This is the time of year when I used to call home crying, "Please let me come home, I HATE the snow!!!" I lived on my college campus in Minnesota. I hated February and March, and we were always blessed with a blizzard in April, too. Shudder. So I am very happy to say we have had some delightful days here the past week, and I feel so sorry for some of you who are still in the land of Winter!
We have some fun and exciting visitors with us this week, my MIL and FIL, who drove all the way from Virginia to see us! Here's what we have been busy with the past few days. Don't hate us. We can't help it that we live where the sun shines.
The big girls skated to the park this morning while Nana and Emily walked, then I did some errands and joined them at the park with Emily's bike:
We broke the rules. Wheelchairs only!
Yesterday everyone but Emily and me went for a desert hike. (We had a nap.
That smiley is me. This one is Emily: 
) These pics below were taken either in California or Nevada, somewhere close to where they meet on the map. Yes, behind those heavy, snowy clouds hovering over those of you who are in Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc, the sky IS blue still!
Nana brought along something I was supposed to take home with me when we were with them last year, a vase-painting kit for the girls. (We didn't have one extra inch of space!) So the girls enjoyed painting yesterday morning with the warm sun on their backs:
And the big guys went for a macho bike ride. Out here in the West, image is everything, you know. That is why my DH is wearing long pants and is barefoot, lol! Yes, he always wears long pants (modesty is for men as well as for ladies), and no, he does not really bike in his bare feet. We call him Pants Armstrong, lol.
One of the reasons we enjoy having Nana and Papa with us is that they always bring such good things to eat with them! This time they loaded us with oranges and grapefruits from Phoenix, as well as cookies from Germany, and roasted almonds from Costco, lol. I think I will be 10 lbs fatter after this week, just when I was hoping to lose some weight. Well, I am ALWAYS hoping to lose some weight. It never happens, and I know that is because weight loss DOESN'T just happen! It's so much work. Totally against my personality. Like housework. Housework and weight loss. Same kind of thing!
sigh. This morning my own parents left for a two and a half week trip to Thailand. Not my first choice, for sure (I hear Bangkok makes Las Vegas look like kindergarten, and I know what Vegas looks like!) but I do enjoy seeing new places. I think I got that travel bug injected deep into my veins when I was a little kid. Unfortunately my DH seems to have been immunized against traveling, so we pretty much stay home. But home is where the heart is, right?
Well, I am just blabbing for the sake of posting something, so I had better get off here and go do something real. I'll see you all here in the neighborhood somewhere!
It looks like you all had a great time. We do still have snow, but I keep focusing on our spring and summer when we can be outside most of the day like you. Thanks for bringing some sun into my cloudy day (outside clouds). :)
ReplyDeleteJoAnn
Weather is great but the wind up my way is hammering us to death.
ReplyDeleteKristy
Must not be in the 90s yet, I see sweaters.. :) I totally loved winter in the desert. It's been pretty nice here this week, but today foggy and threatening to rain.
ReplyDeleteI was chuckling the whole way through your post. In my imagination you write like you would probably sound on the phone to a good friend, and I would be laughing alot.
Have a great week! Do you do anything special for Valentine's day? We haven't before, but it sounds like this year either DH went out and bought a truckload of chocolate (needs an excuse) or something strange is up. DD and I are going to find a victorian tea house further up the road tomorrow. Please pray that my 3 boys won't destroy the house while we're gone lol.
hugs
Denise
Congratulations on the no post -- it's good I hear from your otherwise else I would being going through withdrawal. Such cute pictures of the girls. I was wondering while looking through the photos, don't you have to worry about rattle snakes out there in the desert? Glad you all are having a good time - but you really didn't need to rub in the nice weather - we are getting 3-6 inches of snow tonight! waaaaaaa.
ReplyDeleteHi! I liked reading your post. : )
ReplyDeleteEmily is so cute! : )
And it looks so nice and pretty there! I wish I could move to someplace where it's warm all year round. (Mostly.) Here in Wisconsin it's bitter cold!!! But then again in the summer I might change my mind! Amy told me how hot it gets there in the summer! And I thought 100 degrees was hot! : )
~Kate
Oh how fun!
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in San Diego we always used to take day-trips to the Anza-Borrego desert. We love to hike, and explore the hills and canyons. I even saw a bighorn sheep one time! It was SO neat!
I'm glad to see that the skies are still blue somewhere. ;-)
Blessings,
Michelle
For your faithful readers to know. That third picture in the hike sequence shows a very difficult hill to climb on that trail. Today was a success for the Monocog Man climbing it.
ReplyDelete