The Date

Dave and Bev treated Phil and I to a night away, our first in nine years...and they kept Addy that time, too. We might need to get out more. We rode to Tucson in style. Riding in a convertible was a first for me. I have yet to make driving a convertible a first. Phil hogged the controls.

I decided I look pretty good in a convertible. Although, my hair was sticking to my lips quite a bit. Hairy lips don't look good on me.

Our first stop was an old mission. It wasn't amazing, but provided some good photo ops.

Possibly a bit random, but I was interested in all the bilingual signs.

Something that was supposed to be a speciality in the area. It tasted remarkably similar to an elephant ear.

The hotel was really cool; very different from anywhere else I've stayed. I loved the little oasis of flowers in the middle, surrounded by cacti.

The next morning we decided to take a hike at a nearby National Park. The hike was more of a walk, since the paths were all paved. Round trip, we went 7.5 miles and we were both in hurtin' status when we were done. We REALLY need to get out more.

Phoenix

As stated in the Let it Snow post, we went to Phoenix to warm our extremities. We had a great time and it was hard to come back. Dave and Bev at The Bear Pause went all out and hosted us in 5-star style. Here are some of the highlights of our trip.

The kids wanted to start their days and end their days in the pool. Addy, in particular, spent most of her waking hours in the water.

Our girls' day out

checking out the desserts

the shop had a lot of bling

my bling...

Dave had a senior's softball tournament while we were there. You would never know these guys are retired; they took the game pretty seriously. None so seriously as Dave, though. He plays to win and his expressions show it.

It's a whole different kind of beauty down there


and the sad part is that we did go visit my Grandma and Bill while we were down there, but I forgot my camera that day...memories will have to suffice.

Happy Valentine's Day

I may be 5-6 posts behind, but I'm still going to post for Valentine's Day. I love holidays, but this one has to be my least favorite. I mean, even on Martin Luther King day Phil gets a day off, but Love Day? Nothing. My kids love this day, though, and force me to celebrate it each year through subordinate pressure. Here are three of my loved ones.