Our Week In Arizona

Here we go readers, I'm back and going to try my best to speed up some of these vacation posts. This one is going to be the highlights of our week in Tucson, AZ. It'll probably be a little long, but I'll do my best to whip through the days. We got there Friday (May 28th) and didn't leave Tucson until Monday, June 7th so a little over a week. Saturday, my sister & Kaite arrived. They flew in since Kaite was still in school and could only be out there a week because she had to get back for final exams. We got our condo after they got in from the airport and got settled in and unpacked for the week. The condo slept six so it was the four of us and my sister and Kaite. After we all got a little unpacked we headed back to my aunt and uncles for my cousin Kevin's graduation open house. Kevin graduated from high school the week before, which we missed, but it was nice we were able to attend the open house. Congrats to Kevin on his graduation, but we're sorry to hear that he's going to the University of Arizona in the fall. We kind of think a school very near to our home would be much better. LOL.

Sunday we all headed to Sabino Canyon for part of the day. I've been there a few times before and thought it would be a nice place to take the kids. We took the guided 45 minute tour on the trolley into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. There are several stops along the way so after we rode all the way to the last stop and turned around, we got off at one of the stops on the way down. We picked one of the stops that had water where the kids could get out and wade in the pools. It was very nice since it was a hot day. We discovered though that Emmaline didn't like to touch the rocks in the water with her bare feet or walk in the wet sand. I think the pretty princess doesn't like dirty feet. It was a nice day to spend part of the day, but it sure was hot out there. You can check it out more at sabinocanyon.com Sunday night Matt & KaiAnn came over to my aunt and uncles and we all helped them assemble the rest of their wedding programs. We had an assembly line going and got them done in pretty good time.

Monday was our day to go to Old Tucson. This is a place I used to go when I was kid on our trip to Arizona at Christmastime. I wanted to take the kids there since I enjoyed it as a kid. I had a good feeling Evan would like it, and I was right. He LOVED the place. Old Tucson Studios is Arizona's Hollywood in the desert. They feature film and television shoots and Wild West entertainment. We happened to pick the right day to go because when we were walking up to the ticket booth a lady handed us some free passes. We only had to pay for Evan to get in so that was nice. We also hit it at their slow time of the year so it wasn't very crowded which was a big plus. While there were limited shows, there was still plenty to see in the few hours we wanted to spend there especially in the heat. The kids got to ride a few rides like the carousel, a mini water log ride, the train, and old fashioned cars. We saw a Wild West gunfight and stunt show as well as a few other shows. It was fun to be back there after so many years. Amazingly I remembered quite a bit of it from being there as a kid. Go to oldtucson.com to check out more details.

Tuesday, was girls day in Tucson, well except for Emme because she was a little too young. First we all went to Eegee's for lunch and Greg and the kids came along too. Eegee's is a sandwich place and they're know for their special eegee drink. It's a slushy kind of drink. After lunch, Greg took the kids to the Tucson Children's Museum and my Aunt Debbie, my Mom, my sister, Kaite, and I all went for pedicures. We wanted to get our toesies all beautified before the wedding. I chose to get a French pedicure which turned out nicely. It was a fun afternoon getting our feet pampered. Thanks to my mom for the pedicure. I think it's time for another one.

Wednesday was our laid back day with no real plans. We took it easy and went to the Tucson Mall for a little bit then back to the condo to hang by the pool for a bit. Wednesday late afternoon was the rehearsal for the wedding. We all went to that so Greg could get a feel for things since he was going to be taking pictures the next day. My aunt and uncle held the rehearsal dinner at their house. Their backyard is really beautiful and it was a nice spot to have the dinner. Beef brisket and mahi mahi were on the menu along with a bunch of salads and fruit. It was a very nice evening hanging out visiting.

Thursday was the big wedding day! The wedding wasn't until 6pm so we had most of the day to hang out and have some pool time before Greg had to go to work at 3pm to start taking pictures. The wedding was outside and it was a beautiful setting with the mountains. I was Greg's assistant while he took pictures. We did all the guys and then the girls before the ceremony and then the together shots of the bride and groom and whole wedding party after the ceremony. While we were out on the lawn taking the girls pictures two javelinas came walking past us. Then one decided to stop and lay down not far from us. I was about to check-out as the assistant at the time. We kind of all stood still and took a pause from picture taking for a few. Thankfully after about five minutes the one that was laying by us got up and started to walk away and join his buddy. Crazy stuff, but I guess not as crazy as the bobcat that my cousin Kevin said he saw while on the other side of the building with some of the groomsmen. The wedding was absolutely beautiful! KaiAnn made for a very beautiful bride and Matt cleaned up pretty good as well for a good looking groom. Kaite was in the wedding and was the junior bridesmaid. She looked very beautiful in her dress as well.

The reception was a lot of fun and the food was delicious. On the menu was Chicken with a prickly pear sauce which was quite tasty. We ended up buying some prickly pear sauce in hopes to make some yummy chicken on the grill here at home. The kids had a blast dancing the night away especially Evan. He was going non-stop on the dance floor. What a kid I tell ya. He's got some moves and was quite the entertainment. Emme didn't last very long though and ended up falling asleep on a couch during the reception. I'm not sure how she slept through all the loud music, but she did. Greg was busy taking pictures during part of the reception, but he did get to enjoy some of it after awhile when he finally put the camera away. He took about 1600 pictures. Isn't that crazy? While I don't drink all that often, I did manage to enjoy quite a few drinks throughout the night. What a great time we all had at Matt & KaiAnn's wedding. Congrats to the two of them and wishing them many years of happiness to come!

Friday we enjoyed a brunch with the wedding couple and family and friends at the hotel Matt & KaiAnn had stayed at the night before. Then we watched them open their wedding presents. Of course they got a lot of really nice things and it was fun to watch them. Later on Matt, KaiAnn, some of the wedding party, and my sister and the kids and I hung out by the pool at their hotel. Greg stayed back at the condo to work on the wedding pictures a little for a viewing party on Sunday. I got to enjoy a pina colada and strawberry daiquiri by the pool while Kaite and KaiAnn entertained the kids in the pool for some of the time. Kai used to be a swim instructor so she was teaching Emme how to swim a little. After our pool time we headed back to the condo and some of KaiAnn's family were staying at our same condo and grilled out by the pool and they invited us to join them. It was a nice way to spend the evening.

Saturday we had to check out of our condo. That meant packing up everything and loading the car up to head back and stay with my aunt and uncle for a couple days. My sister and Kaite had to leave that morning to head home. The plan after we checked out of the condo was to go see Matt & KaiAnn's house and they were having a kickball/picnic at their neighborhood park. Unfortunately there was some horrible news Saturday morning that none of us were expecting. Matt & Kai's house was broken into late Friday night/early Saturday morning sometime. They weren't actually home at the time because they had stayed another night at the same hotel. A lot of their stuff was stolen, mostly electronics, and their house was trashed. No real damage, but a lot of items thrown all over the place. There's still no evidence and more than likely they'll never catch who did it. We're all pretty much convinced that it's someone who knew they had just gotten married and were looking for wedding presents and money. Thankfully all their wedding presents were at the hotel they were staying at so none of that was taken. It was a damper to the day, but they ended up having the kickball/picnic later in the day anyway, and it was a nice way to take everyone's mind off the break-in for a little bit. I didn't play kickball, but Greg did and I never knew he was such a great kickball player. He was awesome kicking that ball way out in the field and getting the runs in. A terrible morning for Matt & Kai, but a fun day nonetheless in the afternoon.

Sunday was our last full day in Tucson. That morning my Aunt Debbie and my Mom took the kids to the zoo in Tucson. Greg and I had a little free time which was really nice. We ran a few errands that we needed to and then we had a date lunch at the Guadalajara Grill down the road from my aunt and uncle. We had to get in one last Mexican meal before we left. It was so so yummy. Definitely a good choice for our date lunch and once again I was in guacamole heaven. That afternoon we all gathered at my aunt & uncle's to view the wedding pictures. Greg still has some work to do on them, but this was just a little preview so they could see most of the pictures. Greg did a fantastic job and I'm pretty sure everyone was pleased. If you ever need a wedding photographer or just a photographer for that matter I think I could hook you up with one.

Monday was our day to hit the road again. Time for the week travel home. We headed for Sedona that day and I'll be back tomorrow with more details and maybe some pictures of some of our days in Tucson!