Christmas in Arizona!

Nick, Julie & Kids!Our family enjoying the sunshine!
Nate, Kristy, & Kids

The whole gang!

Loading up the RV

Enjoying the Green Grass of AZ

Roasting Marshmallows for Smores!

The golden Polar Express tickets!

Gage exhausted on the "Polar Express"!

The magical bells & bags from "Santa"!

Our really close friends, Nick, Julie, & kids moved to sunny Arizona just over 2 years ago and have had an open invitation for us to go down there and visit. We finally got our act together and headed down on the 18th of December. We convinced Nate (another close friend) that it would be fun to take an RV and all of us go together. What a trip!!! Thanks to snow, traffic, and just the distance, oh and traveling with 8 kids it took us 17 hours to get there. But it was totally worth it. We went from the temperature being in the teens to it being in the low 60's. Which I found out was "cold" for down there. Give me that kind of cold any day!!! I was Christmas shopping in my capris and flip-flops. We had a great time hanging out, playing games in the backyard on GREEN grass, playing at the parks, roasting marshmallows, making smores, seeing the lights at the Mesa Temple. I actually saw Christmas lights around flowers and trees that had fruit hanging from them - what the....! Julie and I got a very nice discussion from a missionary that was trying to convert us. He was so sincere I didn't want to interrupt him! It was going great until he wanted to set up a discussion. I then had to break it to him that we were members! He had a very nice testimony though! The highlight for the kids was Cole's birthday party. We were going on the Polar Express. They all had their golden tickets they had received the week before in the mail. We played fun games, had hot chocolate, and then loaded up on the "train" to look at Christmas lights! Santa left a magical package for the kids with fun bags and magical bells that came from the elves and reindeer. My kids were in heaven! We were sad to leave but can't wait to go back. Can anyone say Spring Break!!!