Monday, July 15, 2013

Dear Mom, I love Arizona.

week of July 8 - 14

Such a fun week with you and Dad! Thanks for all the great adventures!

Monday was The Sinks and Monsters University

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Even though the house was emptying fast as everyone headed back home, a few of us headed out to see “The Sinks”, a locally famous spot that is really quite interesting.

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The boys did their job of risking their lives for the sake of exploring and I did my job as a professional worrier.

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10 pts if you can find all three boys in the above picture

and 50 pts for the one below! go ahead! zoom in. . .

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Rosebud REALLY wanted to go with them, but this was as far as we went. (See tiny Fluffy to the left and Exacto to the right of my kneepit?)

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While we waited and tried not to bite our nails, we walked around the rim and found a cool tree.

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Rosebud and her sweet cousin A

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The boys finally emerged from the depths and something funny happened. Fluffy was excited because he had found some pottery shards (a not-unknown thing to happen around these parts). He said they were different from any others he had found.

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Uncle DJ took a look at them and started chuckling. Apparently they were clay pigeon shards from the indigenous target practicers. Oh, well. :) It was hot and we were thirsty. We went home.

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Later  that day we went with my baby brother and his lovely expectant wife to Monsters University. It was great! I liked it just as much as Monsters Inc. Thank you so much for the marble slab ice cream afterward, too! mmhmm.

 

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Tuesday and Wednesday was our trip to Tucson. It was so good to be back! I am a die-hard Sonoran desert rat. I think I always will be.

We took a little detour to stop and see the Gilbert Temple, which is under construction but nearly finished.

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I was glad for the opportunity to look around as we drove and see if I could ever be happy living there in Gilbert. It’s kind of funny right now in the family, as several siblings are starting to finish school / choose a place to settle, and it’s like a massive Red Rover game as we all try to recruit each other and persuade the others to move by us. Two are showing preference for Gilbert. . . .I dunno. . . .

We stepped right back into my childhood and visited Aunt Alba and Uncle Charles. They even still have one of the birds they got when I was a little girl.

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I loved being there again, a place where I have countless happy memories of birthdays and Christmas Eves and Thanksgivings with my cousins.

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It was awesome to have my children there now, too. (Although I think the bird was glad when we left).

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Other highlights from the Tucson trip. . . .

Showing my kids the two houses there where we had lived. (Both a little worse for wear!)

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The school I attended for Kindergarten through 8th grade, Carden of Tucson.

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My Bailey grandparents’ grave.

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No photo, but next was dinner at Macayo’s (YUM) and a great evening at the Gaslight Theatre (anyone out there from Tucson – you know it was awesome. :)

Topped off the next morning with a visit to Saguaro National Park

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The chapel where I was baptized when I was 8. (Tucson North Stake Center)

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And the prospective temple site!

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It’s not official yet, but if everything goes through, the temple will overlook this view.

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And these mountains will be behind. Gorgeous!

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I just want to snap up some property close by RIGHT NOW and move there and stay forever! (Gilbert is lovely, but my heart is simply previously engaged. . .  :)

Thank you for teaching me to love the temple, Mom. I love your face in that picture.

Other adventures from the week:

Joseph and Lori’s baby shower, held right here in the front yard. (I have much to say about Joseph and Lori’s baby, but the time is not now. Suffice it to say that I am very, very excited about his upcoming birth.)

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0712 Lori's Shower

Luann’s wedding. Luann has always been one of my favorite cousins – we are both extreme bookworms. :) I was so happy to be here to be able to attend her beautiful wedding in the Snowflake Temple. (Wasn’t it so romantic and sweet, Mom?)

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Your 16th birthday! (backwards :)

We got to bring you breakfast-in-chair (since you had been awake for hours – haha).

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And, since you took a little nap before lunch, we brought you lunch-in-bed!

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After church we had some lovely time together.

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Twins!

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Your birthday dinner.

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And the sparklers you had received as a birthday gift from your visiting teacher. Thanks for sharing! (Rosebud’s first – it was awesome)

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So fun to share your birthday with you! I love you!

Michelle

2 comments:

heroineworshipper said...[Reply to comment]

The violinist looks like he's dying to play his instrument.

llamitanan said...[Reply to comment]

It was so fun having you and your family here for my birthday and many other celebrations. You are helpful, cheerful and excited to be with us. I LOVE your gift that will last all year--these blog posts.