Rodeo

The Rodeo was in town!  A parade down main street on Saturday night kicked off the festivities, and we joined Liam curbside to gather as much candy as our bag would hold!  (Lily was given the option of walking in the parade with Papa Kurt on the bank float, but decided she wouldn't get enough candy if she had to "work" during the parade).  

We walked with Auntie, Uncle Casey, and Kona Bear to check out the horses and bulls the morning of the rodeo.  

Sunday night, Nanny and Papa Kurt treated us to the main event.  We were up close and personal with the horses and bulls…front row seats at the rodeo!  William was very concerned when the cowboys "fall down!" and Lily likes the roping of the calves. She also stood near the pen to name each bull and calf after their performances.  

Such a fun weekend, and very nostalgic for me.  Ryan and I attended these parades and rodeos every summer growing up, so it was extra special to see Lily and William enjoying it as much as we used to!

Grandma & Grandpa, plus a special extra!

Our adventures in Kansas continued with Grandpa and Grandma O!  To make our time extra special, cousin Liam spent a week in Sabetha while we were home.  Liam and Lily will both start Kindergarten this fall.  These two had a great week together and created many summer memories!  

Liam and Lily checking out Grandpa's motorcycle and exploring the shop {Daddy was a bit jealous - he'd like to ride that bike!} 

William continues to prefer men, and asked to sit with PaPa any chance he would get.  Grandpa's lap is often full with both these sweet boys.  

Saturday morning, we had breakfast at Buzz Cafe.  After the kids finished, they were having a hard time sitting quietly while the adults chatted over coffee…so off to the park we went.  Getting our sillies out!

A trip to Kansas wouldn't be complete without fun adventures in the country!  You can not mentioned Kansas to William without him saying "PaPa horse!"  Both kids loved petting Timber, Lily fed her a few times, and was even brave enough to sit by herself.  

Another favorite was riding Grandpa's "tractor" (don't you love my city kids and their version of tractors, ha!).  Off to the woods they went, where Lily gathered treasures and William enjoyed the ride.

The best part of our trip was spending quality time with all our grandparents.  We don't make it home very often, and normally only during the crazy holiday season.  To spend one-on-one time with our family during the slow pace of summer was priceless.  Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules and for creating amazing summer memories with Lily and William!

{More adventures to come…}

Nanny's house!

{The kids and I spent two weeks in Kansas visiting as many family and friends as we could squeeze in.  Ryan stayed home to work (and as Lily says, take care of Ellie-dog too!).  While we missed him so much, we loved spending quality time with some of our favorite people.  I am going to break our trip up into a few posts…so get excited for a little blog activity over the next few days!}

FUN AT NANNY'S HOUSE!

William had a rough time settling into bed the first few nights we were home.  When I went up to comfort him, he would say "Down.  Papa.  Sit."  He settled down immediately on Papa Kurt's lap, begged for his hand to be tickled, then headed off to bed without a peep.   

We woke up one morning to a thunderstorm.  William was enthralled with the rain and a little nervous of the thunder.  The cooler temperatures the first week we were home were absolutely amazing!  Such a treat for my Arizona babies.   

Driving Nanny's "tractor".  Lily drove all by herself around and around (and around) the pond.

Sprinkler fun! It really is the little things in life.  Water plus soft green grass made for a fun, and wet, morning!

Papa Kurt spoiling Lily with both ice-cream and being allowed to sit in Nanny's living room with food.  Nanny and I were on edge watching this occur!

Mom and I snuck away to KC for two nights, while Lily and William enjoyed one on one time with Grandma and Grandpa.  An amazing dinner at Novel with Mallory and Casey the first night...

…and a blast at the Rieger with Papa Kurt and Kelly on night two, while Mom was living it up at the Paul McCartney concert.

{Lots more fun and photos to come….}

Say cheese, please

{a trip to the ice-cream store}

4th of July weekend

We headed out of the valley and up to Flagstaff for the holiday weekend.

Out of the heat, ready for some small town festivities and lots of family time.

{Thursday}

We rented a house a little over a mile from the historic downtown.  Our first morning, we walked down for breakfast and explored the area.  William had his first chocolate milk and pecan roll...I think we've created a monster.  

After naps back at the house, we headed out for a late lunch/early dinner at a local brewery.  William was beyond thrilled that we were up close and personal with Route 66 and the trains going by every 15 minutes.  The kids were so well behaved, they earned popsicles while Mom and Dad sampled the local beers.

{4th of July}

On Friday, we were up and out the door early to secure spots at the local 4th of July parade.  It was such a fun event - Flagstaff appears to be a close knit community and it seemed every local business, politician, and service provider had a float.  

Lily and William were thrilled with hot chocolate while Ryan and I sampled the 'favorite' local coffee.  Then we tucked in and waited patiently…a little foot racing, games of tag, and meeting new friends ensued.

Lily met a sweet new friend, who invited her to sit on her wagon…curbside, up close to all the floats and therefore in prime range to gather candy.  How could our girl say no?  William chose to hang out a few steps back with Mom and Dad instead.  His favorite float was the Firetrucks, of course.  "Weee-ooo Weee-ooo Weee-ooo, Fire Tuck!!!"  Repeat ten times.  

Almost immediately after the parade ended, the rain came (it's monsoon season so the clouds tend to roll in mid to late afternoon).  Our family headed back to the house for a rest, then did 'poppers' on our front sidewalk.  That was the extend of the fireworks for us…between the rain and being up early, we decided ordering a pizza and crashing for the evening was the best idea for kids and parents alike.  

{Saturday}

After packing up the house and eating breakfast at a local joint, we drove to Snowbowl to play around a bit.  It was upper 60s in town, but mid 50s at the base of the ski resort.  Felt so good, especially knowing we'd be back in the Phoenix heat by the end of the day.  It truly is amazing that we can drive two and a half hours and have more than a 30+ degree swing in temperature. 

After leaving Snowbowl and Flagstaff, we drove Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona.  If you ever visit the area, this is an absolute must.  It's a 25 mile windy road down the mountains following Oak Creak…the views are out of this world and you end up in Sedona, red rock country.  It was also one of the most peaceful parts of the trip…radio silence from the back seat!!

We had a quick lunch with an amazing view, and seriously considering booking a hotel to spend the night.  There is something about Sedona…we felt so relaxed, peaceful, and content, and never wanted to leave!  However, we decided the kids were ready to be home and headed off to Phoenix.  We would end up regretting that decision shortly...

{This is how a photo session normally goes!}

Less than one hour from home, I-17 came to a complete stand still.  And stayed that way for almost three hours.  A horrible, fatal accident a few miles ahead closed both lanes (it's a fairly dangerous drive with lots of up and down mountains, winding roads etc).  We missed the traffic diversion by a matter of minutes, and we were literally the last car in our lane waiting for the highway to open back up.  

However, the kids had a blast running up and down the highway, playing football and making new friends.  Time passed fairly quickly, and we kept saying how lucky we were to have a full tank of gas, lots of water and snacks.  And of course, safe and together.  Always a good reminder to appreciate what you have and be happy in the moment.

{not a bad view!}

A successful family vacation!  Though sometimes stressful traveling with children, we love being together, getting our kids outside of their everyday bubble, and exposing them (and ourselves!) to different cities and ways to live.  We are already considering our next trip!  :)