‘yard’. When the sun got too hot, we went and enjoyed our seats in the shade. We didn’t last the whole game, as the boys were getting very tired, but we all had a great time!
After leaving the baseball game, the boys took their much needed nap. I took my sweet little nap out by the pool while Lee, Matt, and Laura rested indoors.
After nap time, swimming and sunshine kept us entertained. Matt and Laura suggested that Lee and I should go out to dinner and they would take care of dinner for the boys. We took them up on the offer and enjoyed an amazing night out at a fabulous restaurant. We loved our food, our time together, and sitting outside eating our dinner. The boys got along just fine with their Aunt and Uncle and were watching Frozen by the time we got back from dinner.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Since this was our last day poolside, we wanted to make sure we had some fun and to get in plenty of pool time!
We spent a little time in the morning swimming and then we got ready to go to a Train Park.
The Train Park was pretty awesome. It had a carousel, train ride, and 2 amazing parks for the boys to play at.
As much as I love palm trees, I really don’t feel like they ‘fit’ very well in Arizona. To me they look much better around the beach. But, even with that being said, I love this picture!
After the train park we went to an amazing lunch at a restaurant called Butters, which served either breakfast or lunch. I think that Tyler and I were the only ones to get lunch while the others got breakfast and ate up their famous pancakes. ALL of the food was delicious and I would go back in a heart beat!
Tuesday evening, our last night, was spent out by the pool. The boys ran around and played while we played a couple card games.
After dinner and play we headed out for some frozen yogurt. Yummy!
We woke up bright and early on Wednesday morning to make the trip back home. Even after our wonderful time in the warmth and sun, I think that all of us were ready to be home again. We ate a good breakfast at the airport and then took off.
The boys traveled well again, with watching movies, etc. It wasn’t all good, however. There was an unfortunate event that occurred with the turbulence on our way down into Des Moines. Tyler’s stomach didn’t handle all the bouncing very well and he got sick. All over himself and then as well in the bag. We felt terrible for him and he felt terrible that it happened to him. He was crying and sad that it was happening and as I felt helpless and terribly sorry that he was having to go through it and not feeling well, I also just couldn’t wait for the plane to touch ground! All of the people around us on the plane were fabulous! They continued to give me kleenex, wet wipes, and paper towels. As soon as we landed he was much better, but still a little saddened. By the time that we made it out to the van with my mom, Tyler saw the dogs and immediately got a smile on his face and became so happy when he was able to pet Cali and Lucy! Once we got outside he could see Cali from the sidewalk. He said, “I see Cali” and ran straight to the van. It was the cutest thing! Not only were the boys excited to see the dogs, but they were also very happy to see their grandma. My mom had brought them Subway which they were also very thrilled about since their bellies were hungry for some lunch! Once we got the bags, we got Tyler changed into some clean clothes and made the short trip back home!
We had such a wonderful Spring Break trip to Arizona!
So many memories were made!
