Ahhh, vacation! We've begun a tradition of visiting Scottsdale every year in August. This is our third year now and it's really grown on us. Yes, it's the hottest time of year to go, and YES it's also monsoon season and YES we're a little bit nutty! The bonus is that it's within driving distance so we can just throw everything we need in the van and go. Now normally this is about a 6 hour drive. With the boys, it could easily turn into a 9 hour ordeal. So we decided it would be best to drive overnight while the boys were sleeping. It's a trade off...driving 9 hours with several stops or spending the first day recovering from a sleepless night. But then again, Scottsdale is all about resting and relaxation so what the heck?!
We did manage to get some of that much needed rest and relaxation in and visit a few friends who live out there while we were at it. Jeff, sweetheart that he is, gave me an afternoon of freedom to go shopping and I took that opportunity to go to my all time favorite discount store Last Chance. It's the final resting place of all things Nordstrom. It really is a crap shoot as to whether you'll find any really good deals but when you do...wow are they good! This time my best purchase was probably the pair of Merrill shoes at a fraction of the retail price. I wish this store were close by home so I could visit regularly! I highly recommend you pay a visit next time you're in the Phoenix area. My adorable husband also ponied up for a morning at the spa for me. I'm telling you, that is the life! Once a week please, please, please!!!
The boys got plenty of time in the wading pools and though they were skeptical of the benefits of water play to begin with, soon found they could have great fun splashing around and felt much more comfortable being able to touch the bottom of the pool with their feet. They also enjoyed the lazy river at the Westin Kierland. We took four turns around and wished we could have gone back again but somehow never got around to it. Next year!
The unexpected benefit of being in Scottsdale at this very hot time of year was that we missed out on all the fallout from the nearby fires here at home. So strange hearing all that awful news about home from so far away. I would love to see what it's like in Scottsdale in the Spring. I'm just curious. Maybe next year...or the year after.
Some more highlights from the trip...
baby fauxhawks
playtime with Pastor Scott
breakfast with the birds
boat tour of Canyon Lake
Look Ma, no hands!
sleeping in
bear bottoms
Sammy & Jeff
