Fun in the sun in AZ

Since Aaron was going to be gone, and it's freezing cold in January in NE (go figure!), we took a little trip to visit Tucson for a week.  Aaron had gone back a couple times without us to fly and we wanted to go with but the timing never worked out quite right.  We have missed our friends since we've moved and it was so fun to get to see everyone again!

When we were flying in that night, it felt just like we were coming home after a long trip.  I guess Tucson will always feel a little like home.  We bought our first house there, we had both of our boys there and we made some of our best friends there.  We were so surprised when we went to get our luggage and saw the Bedonts waiting for us.  They helped us out by helping carrying our luggage and waiting with the kids while I got the rental car.

When all of the kids were playing together, it was like they were picking up right where they left off over a year ago.  Especially with Brady and Tolson.

Riding in the airplane.  Both boys did awesome!  Flying is in their blood! :)

Collin playing in our neighborhood park.
I have so many pictures of Brady at this age playing at this park and it just seemed right that I got some of Collin too!

Brady and Tolson
Best buds re-united!  They added swings to the park since we moved.

My best girls and Oregano's-what could be better?

 We had to go to the zoo while we there so here's some pictures from that.

Brady, Chris, Tolson and Samantha

Mom lion with her cubs playing around

Boys watching the sea otters

I also have a picture of these 4 sitting on this same rock on our last visit to the zoo before we moved.

We have a picture from right before we left of these 3 newborns-Adalee, Collin and Taylor.
Now they are almost 18 months! 

Riding the train

They can still fit in the dump truck and push each other around!

In-N-Out!  Yummy!

Cactus! 
We brought back a couple little yellow fruits from the barrel cactus to show Brady's class and they loved it because they look like little  pineapples.

Collin and Adalee on the swings

Bye Tucson and Mt Lemmon

The weather was beautiful and a much needed break from the winter that I don't care too much for!  I was so glad to see the beautiful sun.  When we returned to Nebraska it was like 10 degrees and blowing some cold, stinging wind.  The kids were freezing while I was unloading the shuttle bus of our luggage and trying to re-buckle in their carseats in the parking lot.  It was a not-so-nice welcome back to the winter!  Thanks a lot Nebraska!

Things I want to remember about our trip that I have no pictures of to remind me:
-sitting in the sun and watching the kids play
-trips to the new QT for free refills
-off-roading in the desert with the kids bumping in the back
-cool mornings, warm afternoons and cool evenings
-late nights, laughter and great conversation
-book club with all my favorite ladies
-seeing everyone's kids older and bigger
-freshly squeezed orange juice from the oranges in the back yard

And the best part about being there....reminding me that we have made lifelong friends that I have missed greatly!  There's a saying I'm thinking of that goes something like "Friends are the family that we choose" and it is so true!  I will always think of you as our Tucson family.  It's fun to keep up on Facebook though, but sometimes I wish I was still there doing the fun things you are doing and just hanging out and talking until 2 in the morning! :)  Miss you all and we hope to come back and visit again!

Rest of Christmastime/New Years festivities

Here's all the rest of the pictures from our trip before heading back to NE after the New Year.

Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington with Grandma and Grandpa Purcell

Looking at the birds in the tropical rain forest

Brady feeding the goats

 Children's Museum with G-ma and G-pa Purcell

Water tornado-the balls went around and through the hole in the middle and came out the bottom into another pool.

Sorry, I'm not home right now I'm walking in a spider web...... :)

One of the coolest things-painting on a window

Then you can spray and squeegee it off and start again

Big mouth!!!
We had just watched Dennis the Menace with Walter Mathau and the part where Dennis does this with his fake teeth and replaces them with chicklets-hilarious!!! 

Brady making pizzas for us

Collin, trying to lick up all the germs in the place! :)

Collin gets his first haircut from Aunt Lauren.  Brady got his first from Aunt Lar Lar so we had to carry out the tradition with Collin too!  I wanted to have it done the couple other times we saw her at his birthday and since but kept forgetting.  Now the baby mullet is gone! :)

 Bowling with the kids in Charleston

Ava excited with her throw as Brady waits for the ball to come back

Grandma keeping the 2 little ones occupied

Sadie got her turn too!

Cousins having fun together!

 For New Years Eve we decided to go out the the casino and do something different for a change.  None of us were going to spend any real money but we had fun dressing up and going out.

All of us ladies!  Erica did all of our makeup.

I think I was trying to make a "I'm sexy and I know it" face but this is what came out instead! :)

"The face"  he he

Happy New Years!  None of us left with any extra money (except Mike) but we had fun anyway playing the cheap slots!

Visit with Great Grandma Purcell (Grandma Birdie) before heading back home

Some of my favorite girls from college!  Baby shower for Kristin with Jess and Ashley.  I never am in IL for any of these things so it was fun for once to get to go!  Now the twins have 2 beautiful new "twin" girls (each had a girl born within a couple weeks of each other)

We had a great time visiting everyone and keeping us busy while Aaron is away!  But sometimes it is good to be home as well! :)

Merry Christmas!

Since Aaron was gone for Christmas, we spent almost 3 weeks in IL with both families.  We started out in Bloomington with my family.  We had a Christmas Eve Eve celebration with dinner and presents and lots of fun cousin time.

Best we could get with all of us-Collin and Ava are a little hidden by hats and such.
Too bad Mom and Dad and Matt and Sherri weren't in the picture!

Then for Christmas Eve we went to Chicago as usual, with my Mom's family. 

Santa lands on the roof and waves through the skylight, then comes and delivers presents to all the kids.

Brady loves seeing Santa and sitting on his lap!

Collin-not so much!  It was a quick sit and then we got him off of there!

Santa back on the roof, about ready to take off with the reindeer!  Bye Santa!

Pj's on before getting ready to get back in car and drive back to Grandma's for the night. 
Best of the 4 kids

Then we tried to get one with Grandma-notice all the kids were still going crazy!

Here is the best of the bunch-we take what we can get with this crew! :)

Me and my sissy!

Christmas morning, opening stockings at Grandma's before we head to the Gray's for more presents!

Christmas Day was spent with the Gray family.  We missed you Aaron but we were glad we got to Skype with you!

Collin really got into the presents this year!

Helping Aunt Lauren with her pile!

Princess Brinley playing with her new Rapunzel in her Rapunzel nightgown

This boy loved his tractors!

All the boys watching one of their Christmas presents-a Cardinals World Series DVD, while wearing their new World Series t-shirts. 

I guess I didn't get any pictures of the rest of the week we spent there with Chad and Arianne because we had so much going on.  I guess it was from the lack of sleep.  Too many fun, busy days of shopping, eating and then Collin keeping me and the rest of the house up all night!  I was glad to get back home so I wouldn't be bothering anyone with a crying baby.  (Luckily, he started sleeping again once we got back home.)
I wish I would have gotten a picture of Brady with his Aunt Arianne.  He followed her around like a little puppy dog.  She was so sweet to him and he just adores her!  Watch out Aunt Lauren and Aunt Erica, you have been moved to the side for now to make room for his new favorite Aunt! :)