Sedona

We packed up the car (fully) and headed to Sedona for a family weekend-getaway.  It was awesome, with beautiful red rock, hiking, swimming, and a break from the Tucson heat.  We stayed at the Sky Ranch Lodge and would highly recommend it.

The kids just let loose and thought the grass was the greatest thing ever.  They played, ran, laughed. 

Sunset.

Mason practicing Taekwondo.

 

 On a short sunset walk.

 

Silliness.

Eager little hiker!  Both kids insisted on carrying their own waters, cute.

This is a sink hole.

This area is so neat because it's half desert, with rocks and cacti, and half evergreen forest.  It's usually cooler than Tucson.

My gorgeous one.

Stopping for a rest and snack on the hike.  It wasn't a long hike, but the kids get so tired so quickly and so easily bored.  That is when the whining starts.

But we got to go back to the hotel and relax at the pool as our reward. They spent a lot of time in the hot tub, but liked going back and forth.  Camryn had her routine:  enter the big pool at one end, swim to the other, then walk back to the hot tub, soak for a minute, then go back to the pool to repeat.  Too funny.

Relaxing at dinner.

Mason and Giselle were busy coloring.  We traveled with Giselle and her family.  We had some scheduling mix-ups, so our family were by ourselves more than we wanted.  We had counted on the kids entertaining each other on the hikes.  We'll do better next time.

Willow, Giselle's baby sister.

Camryn picking berries in the garden.  Our hotel room opened to a large, beautiful garden with a man-made stream that provided excellent entertainment for the kids.  They played in the grass, "fished", and ran around, all while we had the luxury of staying in the room, or sitting and relaxing.

Mason looking at the coys and lillypads.

Playing "monster" at the park.

Jumping the stream at the garden.

On our last day we went to Slide Rock state park, where swimming was permitted in Oak Creek and there was a natural water slide formation.  It was very popular, very busy, but very fun to slide down.  The kids were scared of the slide.  No worries, more time for the adults to go down!

Mason and the others had fun playing in the small puddles.

This is Eden, a 7-year-old girl who played mother to Camryn, although most moments Cami still did not want Mama to leave her sight.  Check out that hottie in the background....

Can't wait to go back!

New car

 For better or for worse, we had to buy a new car.  Erika was in a hit and run, rear-end collision while driving the civic, and the car was totaled.  After a month of half car-less, half borrowing Mom's car, we finally picked the perfect car.  Kevin did a lot of research and decided the Hyundai Sonata is a great car, a great value, with high safety ratings.  He even knew the exact price he would pay.  It took a week of internet haggling, but he got a deal he could settle on.  We wouldn't usually buy new, but there were not any good deals on the 2010-2012 models.  So with the 2013 being just a little more expensive, we went with that.

 The kids like it, but already have their dirty little footprints all over the interior.

Not bad lookin' for a family car!

Big Beds!

 Comfy in her new bed!  Her room got a complete overhaul.

 We've actually had this toy chest for a while, probably the inspiration for the room.  Before she was born we painted the room purple due to an aversion to pink.  Tinkerbell goes with purple.

 We're lucky Camryn was easy-going about the room.  She seems happy with Tinkerbell, but if she had her choice it probably would have been pink princesses.  What is it with little girls and pink?

 It was the end of her nap, time to wake up. Those are butterflies and flowers on her bedspread.

 Dreaming about flying with the fairies?

 Or the butterflies?

 Mason helped with putting up all the stickers. 

 The back story on these beds is that Mason had been asking for a larger bed and it was about time to move Camryn out of the crib.  Mason wanted a bigger bed so Dada could lay with him sometimes, and also to make room for "John" his giant teddy bear.  We bought a full-sized bed for Mason and gave Camryn his twin.

Mason was coerced into plain blue bedclothes since they would go in the room better than a new character set, but actually seemed to like these and picked them out.  He had been so difficult to choose one, basically wanted whichever one was right in front of him.  Spiderman, Cars, dinosaurs.  He said at one point he wanted Toy Story, but he doesn't even like Toy Story.  So after complaining about him changing his mind, he finally said, "I don't want to fight, I'll just take plain blue."  He's so funny.  But he does seem to like it, and I promised him a decorative pillow in a pattern he would like. I think the pillow cost more than the bedclothes.  But I can change the pattern for less money in the future, and it makes a great backrest for family reading time.

Creative Fun

 Leave it to Mama to have the kids help make cupcakes, yum!

 Mason practicing his artistic skills decorating the cupcakes.

 We had the pleasure of watching Sweet Pea again, which gave Camryn ample opportunities to play one of her new favorite games, "puppies."  It's a good think carrots are one of the dogs favorite treats, so Puppy Camryn could enjoy them too.

 Even toddlers can appreciate the joy of dancing in underwear.

Last Sunday Camryn found a pair of panties and wanted to wear them.  We agreed she may, as long as she kept them dry.  If not, she would have to wear her pull-ups.  She found that pretty good motivation because she has been peeing in the potty with moderate success since.  One almost success for going #2.  The daycare was not helpful in the beginning, saying they were surprised she showed up in panties, because she hadn't demonstrated signs.  After Erika told them to give Camryn a chance or else, she (they?) started doing much better.  Saturday she proved she would not be forced to use the potty, however, and was perfectly fine wearing her pull-ups all day after a few accidents in the morning.

Mason experimenting with cause and effect as he throws his paper airplane into the moving fan. 

He enjoyed showing us the damage to the plane after every throw.

Mason sliding down Camryn's crib mattress that we set up in the playroom for fun.

Mason's wall of art.  He takes such pride in his work, and would have all of the walls plastered with artwork if we let him. 

Taekwondo

 Mason started Taekwondo early this month and loves it.  He struggles, but improves so much every lesson.  Cami likes to go and watch.  The instructors are very nice, husband and wife, and once a week their son comes.  He is Camryn's age and sometimes they play.  You can tell they both can't wait until they're old enough to go on the mats too.

 High block.

 Punching

 He gets one-on-one attention from the instructors frequently.

 Side kick.

First summer swim

It may only be May here, but it has been hot enough for summer already.  We were invited to a friends new gorgeous pool and had a great time.

More zoo pics

This kids had a blast running around the child's play area. 

 This is a version of the groundhog pounding game I'm sure, as Cami is about to smack Dada on the head.

 Camryn is such a good runner! 

 To live in pure joy...

 Mason was supposed to jump with Cami to help her, but he failed.  She jumped 75% of her height by herself, no problems.

 Mason jumped after her.

 There is nothing more beautiful than her.  Period.

I love this picture for so many reasons.  Cami, our little athlete is jumping again.  Mason, however, could not have planned a better expression.  He is hollering in shear excitement, and somehow cocked an eyebrow.  Hilarious.  If you are not laughing hysterically, enlarge the image and look closely at the eyebrow.