Last week we took a trip to Arizona! There are few places in the world that could provide me with the same carefree feeling I get from visiting my homeland in AZ. It turns out I had to work a bit harder to feel the serenity on this trip, but we made good memories nonetheless! (This will be long, so get a snack to hold you through or I know my siblings just scroll through and look at the pictures anyway, so feel free to go with that method.)
It started out with Amelia and I heading out a day early so we could soak in an extra day of Arizona bliss. Amelia screamed for the whole flight. I desperately tried to give her anything I had to keep her quiet. When I had used up all my snack and entertainment options and she was angrily throwing food and shoes and even the iPhone at our fellow passengers before we took off, I knew I was in trouble. Passengers who had gushed about how cute she was before boarding the plane would no longer make eye contact with me once the plane made a merciful landing. It was not quite what I had planned for the beginning of a blissful trip! Oh well, it is what memories are made of, right?
Luckily, we made our way down to Tucson and I was able to have dinner with my friends Kristin Korte and Amanda Yanez. There is nothing like having friends who loved me during my nerdy teenage years and still love me when I come dragging in late for dinner with a grumpy toddler and a frazzled face. I loved seeing them!
After spending a happy night at Grandma and Grandpa Fox’s house, I headed out the next morning to visit with one of my old high school teachers, Mr. Natta. He taught me both Geometry and AP History, and through the years of teaching our family members, he became a dear family friend. In visiting with him I was reminded why I like him so much, and despite Amelia running around tearing up his apartment like a whirlwind, he calmly chatted in his earnest and sincere way and brought joy to my heart. The stress of the flight was starting to fade into a distant memory.
We went back to Grandma and Grandpa’s and Amelia had fun feeding the birds with Grandpa (or at least she fed them- she wasn’t quite sure what to make of the whole experience). Notice her cute Fox shirt!
Wednesday evening I was in for a treat. I got together with my cousin Kimberly and her boyfriend Keith for dinner. Neither one of us can remember for sure when we last saw each other, but we agree it has been at least 10 years. It is amazing that after all this time, she was instantly familiar as soon as I saw her, like hardly any time had passed since we both lived in the same town and were pen-pals because we thought it was so fun to write letters to each other. Despite the very different paths we have taken over the years (she’s a model/actress/singer/wellness coach and I’m….not), we were able to chat like old friends. I guess that is part of the joy of being family!
Meanwhile, as I happily visited with people I love, Glenn was getting the boys ready for their trip out to the Valley of the Sun. His journey to Denver was just about as successful as mine. As he pulled out of our driveway in the middle of a blowing snowstorm to head to the airport, our van ran into Glenn’s little car, knocking off the driver’s side rearview mirror. His poor old car is starting to look a little well-used.
Leaving the shattered glass and wires on the driveway, he and the boys forged ahead to the airport. The setbacks continued with forgotten car seats, dead cell phones, new car seat purchases, and failure to pack pajamas and toothbrushes. Making memories, right?
In Phoenix that night we stayed at Glenn’s Uncle Arlynn’s house. We were late enough that Arlynn told us to go ahead and let ourselves in. We wearily unloaded the kids and went up to the front door….only to find it locked. After trying the door a few times Glenn asked me if I was sure it was the right house. Sure enough, I was going from memory and we were in reality 2 houses away from where we needed to be. Sorry if we woke you up, neighbors!
It was so good to see Arlynn and Grandma Roper! 
On Thursday morning we got up and headed to breakfast with our good friend, Seth Willey. Glenn and I were lucky enough to live near Seth when I was pregnant with Derek. That was the last time we’ve seen him, so it was probably a shock to see our rag-tag group come pouring into the restaurant! He is another friend who has lasted through the awkward teenage years and beyond. He even made it through breakfast with our travel-weary and fairly unfriendly crew, and I think we are still friends! Seriously, it was great to have an hour to catch up and chat. It reminded me why we are friends in the first place. He is kind, patient, and just plain fun to talk to!
After breakfast we headed over for the main event of the trip, which was a chance to go through the new Gilbert Temple Open House. What a great opportunity for our kids to see the inside of a temple, and a gorgeous one at that! It was special enough that I’ll wrote more about it later.
After a much-too-brief stop back at Arlynn’s house to pack up and visit with Grandma, we headed off to Tucson. Uncle Bob and Aunt Liz had flown in, along with Steve and Inga and their cute girls and Paul and Robyn and their 5 kids. It was extra special to be there with my two cousins who are closest to me in age (Paul is a month older than me and Steve is a month younger).
On the way, we took a little side trip to my old stomping grounds out in Marana.
We stopped at Marana High School (where I just had to purchase some Tiger spirit-wear). Once a Tiger, always a Tiger!
We stopped at the old Ludwig Industries building and at my old house where we let the kids get out and wander through the most wonderful little patch of land in the whole world- the 10 acres where I grew up. I love every inch of that property. It is pure Heaven, I tell you!
Adam was lucky enough to get the true desert experience- a leg full of cactus stickers!
Amelia followed in the boys’ footsteps as a true desert lover. We could not get her to hold still for a picture. She was having too much fun roaming free! We were even able to meet the current owner of our old house, and she was so nice! She is the cousin of one of my good high school friends. I’m glad someone good is living there on our little piece of paradise (just so there is no confusion, Mom and Dad still own all the land around the house, so we weren’t trespassing!).
On Friday we let the kids roam free in Grandma and Grandpa’s backyard all morning, and our kids couldn’t have been happier. It was sunny and warm, and there is always plenty to explore around Grandma and Grandpa’s house.
We also headed off to the Gem and Mineral Show. The Gem and Mineral Show has been going on for as long as I can remember in Tucson, but most Tucsonans probably aren’t even aware that it happens every February. Vendors set up shop in hotels and buildings across the city to sell precious minerals and fossils. We used to go every year. Grandpa Fox is quite the collector! I can remember making some big purchases when I was a girl at the Gem and Mineral show- a clay flute, a little stone heart necklace charm, and various trilobite fossils.
This year it was my boys making big purchases. Adam spent $1 on an arrowhead, Evan spent $5 on a little stone ball, and Derek and Evan went in together on an $8 package of intricately carved stone Pegasus statues. They were very pleased with their purchases. I love sharing part of my childhood with them!
Friday night we decided to take advantage of the backyard to build a fire and roast marshmallows to make s’mores. The troubles of the trip melted (literally) away even more as we enjoyed being with our family. Even Grandma and Grandpa came out to join the party! This is what memories are made of!
You can see Derek’s flaming marshmallow here, and then the charred remains.
On Saturday it was sadly time to head home. Glenn ended up needing to take a flight out of Tucson early in the morning to go to a work meeting, so I was feeling a LOT of anxiety about traveling with all 4 kids on my own (in part as a result of the disastrous flight to Arizona). However, I can safely say that I have the BEST family. At the last minute we decided to send Amelia with Glenn on the early morning flight, have my saintly parents meet him at the airport, and then they took Amelia all day so I would only have to travel with the 3 boys. I sent my little girl off to be spoiled (and I mean spoiled) all day by Grandma and Grandpa Ludwig while the boys and I traveled back to Phoenix to fly home.
We made one last stop to have lunch at one of our favorite places- Oreganos- with one of our favorite people- Emily Chambers. The boys absolutely love her and I think all three of them secretly want to marry her. (I only kick myself that I did not take a picture of us at lunch!)
Pretty soon we were headed back to our frozen home-sweet-home. The trip may have been a bit more eventful than usual, but despite that (or maybe because of it), I think we will treasure these memories for years to come. Goodbye for now, Arizona!
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