We arrived late Friday night in Phoenix, and we immediately got the girls settled into bed and stayed up for a bit chatting with Patty and Jim. In the morning, the girls were ready to go and they quickly found a willing playmate--Bradley--who assembled linkin logs like a pro and was patient and let the girls boss him around and didn't seem to mind (at least for a few days... hehe)
Later that morning we headed to a nearby park that had a small "lake" and a number of trails to explore. Two of our girls *ahem*Elise* Ava* were rather cranky about going hiking and Chris switched off carrying both of them on his shoulders. Sophie was not happy in her carrier for long either, but once we took her out, she enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air without complaint.
The picture on the left was taken by Patty
We really enjoyed the big, puffy clouds and the desert plants we saw along the way. We also counted patio umbrellas during a segment of the trail that wound behind a development. And some of the trees housed multiple nests, which were also counted. I think we saw something like 24 nests by the end of our trek.
(Patty's pic)
After naps, the girls went for a swim in the pool briefly.
JP was cold so he wore his wet suit. hehehe
Uncle Jim made a delicious, delicious dinner consisting of grilled elk meat, goat cheese and carmelized onion mashed potatoes, and bacon and bleu cheese green salad. Sooooo good!
Sophie played on the floor pretty contentedly for a good portion of the evening
(Patty's picture)
After the kids went to bed for the evening we sat out by the fire and chatted. It was just so relaxing. Just what we needed after our whirlwind move.
(these are Jim's pics)
The next morning after Mass and a yummy brunch, we had to head home again. But not before getting a group shot...or a couple of shots that equaled the whole group...
(Patty's pic)
Thank you so much for having us, Uncle Jim, Aunt Patty, JP, and Bradley! We love visiting and hope to see you in California soon!
