A Trip Out West

Last week Quinn, Kirch and I took a plane to Phoenix to visit the Travis Family. What a lot of work! Between keeping a 23-and-a-half-month old busy on the plane for 4 1/2 hours both ways and staying with Jessica & Chad and their 3 kids and 2 dogs, I feel like I'm still catching up from our "vacation!"

It really was a good trip, though. Aside from the rain we got on Friday (our first full day in AZ), the weather was beautiful for the rest of the time. We went to Collin & Leah's school's Transportation Day on Saturday. It was really cool - Quinn got to climb in and sit in all kinds of different vehicles, between motorcycles and cop cars to public buses and speed boats. Here is one of my favorites - her in the back seat of a Phoenix cop car!

Oh no, what have I done? I'm going to the clink!

Saturday night we all got a babysitter and went to Los Dos Molinos with Chad, Jessica, and a bunch of their friends. What a RIOT. One of the guys, Tim, summed it up best - "Mediocre food covered with sauce that is so freakin' hot you cannot taste anything, mixed with incredibly cheap tequila drinks...everyone leaves numb and happy!"

Sunday afternoon Jessica and I got some kid-free girl time - so we, of course, went shopping! I discovered the world of Ann Taylor Loft sale racks. Stuff that I can actually afford! And I'm talking like a hot black cocktail dress for $15! You seriously can't beat that! And the thing fits like butter!!!

Monday, with Chad back at work, Jessica, Kirch and I took Leah, Collin and Quinn to the Phoenix Zoo and had a really great day. The weather was beautiful and Quinn just loved looking at the animals - especially the monkeys and the otters.

The trip was a bunch of work - but we really enjoyed ourselves and the beautiful weather. One of the best rewards was Quinn counting to 14 at home on Thursday evening after listening to me count the steps to Jessica's basement all week while in Arizona! I had no idea she was even paying attention to me because she never even attempted to count with me while going up and down those steps. But apparently so, because now she is counting to 14 all the time!

Thanks for my birthday party, Travis Family!

This present is about as big as I am!

On our last night there, we had a little impromptu birthday party for Quinn (who turns 2 next Sunday). There were cupcakes and presents. It was a blast. I can't believe my baby is turning 2! Seems like yesterday when......................... sniff sniff........................