I survived my very first plane ride ALONE with my kids!! And to be completely honest, I don't know what I was so worried about. I did panic a little inside when halfway through the flight, Jax was asleep in my arms and Ava announced she had to go "poo-poo, really, really badly." Fortunately for me, just a few seconds later she said, "Oh, wait. Pump fake, it was just a toot." Phew.
So, while Andy is out globetrotting, the kids and I took a weeklong vacay to Arizona. We spent the week at my best friend Jaime's house, which was interesting. Jaime has a little boy, who is just a few months older than Ava and a little girl a few months younger than Jax. Joey and Ava were the best of friends when they were younger. However, times have changed. Okay, now, to be fair, we stuck a pair of three-year-olds in the same house for a week. We should have been prepared for a reality TV-like fight. But, there wasn't a ton of fighting. They were more like an embattled pair in love. One minute they'd play nicely together, the next they were screaming at each other. The good news is, they left on a highnote, playing all that morning and hugging when we left. Ava even told me on the plane she couldn't wait to see Joey again.
Jax and Brooke
Bath Buddies
I had to post this one too. It's Ava and Joey when they were one. WOW! Time sure does fly!!The kids got to spend quite a bit of time with both sets of grandparents. Jax just loves his Grandpa Ralphie. I think it's because their hands are the same size! :) He also took some of his very first steps for G-Ma!Ava, of course, loved running around like a wild woman with her G-Pa, and even talked to Uncle Ben (my brother) which is a new thing. And she can't stop talking about Grandma's record player. She's pretty amazed by it!
The week was full of fun and firsts for the kiddos...
Ava shot her very first BB gun, thanks to Uncle Curtis and Cousin Nathan.
The kids also spent an afternoon swimming with Cousin Nathan. Jax had a ball
and did great keeping his ears out of the water (did I mention he has ANOTHER ear infection?!)
Showing off her cute little bathing suit
Jax took 10 WHOLE STEPS ALL BY HIMSELF!!! Unfortunately, I don't have pictures, but I promise he did it. But, what I do have pictures of is his very first birthday! We reserved a ramada at a park, however, when we arrived, it was cold and windy and then proceeded to rain and then hail. So, we moved the shindig back to Jaime's house. The baseball theme would have gone great with an outdoor party, but hey, the kids didn't care. They played and ate, what more could they ask for?
Getting every last bit. He didn't get nearly as messy as I thought, or as his big sister did on her 1st birthday.
In the adorable cape Aunt Courtney made
A trip back to Prescott would not be complete without a ride on Hopi for Ava. As soon as she was near Hopi she said, "Oh Hopi, I'm so happy to see you!"
Reaching down to pet Baby Oakley
Jax petting Baby OakleyAva also rode a real bike (with training wheels) for the very first time. It took her only a few tries until she got the hang of it. She did great! I'll post the video later.
Jax's hair was getting a little shaggy around the edges so I gave him his very first haircut. It's amazing how a little trim transformed him from a baby to a little boy. And, I've gotta say, not too shabby for my first try.
BEFORE
AFTERMore than anything, the kids just loved seeing everyone. Who knows when we'll be back! I've always considered Arizona home, and more specifically, since moving to Utah I've thought of Prescott as home. However, this time around, it didn't feel that way anymore. Maybe it's because I know our next home is one Mississippi away from Arizona. Maybe, we'll never end up back there. Who knows. What I do know, is no matter where our little family ends up, we'll always have several good reasons to go back to Arizona. And I'm not just talking about Hopi :)
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