Sunshine for the Soul
We have had quite a bit of snow this winter, which I appreciate the clean look it shows because now that everything is melting, there are just piles of drab gray snow everywhere. Thanks to my Mom and Step-Dad, we could fly into Mesa and stay with them at their dear friend’s place in Queen Creek, Arizona for a much needed sun soaked trip! We flew on Allegiant as we have in the past, and though it’s barebones from an offering perspective, the small airports are fantastic, and getting through security is a breeze with our TSA Precheck.
Since we were only there for five days, we had lots of catching up and quality time together. We were pretty lucky because we had beautiful 80-degree weather; the week before was in the 50’s, and the day before we left, the winds picked up like crazy. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time in the pool and at the park. The kids love to swim with Grandma and Grandpa, and you can’t beat the view of the mountains. The neighbors are super nice too - Rosie and Ernie treat us like family and Hazel made friends with a neighbor her age too!
Kevin and I lucked into a day date - we drove out to Tortilla Flat in the Tonto National Forest next to Canyon Lake. It was a beautiful drive, as promised. We decided to stop at the packed Saloon for a quick drink and watched The Donny Grubb Band from West Virginia, which was fun - I can’t remember the last time we saw a spectacular band in person. We spent the rest of the time hiking - we hit up a few short trails in the Tonto National Forest. Then we ended with a big hike at the Lost Dutchman State Park on the Treasure Loop Trail. We walked the opposite direction people typically go, starting right around 3 when the sun is at its peak. I have this fun trait where I don’t sweat a lot, but I turn bright pink when I’m hot. The way we took was a pretty steep climb, and I was getting over a cold, so by the time I got to the top, I was a tomato - to the point where random strangers were making fun of me! It was worth it because the view was beautiful, not to mention the incredible 1:1 time with Kevin, which is one of the first times we’ve had alone since moving to the Northwoods.
Grandma and Grandpa also took the kids for some fun adventures - they got to go to an entertaining arcade called Fat Cats when it was half-price day! Also, there was a pretty sweet trampoline park called Elevate, where the kids had a fantastic time. Gavin is tall for his age but still a rambunctious toddler, he followed his sister and went down the zipline. Hazel cruised through it, and when it was Gavin’s turn, it was hilarious because he just hung on for a few seconds when it stopped, looking terrified. After a lot of encouragement, he let go and fell in the blocks - watch the video below for a laugh. Hazel was really into the aerial area, where she could put the wraps around her legs and fly around the room, just like Pink.
As always, we had a great time seeing our parents. It had been over five months since we had the chance to squeeze them, and it was fun to get spoiled with all of the homemade meals from John, drinks by the fire at night, and lots of sunny laughs. We will miss them, but we are so happy they’re in the AZ sunshine over the winter and can’t wait to hang with them this summer!
