Arizona kids

The past few days, the kids and I were up north with my sister, her husband that makes all other husbands look like slackers (Don't hate him because he cooks. And cleans. And plays. Ok, hate him. Or her.), their kids and my parents.

Among the highlights:

*We needed sleeves!! Actual SLEEVES!!!!! God bless you, Sleeves, each and every one...

*My dad and I went to breakfast (our norm) at which time he attempted to rub off a painful purpleish acne scar because "you have a black thing on your forehead." I get my bad skin from him, for the record. Stinkin' pimple gene.

*My parents, the kids and I went for a walk around Lynx Lake attempting to find pine cones to further Christmasify my house. Littlest had this kind of disposition the entire time:

It's that size because that's the size it felt. Fun fun fun for everyone!

*The kids decorated gingerbread men at a local resort (where Justin and I had our fancy pants wedding reception). By 'decorated,' I mean squirted immense globs of frosting upon. And Santa was there!! Coco is fascinated by the fact that Santa was there and will be there on Christmas Eve and doesn't he come to Nana and Papa's? and didn't she recently see him somewhere else too? "What's up with Santa? Is he magical?" I'm not normally one to perpetuate a big fat lie, but it was just so sweet for her to BELIEVE! I just said his reindeer must be super fast like Lightning McQueen! She was thoroughly satisfied with that reply.

*We went for a hike on my parents' land, down by the 'crick' -- and the kids exclaimed, "there's a lake up here!" It was a puddle about three feet in diameter. Poor misguided Arizona kids. On the way back, we encountered a REAL lake -- a puddle at least 10, uh, possibly 6, feet in diameter!! WOOO HOOOO!!! Uncle Danny couldn't resist taking the kids on a joy ride. Or several.

I have a HUGE problem every time we go up there. The kids never want to come home....