Sweet Home....Arizona!

So we just returned from a trip to Arizona. The main objective for the trip was my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. How neat is that?! It turned out better than I planned. Actually, we didn't really plan so I guess you could say we couldn't go wrong. Between my fabulous sister-in-law, my "twin" sister (we look and sound alike, but she's 6 years older - it's eerie), my neice, and Shea, we actually pulled off some fun and creativity. My mom thought we had really "planned" it all out, but we just went off the cuff (and some adrenaline) and it was great. We decorated their condo, tried to leave chocolates on their pillows every night, decorated their car (like newlyweds, my mom loved it because my dad didn't allow it to happen 50 yrs ago), bought 50 red roses, hmmmmmmm.....what else? ate yummy cake that was decorated in their wedding colors, ate at a nice restaurant, my sis. made a 50 year + dvd/slideshow,......fun and more fun. We also played games every night with my dad being the 'butt' of the play. He's kinda' an airhead.......

We also saw my grandma who will celebrate her 91st birthday next month. She is one of my heroes. She has a cheerful disposition and just a sweetheart. People call/visit her when they are feeling down because she cheers them up. When I was in labor with Shea, I called her for a pick me up and she had me laughing in between contractions. One the hardest parts of leaving Arizona each time, is thinking this may be our last visit here on earth. She verbalized it this time and I could barely contain myself. She is amazing! Thank goodness for eternal families.

Before the anniversary fun began, we spent time in my home town where we visited with family, old friends, the children built forts in the cedar bushes, and we combed for pottery. This brings me to one of the highlights of the entire trip...I call it pottery combing because it's like "beachcombing" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beachcombing but there is no beach. My parents appear to live on some ancient indian ground. So most times I visit, I go out on their land and comb for pottery that has "surfaced." I'm probably the die hard in the family. I love it! I would love to find some whole pieces some day, but for now, I gather bits and pieces. This visit was an exception. I was starting to head in and stumbled across an ARROWHEAD! I was elated. It's taken me over 30 years, but I finally found one! They are not easy to find, but occasionally, a newcomer, will take one home with them and I have grown more envious each finding, but this time, it was the veterans turn.

I love Arizona! It's such a beautiful place. It's WAY different from the south, which makes it impossible to compare. You can't compare apples to oranges and you can't compare desert/prairie to rainforest. But it all can be enjoyed equally.

This time I wallowed in the warmth that was relieved by a breeze or standing in the shade (NO HUMIDITY - yeehaw!). You can truly just soak in the sun because it feels sooooooooo good. You don't have the humidity "raining" on your parade. ;o)

I look forward to returning in less than 6 weeks for my 20 year class reunion. It will be fun to visit, see how friends have 'aged', meet spouses and children. Let's hope I can find reasonably priced plane tickets.