I'm Baaaack!

I just got back in town today from an amazing trip. Amazing, because there were no children involved! John and his friend (Tanner) were going to a conference in Phoenix and they were kind enough to bring their wives along with them. John and I haven't gone on a trip alone since our honeymoon...8 years ago. So I think it was high time that we had a little break from the kiddos. not that we don't love our children, but who doesn't love their kids more when thinking about them from miles away???

We flew into Phoenix late on Sunday morning, got our rental car, and headed to Mesa where we stayed at the Arizona Golf Resort. After lunch the boys headed off to class and Danielle (Tanner's wife) and I ventured out around town for a nice Sunday drive. Later that evening, when our husbands were done learning, we drove into Phoenix and ate at some local restaurant. Without kids. It was awesome.

On Monday the boys has class again and so the girls got to have a leisurely morning of sleeping in, working out, talking while eating breakfast for 30 minutes(I can't remember the last time I did that), and then taking our time getting ready. We then spent time shopping at the mall. Later that day(although the pool at our hotel was as warm as a mountain stream, and the hot tub was luke warm), Danielle and I thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon lounging by the pool, talking, reading, napping, and soaking up the sun.

Our husbands joined us around 4:00 and then we headed off for PF Changs and a movie. Dinner was great, movie was awful (the creators of Nick and Nora will be getting a strongly worded letter from me for having the audacity to make one of the most vile and disgusting movies of all time and marketing it like a comedy...I've never come so close to walking out of a movie in all my life and regret not doing it, nuf said.) But once again, we weren't bickering with children, so the night was still a success!

Tuesday was my last full day in AZ. Luckily the boys only had a couple of hours of class that day. So Danielle and I were still able to maintain our lazy morning routine, but the guys were able to join us for afternoon festivities. I carried my camera around during the whole trip, but only got it out on our trip to Scottsdale, so enjoy the photos of our afternoon, notice there are no children in the pictures!

Here we are posing in front of Trader Joe's. We were under the impression it was more than a grocery store, it's not. It's just an organic grocery store. So we bought some organic enchilada sauce...why not?

We then headed to old down town Scottsdale and wandered through the little shops. John really wanted his picture taken by this Yankee's street sign. (I believe in Tanner's camera the picture is of John making an obscene hand gesture, but I waited to get a more "G" rated shot.)

Here we are holding our favorite pair of ridiculously priced cowboy boots. Who would have thought that a nice pair of snake skin boots would run you a good $1500?

John and I modeling some lovely pieces of cow furniture.

John hangin' with the locals.

????

Tanner sleeping in the biggest shoe store EVER!!! I guess he's not into shoes.I had done some research looking for some things to do in Phoenix and discovered that the city's tourist attractions pretty much shut down in October...odd, but true. Even the golf course at our resort was closed for reseeding during what I thought would have been ideal golfing weather. The weather was great while we were there. Lower 80's everyday. I was worried there would be nothing to do while we were there, but it was fun having another couple to hang out/goof off with. Four minds are better than two!

It really was a great trip. Especially since all we had to pay for was my airfare and a teeny tiny portion of our food. John's food budget paid for most of our meals AND fun. Now, that's my kind of vacation. I'm seriously considering making him find some sort of conference to go to every year just so I can join him. That is if I can convince people that babysitting my kids is awesome and they should want to do it every year! (Thanks to my parents and Natalie for taking the kids!)

The only reason I'm a little bummed right now is that I'm the only one that flew home today. That's right, everyone else is still vacationing! But I couldn't leave the kids any longer...not that I didn't want to, I just ran out of baby sitters:) Boy, I sound like a great mother don't I. I did miss my kids.....I did!