Phoenix - Conclusion

Our Arizona adventure has ended safely. The flight landed 20 minutes early last night and we were home by 1:15 a.m. this morning. Jessi and Mike both worked on Monday so the rest of us stayed with the boys. They were very good. Brody colored some pictures for me which I brought home. Bryson fell asleep and, as it turned out, we left while he was still in bed. I picked Jessi up from her dental office, drover her home, and then we left.

As usual, I overestimated how long it would take us to get to the airport, return the car, ride the shuttle, check-in, and get to the gate. So we left fairly early. As it turned out, we could have hung around with Jessi and the boys for about another hour. Next time I will know better.

Our rental car, a Nissan Rogue, drove very nicely. It had great pickup when you hit the accelerator. We couldn't find real air vents so mom and I in the front froze while Beth and Tina in the back burned. But I enjoyed the car.

Since we arrived early, we checked in then went to the Chili's in the airport. The food was great but I ate too much and regretted it for the rest of the evening. Along with the cold I came down with during the trip, I was miserable most of the flight.

Becky and Elise were awake when we arrived home. They had the house looking very well! Mom and the girls sat up for a while and talked but I bailed for bed.

We really had a great time and are so glad we were able to go. It was nice being with Jessi, Mike, and the boys. It was also a lot of fun going to all the places we did during the week.

Thanks to Mike and Jessi for allowing us to crash at their place. Thanks to Becky and Elise for taking care of the house while we were gone. Thanks to Jeremy and Elise for working out the van situation for our return trip. Thanks also to Sonja for taking my class (and for her humerous text messages afterwards). By the way, daughter, without any preparation for the test and without sitting in my class for one minute, you scored an 80 out of 110 (72%)! Since 10 of the points you missed were for a memory verse, you score is quite good. Out of 20 students in my class, your score surpassed 8 of them! Lastly, thanks to Sarah for taking the tests to work so I could pick them up today and grade them!

Phoenix - Part 3

The trip is almost over as I pen this entry. Bethany, Tina, and Brody painted some pottery Friday evening and we just found out it is ready early. That's good because it means we can carry it home with us.

We spent about 2 hours at a local park yesterday morning. The kids had a lot of fun. Mike had to go to work at noon so we dropped him off and went home. Jessi, Debbie, and the girls went shopping in the afternoon while I watched the boys. They were very good for almost 2 1/2 hours. There was a 5 minute span in which Brody and Bryson had a confrontation and, as a result, Brody spent some quiet time in his room. As a result, I was evaluated to be a "mean" babysitter.

Last night we went to McDonald's for grandpa's promised trip to the boys. The boys were more interested in playing in the playroom than eating.

Today we went to the Phoenix Zoo. We were there over 3 hours and had a picnic lunch to boot. The zoo is a nice one and we had a good time. Their giraffe display is very nice and we caught them up close while they were eating. Unfortunately, it costs to get into the zoo. That is one thing I really appreciate about the St. Louis Zoo.

That will essentially cover our trip. Tonight is relaxation and tomorrow will be getting ready to leave. We're uncertain how much time to allow since we also have to return a rental car. We are also uncertain exactly how we are going to get our Missouri van to the St. Louis airport to pick us up since we will be arriving VERY VERY late! But we'll work it all out.

I've managed to pick up a cold while we've been here. Yesterday was really a bad one for my sinus. I seem to have improved since noon. I just don't want my head too plugged up when we get on that plane tomorrow evening!

I'm sure the girls will post several pictures and videos once we get back home.

Phoenix - Part 2

After typing the first entry yesterday, we followed Mike, Jessi, and the boys to Jessi's work. Jessi picked up her pay check and introduced us to those who were working. We also saw her work area.

Next we drove to the bank (a U. S. Bank!) where she deposited her check and I made a ATM withdrawal. Then it was off to the pre-school where Brody and Bryson attend. It's a very nice school. Brody waved at some of his friends who were there that day.

The last "work site" was the Desert Ridge 18 AMC Theater which Mike manages. It's a very nice theater with a huge lobby and concession stand. Mike showed us around including taking us into one of the theaters which almost holds 300. What a large room!

The most important thing we did, though (at least from the boys' perspective), was to stop off at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. Jessi's family had never been there so it was an adventure for each of us. The park is free and is quite large. They have old railroad cars in the park which you can check out. There are several pavilions if you want to do a picnic lunch. The park has a large playground facility which the boys totally loved. It includes an area with a water spray so the kids can cool off (it was 98 while we were there).

They have an old time carousel which only costs a $1 to ride. Jessi sat in a non-movable seat with Brody (he doesn't want on the horses). I put Bryson on a horse in front of Brody and stood by him. He was quite excited until we started going around. Then he did his best to get off. So, I gave him to Jessi and he sat on his lap. Not wanting the horse to feel badly, I jumped on and rode the animal for the remainder of the trip! By the time we completed our journey, the horse was tamed and stopped trying to buck me off. That may be the first time I have been on a "horse" for 20+ years.

Lastly, we rode the miniature train they have. The ride goes throughout the park and includes a couple of railroad/pedestrian crossings, 3 or 4 small trestle bridges, and concludes with a tunnel (in which all the kids on board screamed). The entire trip lasted about 11 minutes which is a nice length. All but Mike rode and I estimated the train could carry about 100 people total.

After that it was homeward bound. The folks wanted Taco Bell so I pulled in through the Drive-Thru and picked up some food. I hate Taco Bell but was hungry so I ordered some burritos. Big mistake later on. We went home, ate, and everyone crashed. Last night was spent watching the Dodgers/Phillies game and the CSI premiere (except by the boys and me).

It's mid-day here and we're taking a relaxing day. Brody and I were up before 7. Mike got up around 8 and went to work. Everyone else slept in. I managed to talk the boys into watching some "Tom and Jerry" cartoons which are so much more entertaining than the cartoon shows they make these days. Jessi, mom, and I hit the grocery store. We just finished lunch and now its quiet time.

All in all we are having a great visit!