The Grand Canyon State

"The Grand Canyon State" is not much of a state nickname for a place where temperatures flirt with 120 degrees daily. After spending a week there I'd call it the "Hotter than Hades State." Or the "Hotter than Three Rats in a Wool Sock State." "The Grand Canyon State" makes Arizona sound like a nice place to visit. Give us a little warning!

Besides the heat, our trip really was pleasant. Topping the trips highlights...Reid learned to walk. Watching a toddler walk with a plastic leg is quite entertaining. He learned to walk so differently than Parker did at nine months and different than any other two legged kid learning to walk. He clomps around with both arms facing forward and his back leaning backwards in sort of a Frankenstein manor. It is really amazing how well he's doing. He seems to be quite pleased with himself.

Also nearing the top of the trips highlights was Parker's discovery of Mountains. We don't have mountains in Ohio. He was fascinated by mountains last year in Utah, too. And we've talked about mountains since then. I don't know if he forgot what mountains actually looked like or if Arizona mountains are just different. Driving on the freeway to Great Grandma Bensons house Parker asked in reference to the mountains...What is that big dirt?

Being the only two grandkids on my side of the family, Parker and Reid got a lot of attention from everyone, but especially spoiled by Grandma Benson. Mom took them the circus, the science museum, out to lunch and swimming everyday. Not to mention baking cookies, playing with toys, giving them toys, giving them an endless supply of Fruit Loops, fruit snacks, Goldfish, and popsicles, and pushing them around on her computer chair with wheels. Thank You, Thank You Grandma Benson! Parker has been reinacting the circus all week. He'll stand on anything he can find to represent a stage and announce "Ladies and Gentlemen..." Only it's more like "Lamies and Gentlemen." I know he knows how to say ladies so I'm not quite sure how to take that.

We celebrated mom's 50th birthday. Mike and Jeff and I figured zero has no value anyway so we gave her a 5 year old birthday party complete with streamers, balloons, party hats, and a trip to Makutu's Island...the most awesome indoor playground ever. The best part is adults can climb on the equipment, too. So my husband and my super tall brothers chased Parker around for an hour and a half on three stories worth of ladders, slides, zip lines, rope bridges and tunnels. Thanks Guys! It was so fun to have our whole family together. Those times are few and far between. I forget what I'm missing. It was really great have that time. Mom visits often, but my kids don't know my brothers at all. I was glad they got to know them and vice versa. Thanks Mike and Jeff for entertaining them.


This is the fam at Makutu's Island. Don't worry, the pink purse that looks like it belongs to Jeff is not his...it's Mikes. He had no where else to set it. (ok it's mom's) I anticipated having lots of pictures to post, but I didn't get my camera out once the entire week. All I have are a few random pictures my mom took mostly just hanging out at her house. So that's all I've got.

I enjoyed visits with so many family members and friends. Even though I didn't grow up in Arizona, It was good to be home. Thanks Everyone!