My annual trip to Arizona

Back in July I made my 3rd annual trip to Arizona with my dad & step-mom. We stay with my favorite Aunt Candi and Uncle Gary. However, Uncle Gary has only been there 1 day out of the 15 I've stayed so far. He is always traveling for work. We miss him but we still have a great time. Each year I love Arizona more and more. I know why my family that lives there, stays there.

Let me tell you about the plane ride. For 3 months I've worried about this plane ride. I wasn't worried that the plane would be hijacked or that we would be in some horrific crash. No, my worry was that the seat belt wouldn't fit across my lap. Let me explain something to you. I worry...A LOT! Over the most ridiculous things. I drive myself crazy. It consumes me. So for 3 months I drove everyone crazy asking if they thought I'd fit in a seat belt. In my mind I'm the largest person on the aircraft. I tried to look up the lengths of the seat belts on the Internet. I am crazy, I know. In case you are wondering, I did fit. ;)

My view from the plane

We're getting closer!
The first evening we ate at Harold's in Cave Creek. I'm convinced there is no bad place to eat in Phoenix. As we were talking to the waitress, she said, "Oh, oh...the menu is on fire!" Had she not noticed, I'm convinced we would have had a full fledged fire going on.

For the record, it was step mommy, Rhonda, who caught it on fire.

They have an amazing outdoor shopping center just down the road from Candi. As I browsed through The Childrens

Place, Candi & Rhonda waited patiently in the dressing room. Pinnacle Peak Patio

One of the houses we purchased...I wish

I forget the name of this rock formation.

These were taken while in a moving vehicle. They didn't turn out too bad.

BLACK WIDOW! This was at aunt Candi's house! If I would have seen a tarantula I would have been out of there. Yes, I know black widow's are deadly but the thought of a huge hairy spider is too much.

Cousin Lainie's son, Kaden

Lainie's husband, Jess & their youngest, Blake

Cousin Amy's youngest son, Ben

Amy's oldest, Mason

These next few shots are of Amy & her husband's John, new house. It is absolutely awesome!

Amazing architecture

Their bathroom was bigger than our living room...

I'm pretty sure I could handle it

Their crazy huge master bedroom

The views from their backyard

Lainie and Jess's rockin' pool!

WARNING: THE IMAGE BELOW IS GRAPHIC! IF ANYTHING, I HOPE YOU LEARN A LESSON (But lets be honest, I'm sure it will happen to me again...it wasn't the first time)

I always leave 2 days earlier than Dad & Rhonda & fly back by myself. I get nervous that my kids need me (not that you aren't doing a great job, honey ;) and so I only stay 4 nights instead of 6. I think God is trying to tell me to stay those 6 nights because the last 2 years something has happened the day before I am supposed to leave. Last year I got crazy sick...throwing up & the poops and it lasted all day. This year, I woke up to find this....

Yep...that is me. I had a feeling my eyes would be swollen. This is caused from not wearing your sun glasses while in 115 degree desert heat. Go ahead and laugh, I did too. I woke up to look at the time and thought, "Well, crap!" When I walked out to the living room, dad was sitting on the couch drinking his coffee and he looked up like, "Oh my!" Luckily by the end of the night most of the swelling had gone down. My dad & I...we have this unhealthy infatuation with the sun. It's a sickness I tell you. All summer long we worry about how dark we are getting. I know..unhealthy. You can tell we are the tourist's because we are the darkest. I've seriously had someone say to me, "I didn't know your daddy was black". He's not.

Dad & I (for the record, it has been 2 months since I went & I'm now white as a ghost...I hate it)

Me, dad & Rhonda

Candi & dad (she likes the sun, too)

Aunt Candi & I

Dad & Rhonda Candi & Rhonda

Until next year...where maybe, just maybe, I will stay until & dad & Rhonda leave!