Trip to Arizona

After school and soccer were over, the boys and I went to Phoenix (Chandler, actually) with my mom and dad to visit my sister, her boyfriend, and my brother. My dad drove, and I sat in the back between the car seats (not smart, as my back has not been doing great since). The boys did well in the car, with a little nap, and the portable DVD players.
We got there on a Wednesday night, just in time to unpack the (packed) car and get ready for bed.
We got lucky, and my sister was able to take the entire time we were there off from work. Her boyfriend was very busy, so we didn't get to see him as much as he would have liked. And my brother works mostly nights, so we only saw him some evenings. We were also lucky that we had mostly overcast and cool (at least for the Phoenix area) weather.

On Thursday we went to In and Out Burger for lunch, then stopped at a park on the way home. While the boys rested, me, my mom and my sister went to IKEA for a few hours. Then to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner, and just hung out at the house the rest of the day. My sister gathered some fun toys for the boys, including a Game Boy for Caden, which he LOVES, and a pirate foam art kit.The boys and Aunt Mer


"Chuck E. Cheese" boys


Grandpa Jerry (my dad), Aunt Mer (my sister), Uncle Sam (my brother)

Game Boy time

Pirate Caleb

On Friday we went to a splash park in downtown Tempe in the morning and packed a lunch to eat near some water (a dam, I think), then to Rainforest Cafe for dinner.The fam at Rainforest

On Saturday we went Ice Skating. The boys did well with help and loved it. And, it was my mom's first time ever to go ice skating. She was very cute! Then we went out for a celebration dinner (many of us have birthdays between March and June, and for Mother's/Father's Day) at Elephant Bar. Later that night, my parents stayed with the boys while they all went to bed, and my brother, sister and her boyfriend took me to a piano bar. We had a great time, and it was nice to spend some time with them (without children, who loved the attention of Aunt Mer, Uncle Sam and Rob).Grandma Darlene and her boys, getting ready for the rink

Brave Grandma!

Caden with Aunt Mer and Rob

Aunt Mer helping Caleb

Grandpa and Caleb taking a break

Caleb being silly with Grandma at Elephant Bar

Caden's new "pose" with Aunt Mer

Siblings-Mer, Me, Sam at the piano bar

Rob and Mer at the piano bar

On Sunday we went to a Science museum (similar to Explora in Albuquerque, but bigger), where they had a special lego exhibit. Later that evening we barbecued at the house.The boys, as the rail car took off, to take us to the museum

Playing legoes at the museum

Dressed as dragons at the lego castle at the museum

Uncle Sam being silly with Caleb

The boys playing with one of their three dogs

Then on Monday we went for bagels for breakfast, then headed home.
We had a great time, but we were all exhausted by the end (especially my dad!).
We hope they can come see us in Albuquerque soon (hint, hint!).