Summertime in Pine Top, AZ

Last weekend we rendezvoused in Pine Top, AZ with Mimi, Honk and Aunt Mer. A wonderful change of scenery and an even better change of weather. We actually saw RAIN! We didn't get enough pictures, but we did have a great time.

Mimi, Campbell & Meredith

Ian loved to nap or chill in the top bunk, but we made him sleep the night away in the bottom. That's a crash landing I didn't want to worry about in the wee hours. ha..ha.

The boys playing outside after breakfast at Mama Bear's

Ian doing what boys do... checkin' out rocks.

Campbell cheesin' it up for the camera, as always...

The fam... Jonathan, Holly Meredith, Dale (Honk), Mimi, Campbell and Ian. Not sure why Ian was making the face, but it makes me laugh, so I had to include it... the next one he was all smile. Just goes to show, the frowns are almost always for show. ha.ha..

Shoes . . .

. . . if you want to know why getting out the door is always such a chore, it's shoes. Anymore, I just keep Campbell's shoes in the car - he's kicked them off by the time we get to our destination anyway. LOL. This particular day, Ian was feeling helpful. Really, I just had to laugh as the word "karma" continued to flash in my mind. It's funny when the older child is faced with the annoyances of the younger ... all things that drove us crazy the first time around. For instance, kicking of shoes as you're trying to put them on ... almost as bothersome as turning the TV off and on during the most critial part...LOL

Haircuts ... and other crazy things

Those random photo dowloads ... always fun to see what's happened that you've forgotten about.

Haircuts ...

Ian's last official cut was at a Great Clips ... and not so great. She was not kid friendly, which didn't mix well with Ian not being "stylist friendly"... resulting in me holding him, another cutter holding Campbell and the lady somehow mananging to get through it all. Poor Ian was a mess. The next cut was all me - while he was playing the the tub. Not horrible but not worth trying again. This time, we decided it was back to the Kids Cut place. Totally worth the extra cash. Clearly, Campbell is much more comfortable with the entire experience, although you see Ian came around when the bells & whistles were invovled.

Mac & Cheese

So... church gets out at 4 ... which means unless I've got something cooking in the crockpot, we're pretty casual for dinner. This particular week was more casual than normal with Mac n Cheese in the living room. (which is why Zoe's in the kennel.) Ian thought he'd help Campbell ...

Last week, Ian's friend Emma was home sick, so when Jon got home from work they walked down to take her a card he made and a yellow rose. (Ian picked yellow over pink and red which I thought was both funny and appropriate. LOL)

And finally ... a couple shots of Campbell enjoying a cob o' corn. Such a serious cheeseball One pic he's focused on the cob... the next he notices the camera and totally poses. LOL

Our Escape to Payson

The last weekend in June we planned a surprise for Jonathan's birthday (It's actually July 5th, but seems to always fall 2nd place to July 4th celebrations) So.... with some help from the family and Jon's office, we plotted the perfect plan. It was 6-weeks in the making so I confess that I'm ever so proud of myself for actually managing to keep it a secret. It was not easy! ha..ha...

Friday morning, Jon left for work and the boys and I got crackin' packing bags. OK. I got crackin', the boys did the usual ... breakfast and morning PBS adventures. Around noon, we were off to the office for Daddy's surprise. Jon's morning schedule was full of real patients, but the afternoon was full of fakes - mostly relatives of the staff. (They thought it funny he didn't catch on to the similar names ... he thought it funny that they were surprised by that. LOL) We shared the traditional birthday festivities with the staff and then filled him on the real surprise. That he was free for the afternoon and we were headed north for a fun-filled, kid-free weekend!!

We dropped his car at the house, left the boys with Aunt Mer and headed up the Beeline Hwy to Payson. There were Moto Cross Races, an concert at the Park, hikes to a handful of beautiful locations and massages at the Spa ... it was a wonderful weekend.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Happy 4th

Wishing all of you a happy and safe Independence Day. May our homes and hearts feel the blessings of freedom today and always.

A heartfelt and humble thank you to all who have sacrificed for the freedoms and privileges that my family enjoys each day.

God Bless America, Land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her

Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans, white with foam

God bless America, My home sweet home.

- Irving Berlin, 1938

Campbell was being a bit silly this morning. i attribute this to spending the weekend with Aunt Mer, who seems to be the one to instigate sticking out tongues. LOL. Mmmm.. yogurt mustaches & bedhead. Stylin' ... ha..ha....

It seems we rarely leave Mimi's without a trip to the tub ... next to seeing the horses, cows and cats, it's a favorite activity. We don't mind, it means everyon's in jammies and asleep by the time we get home so it's straight to bed from the car. Perfect!

One of us is happy to be driving the "Geek Squad? car at Best Buy ... One of us is not so happy being associated with the "Geek Squad".

Muy Caliente

I imagine there will be many of these posts over the summer ... OK, it's probably not really 122 ... but whatever it is, it's HOT! LOL