Rewind

Rob's bosses are very generous with their Christmas parties. Last year the party was in San Diego (poor us, I know). Rob's mom came and stayed with the kids for a couple of nights while Rob and I enjoyed quality and treasured alone time in CA. This year the party was in Sedona, Arizona. We have a few friends in AZ, so we decided to make the trip a family vacation. We loaded the van and hit the road in early December.

The kids were instantly intrigued by the countless cacti that surrounded us on the highway. I was intrigued by the bird holes in the cacti. Not the bird house I'm used to seeing.:)



We called these the candy cane mountains. We loved the red and white stripes.

Our dear friend J.J. graciously let us stay with her in Tempe. Rob and J.J. first met at BYU-Hawaii in their younger days (not that they're old by any means!). This is only the second time the kids had seen J.J. and they act as if they've known her their whole life. Love it!

The day after we arrived, we met some of Rob's co-worker's for a fancy smancy yummilicious buffet for lunch. Then the kids and I walked around a bit while Rob finished up a couple of business items. There was some type of festival going on. My kids were instantly attracted to the live band playing--The Sahnos Brother's.



Soon Lexi and Dylan were dancin' their little hearts out. Parker was playing it cool and stood by me enjoying the music more quietly. He did get brave and bee-bop his head and tap his foot.:)

The band saw how much the kids were enjoying them and asked the kids if they wanted to go up on stage for a bit. Say "Cheese"!Soon after the guy selling their cds at a nearby table walked over and handed the kids a couple of cds. You can imagine the big smiles that stretched across their faces.


That afternoon we met some of Rob's co-workers at the Desert Botanical Garden where the artist Dale Chihuly was being featured.

This is all blown glass!

This is one of my favorites.

The kids referred to this one as "the boat filled with marbles". I love all the colors and was continually amazed by the blown glass creations.

The kids were happy to explore the cacti hands on.

We enjoyed some fabulous family time.

But before too long, the kids became tired, bored, and simply done.



One night we drove a few minutes to nearby Maricopa to meet up with some dear friends we lived by in Colorado--the Dunns and the Wolds.

It was so fun to reconnect with old friends.

There have been more additions to families since we last saw each other. The kids did great and had a good time with each other. It was so fun to see them interact with each other.


Then Saturday came. J.J. was so kind to keep our kids while Rob and I drove to Sedona to enjoy the party and nights get away.

We enjoyed good food, unique and hilarious entertainment (typical at these Christmas parties) and we danced the night away. My sweet hubby is such a trooper when it comes to the dancing part. Dancing isn't his favorite thing, but he humors me. He was ready to dance the final song, but my feet could not handle another spin on the dance floor.
After our nights stay, and nice quiet breakfast, we were on the road to reunite with the kids.


Our final stop before leaving town was to pick some fresh, glorious citrus! I was so excited! J.J. brought us to her friend's house to enjoy the goods.

We picked grapefruit

pomegranates

and oranges.

We had such a great time in AZ. We enjoyed sun and warm temperatures. A nice change from the Utah winter. As we were in short sleeves, capris, and shorts, those Arizona folk were wearing long pants, and jackets. Kind of funny!

A big thanks to J.J. for her hospitality and free babysitting. That's a combination that is hard to come by.:)