A special weekend with Mom & Dad!

Last weekend my sister and I were able to coordinate our busy scheduled lives and escape to the mountains together!  As soon as Terry left work, she drove us up the hills...to Strawberry, and to a wonderful time with our parents.  Mom and Dad had a delicious porkroast and mashed potatoes dinner (comfort food!) waiting for our arrival. 

We enjoyed eating together on their lovely deck...Mom had made special cinnamon rolls for the weekend...they were YUMMY!  We enjoyed watching the birds at the feeders, and squirrels munching on their peanuts and broken pieces of apple from Mom & Dad's apple trees.

Dad was working on a 1,000 piece military plane jigsaw puzzle...I did some reading, and Terry was stitching away on a quilt binding.  We caught up on family news and medical concerns...

Terry, Mom and I were sorting bags of ribbon...Terry's secret stash which had grown over the years and become unmanageable...so now, after our weekend, the stash is more usable!

On Saturday morning we drove "into town" (Pine) and poked around some great antique, collectibles, and craft stores...and then we enjoyed lunch at the Pine Deli.  Dad was such a good sport to have the patience with 3 women....we had to use umbrellas a few times too, getting in and out of the car!

Beautiful blooms in gorgeous gardens surrounding some of the shops...

After naps, we enjoyed the drizzling rain...and then the thunder started!  There is NOTHING like thunder and lightning in the mountains!! It was grand!  We ordered in a pizza for dinner, and enjoyed watching a movie together.  This is a poor photo of the rain...but you get the idea!

Sunday found us on a short walk in the neighborhood after breakfast....

and then a short drive up the road to the Fossil Creek Creamery and Goat Farm...

The goats were there to greet us, of course!

The time flew by but we filled every minute with some wonderful memories.  Thank you again, Mom and Dad, for your wonderful and generous hospitality! AND thankyou for the special souvenir you bought for each of us:  I found the perfect spot for mine, and I think of Strawberry and YOU each time I see it in our yard!

FUN in the SUN!!

During Alissa and Alan's vacation, they scheduled a special morning for their niece, nephew and "sisters" to come over for a swim in their community's pool.  They picked a Tuesday for Aunt Jen's day off...and Mimi was invited to swim too.  Unfortunately, prior doctor appointments kept me out of the pool, but I was so happy to be an "observer" for a half hour, and I kept my camera busy snapping photos!

Initially, Landon was quite "skeptical" about the water...it's a little chilly until the body adjusts!  Corissa is so patient...she kept reassuring him it was "ok"...pretty soon he was repeating "it's ok" to himself!  So cute!

After he realized everyone else was "OK" in the water, then both Landon and Cailyn had a great time splashing in the water with their mommy, aunts and uncle!  The water looked so refreshing...it took a lot of willpower not to jump in myself!

"TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME...!"

It took considerable patience, fortitude and coordination, but we did IT!  Vince and I were able to attend a Diamondbacks Baseball Game at Chase Field with all our kids!  Mike and Corissa enjoyed a "date" for the evening as her family was able to take care of Cailyn and Landon.

We enjoyed the evening...the Dbacks did NOT play well, although we did get to enjoy the excitement of one Grand Slam...but the Padres proved to be too much for our home team that night.

Somehow, on our way home, listening to the "kids" chatter, and their singing and laughing together cancelled out any bad feelings about the team's loss.  We had gained a whole lot of great family memories instead!!