Sunday, July 11, 2010

Prescott

We returned from Michigan to 110+ degree heat in Phoenix, so we HIGHTAILED it up to Prescott for an extended weekend. I am so grateful for my parents! What a treat! Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Donise stayed almost the entire visit, shared wonderful stories and fabulous advice. It was so fun to hang out. Katherine kept calling for Uncle Lord and he was a good sport! Uncle Marty, Aunt Rhonda, Uncle Matt came up on Saturday and Grandmother went home with them. I'm sorry to have missed getting a picture of everyone. Geoff barbecued the steaks perfectly (I had TWO!) And Marty & Matt and I prepared some homemade peach ice cream. It was SO GOOD!
This sand & water table was a labor of love during the weekend. It is a one-of-a-kind original designed by Uncle Lloyd though all the men worked on it and my mom helped to stain it. We had more fun puttering around at the table when it was all done. Katherine would not come in even when she was overheated, she loved it so much. It is a great addition to fun things we can do at Nana & Papa's!
Katherine's first fireworks! She enjoyed them pretty well, but I think she had other priorities. As soon as we got out of the car, she pointed and announced with excitement, "Kids!" It's funny that she noticed that she had not been around other little kids in a couple of weeks due to our trips.

She was really tired and enjoyed being able to snuggle with her Nana and Papa.
Little Miss K decided she was old enough to go on a short hike... Three steps out, we heard "Hold you!?" So we all took turns carry her little 30 lbs of Chub-a-Dub. I love that kid.
We made a trip out to the stables just for her. She wanted to talk with every horse and tried to convince Geoff that she should ride them. I really don't think she realizes how little she still is. It's adorable.
We had a fun time swimming all together. We played catch and Katherine chased everyone's toes. It truly was a wonderful visit. A much needed rest. Thank you again to my parents for having us come.

Happy Birthday, Geoff!

What a good looking man! Honey, you make 32 look GOOD!
Special thank you to my parents for taking us to lunch at Genovese's in downtown Prescott. I think I took Katherine to powder her nose 14 times during the meal but it was fun. It was a great ending to a perfect weekend together. We love you, Mom and Dad!

Michigan

Oh, summertime is all about playing ball in a grassy backyard! Katherine made sure everyone got their turn with her.
Grandpa was a really good sport! He played with her several times even though he had hurt his back. We love him so much!

Stick 'em up! We take no prisoners...
Aunt Mitzi, Liz and her son, Lucas
Judy, Uncle Eric, Ned and Uncle Bruce
Vic is a FABULOUS musician and Katherine couldn't resist coming to see him up in his loft multiple times a day. He let her pretend to accompany him on the keyboard while he played.
Eric, Alex, Diane, and Brendan
Diane, Corey, Bruce, Jacki, Charrin
So I was looking through our pictures and I noticed that since Katherine was born, there have only been THREE pictures taken of Geoff and I together, so now I'm insisting that we get more... if only to prove that we still like each other... ;P
A few days before our trip, we learned that Geoff's brother, Jake, had unexpectedly passed away. We are very grateful that we were able to spend the next week with our family. It was comforting to be able to exchange pictures and share stories and remember the good times with him. We love Jake very much and he will be missed.

FIVE LONG YEARS

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!
Geoff took me to Rochester Hills for dinner. It is a quaint, picturesque kind of town that makes you want to walk the streets. The homes are traditional Americana, front porches with flowers and large trees everywhere. If we ever need to move to Michigan, I have found my home.
Uncle Bruce recommended a restaurant called Kruse & Muir. We ate on the patio. The weather was perfect. The food was tremendous. I could not have been happier. Thank you, love, for a wonderful night!

Katherine & Grandma time!

This post is dedicated to the hours that Grandma devoted to Katherine during our trip to Michigan. It was a total blessing to sleep, go on dates, read, do whatever, and KNOW that Katherine is in heaven. Thank you, Debbie!
Every morning, Katherine would knock on Grandma's door to feed the guinea pigs. There are three: Blossom, Brownie and Pink. She got to hold each one of them twice before they had to go back in their house... It looks like she's about to break this one in half!

Barbie chick flicks in the bed
Very proud of herself for stealing Daddy's chair
Music time
The traditional merry-go-round ride at the mall
Several trips to the park
Visit to an apple orchard with Grandma Judy and Grandpa Ned
Feeding the goats
I love you, Grandma!