We are in Arizona for a week with the De Jongs and we are thrilled! (Or we were, I should say, since we are home now when posting this.) It's so nice to escape winter for warmer weather and to have a whole week of relaxation together with family. We are so thankful for this time away!
Norah had her first plane ride and she did great. We thankfully had a direct flight, but it was still a long day of travel with driving to Omaha first, checking in at the airport, flying, getting the rental car, etc. Norah was such a trooper. We really couldn't have asked for a better travel baby! All the tricks we packed (and the treats Gramie packed) were a big help too. (A post about flying with babies/toddlers to come later!)
Getting off the plane. You did it, Norah!
Our first day here was so great. Grandpa, Uncle Brett, and Aunt Elizabeth weren't here yet today, so we had a quieter day, but it was so nice to get acclimated to the area, get groceries/unpack, and relax. We walked around outside this morning exploring and Norah came for a run with me in the stroller.
Norah was very intrigued with the dessert- definitely don't have that in Iowa! Also, her outfit and hat are just too adorable.
This is the house we are staying at for the week. It's amazing!
I have never seen so many cactuses in my life. (I never even use the word "cactuses" and shamefully just had to look up how to spell it. Ha.)
We all like not having to wear a coat!
My running buddy.
Some pictures of the inside of the house.
The backyard pool! Unfortunately the heater is broken and the water is ice cold, but it should be fixed in a few days they say.
I sat in one of those chairs and read while Norah napped and it was glorious.
We love having Daddy home during the day!
In the afternoon we took Norah to the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park and we can't say enough good things about it. If you are in Scottsdale with kids, this is a must. It's so affordable- there is no admission fee to get in, and the train/carousel tickets are just $2. Also, if your child is under 3 they get to ride free with a paying adult. Awesome!
Even better than the price was the place! It was so neat. All three of us had such a great time! Kley even said he wouldn't mind if we went back again this trip!
They had old trains, lots of open areas to play, several different parks, train rides, snack spots (with an ice cream stand), and a carousel.
So glad we could take Norah to such a fun spot!
What a beauty.
On the train!
This is my favorite recent picture of Norah and I.
Norah watching during the train ride. (I can't get over her hat!)
On the carousel! (Unfortunately she rammed her face right into the hoof of one of the horses while climbing on, so she didn't love the ride too much. Oops.)
After the train/carousel we went to one of the parks. It was so cool- it was huge with so many things to do. Norah loved taking her shoes off and getting her feet in the sand!
Seriously, this place was so great. You should definitely go.
Norah loved swinging last summer/fall, and was thrilled to get back in one!
We are having a fabulous time!
Also, I must comment how fabulous In-N-Out Burger is. It is amazingly delicious and very cheap. I had a cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake (very healthy, I know), but it was so great and all three were delicious. Also, we randomly found Mod Pizza and that was delicious too, which is a casual brick oven pizza place.
Looks like a great time! Who could blame you for wanting to get away from the cold for a bit. Looking forward to the toddler flight tips, I always love hearing what worked (and what didn't!) :)
ReplyDeleteI will have to get to writing about that! Thanks for the reminder. I definitely read a lot of other blogs about flying with young children before, so I would love to write about what worked well for us! Thanks for reading!
Delete