So Jill and I wanted to see each other sooner rather than later and a miracle shall we say occurred! lastminute.com had a GREAT deal!
So I hopped across the 'Pond' and arrived in P-hone-ix.
David had just moved there - poor guy! It was 115 outside! 115! It felt like you were a chicken in a convection oven! Needless to say David, Jill and I loved going to the Diamondbacks game! We were sitting right under the AC! Oh the sweetness of coolingness from above! ;)
Jill and I hung out with David for a few days and then we set off for SLC to meet her family.
I really enjoyed the drive! I LOVE red rock and have for a long time...
These are some pix from the Navajo Reservation. Beautiful red earth all around....
There were shopping spots along the way where the Navajo sell jewelry, etc. There was one that was REALLY funny....they had signs that said 'Nice Indians!' 'You can turn back!' 'No, really, it's ok!' ;)
After meeting Jill's parents (who are VERY, VERY nice people! Hi Carolyn! Hi Stephen! ;)
....we set off for the wonderful world of IKEA where my nieces, Mel, Susan and Suzanne were waiting.
This is a pic of the girls 'playing' in a bed....who knows if that is legal, but oh well, whose going to arrest cuties like these, eh?
Here is a pic of Jill and I 'skipping' with the girls. We also played hide n' seek with them....I don't think IKEA approves of this behavior - but we did have a great time!
So, ONCE AGAIN! Any of you who are fans of dis blog, will surely know of my 'issues' regarding Jill and her 'affinity for frog culture' ;) Once again, here I am standing RIGHT THERE...and she finds a stuffed frog to kiss! So far it's been bronze, chocolate and now stuffed.....what next?!
Jill and I hung out with her family doing a variety of activities. We then hopped down to SF to hang out with Mel, Susan and the girls before they, too, left for AZ. Here is one of those 'priceless' 'cute' photos that they'll hate when they're older.....
Pig tails, messy-chocolate face, lickin' away....
And then suddenly!! I don't know....I put this one up....because it kind of 'scared' me ;) The 'ecstasy' of chocolatey-goodness, became more of a freaky-Gremlinlike state of 'HAAHA! I HAVE YOU!!'
What a gal....so emphatic in her conquering of the cake-mixer-dingy ;)
But just to show you what a proper, little lady A-babe can be, here she is modelling off hat/bag ensembles I brought back for them from Germany.
H-babe...interesting how her 'entertaining' moments of dance and song, often look like 'fiery preaching' to me - I witnessed this once again in a mall in AZ ;)
Love you lots, A & H-babes!
Grrr........need I say more? ;)
So Stephen/Carolyn and Jill proffered up their loot from their last bank robbery (don't ask, it's a long story - let's just say the Young's are 'the Wild Ones' ;) and gave me my first Lagoon trip ever! We went with Jill's nephews and their dad. Andre. It was LOTS of fun. Anyone who knows me, knows that I get queasy with rides/cars/the rotation of the Earth, etc. ;) So of course we all decided to begin the day with the ride called 'Wicked'. Umm.....I read beforehand how it uses magnets, etc., etc....needless to say that it went SO FAST that I have very few memories of the ride. All I know is that at the end, I felt like the right thing to do was to fold my hands into a 'prayer' style and my leg was twitching on its own....
I watched for a lot of the rest of the day....but it was fine....I enjoyed the time, especially the water and the fountain (I was the lone adult playing in the fountain with the 8-10 year olds....hmm....I'll grow up some day....hopefully ;)
One of the activities that we did with Jill's family was go up Mill Creek canyon. Jill's dad Stephen had this cute idea of taking empty water bottles, tying them with some string and then the kids could go 'fishing'....cool idea - kept the kids busy for a long time and they enjoyed it!
I liked being in a canyon again....the water felt nice on my feet.... maybe I'm BIG FISH!
We had a great time in SLC seeing Jill and my family. I'd have to say my favorite part was when Jill forced me to hike Ensign Peak. I'd never done it before and I was VERY full from a Brazilian restaurant. But little by little, she got me to the top and....BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! That sight is still in my brain.....
Jill and I drove back to AZ and hung out a bit with my cuties again....
I call this one 'Mel as Momma'....to me it just shows different moods of children - H-babe, the actress/wanting attention; A-babe being comforted/getting loved; and I-babe just 'chllin', but rolling over for more 'feed me' time....
Loverly....you're great Mel!
Oh Jillian, Oh Jillian...I've seen transporters on TV, why can't I use them?! We'll work something out....till then, adios and have fun in your 115 degree 'paradise' ;)
Just wanted to take the chance and say thanks to the Young's, Bartlome's and Jacobson's for feeding us, taking care of us, talking to us, having fun with us, us us us....and usus.....
;)
GRAZIE MILLE!!
