Old Tucson

We experienced the wild west at the Old Tucson Studios. I didn't have high expectations but since the in-laws were in town we thought we should do something Tucsonish. It was actually really cool! The whole place was like the old west with little buildings and cowboys riding around on horses.



The train was a kid favorite and the train conductor was awesome, look at that outfit!

Carousel was another favorite. A little warm up for disneyland.

Chase didn't like being put int he town Jail.

A good picture of the old west feel of the place. Since it was still kind of hot it was like a ghost town.

Grandma and Jack on the cars.

Grandpa and Chase

Mommy and Daddy even had a romantic drive, oh la la.

Camping!

We finally took Chase camping. It has been a long time coming, but we are glad we finally did it!

We had a great fire, here is Jack gathering wood.
Chase has been doing this lower lip thing alot lately. I keep thinking of Forest Gump when the Sgt. says, "Tuck in that lip son or your liable to catch it on a trip wire!"

Our tin foil dinners were divine!

We made spaghetti tin foil dinners from some left overs, genius! Do you think Jack liked his?

They were glued to these little camp chairs. They kept moving them all over the camp and then sitting on them, just enjoying the view from each spot.

Smores!

It was awesome to be cold for once, Arizona summers never end! Notice all the wonderful sweatshirts and coats, ahhh. My in-laws came along and made the whole thing so much more fun, thanks for coming down guys!

This last month we have been hearing alot of excited comments from Jack that start with "My Preschool..." and yesterday was finally the day! This is the face he gave me when I said, "Say Preschool!"

Excited maybe?

Daddy couldn't resist coming to take him to his big day.


I love this picture of him in front of the building. Just a little kid going to a big school.

I was nervous leaving him with all these people I don't know (it is a preschool on the base). When I dropped him off he just started playing and I was like, "Is this it? Do I just leave him?" The teacher assured me it was fine. I asked if they would do name tags and she said they would get to it later. So I left and enjoyed having 3 hours with just my Chase.

At the end of his long 3 hour day.
This picture says to me, "You did come back for me!!"


"I'm Outta here!"

Ah, and the best part. I asked him what they did and he wouldn't tell me anything. So I went in and asked the teacher how it went and if he told her his name. "Well, we had to figure it out. We were like "who is Jack? Which one of you is Jack?" and finally "Are YOU Jack?" He just nodded his head."

Jack has proven that you can go to school and make it through

without saying a word, not one word.

He says he is excited to go back tomorrow:)

My screen saver was randomly scrolling through pictures when this one caught my eye. I felt it deserved posting. Mark dunking a soccerball over the head of a 2 year old while we all watch on.

Everyone's eyes are glued to him, I can just imagine in my mind the sound coming out of his mouth, "Aahhh!"Look at that face, what determination. Mark's antics never cease to amaze me. I love my brother!

The Nixon Family Dude Ranch

Originally purchased by Quinn's great-grandparents and now owned by his grandma, sits in scenic Wells NV. We went there with my in-laws and sister-in-law Melissa to celebrate Quinn's return.

While on the ranch we enjoyed:

Riding seat-belt-less on the country roads like the good old days.

They were enthralled by the cows!

Paddle boating in the back-yard pond.

Observing ranch animals.

For many hours....

Hanging with grandma and grandpa.

Swimming in the natural hot springs.

With Melissa and her sons, our boys only Nixon cousins.

More reckless traveling.

Tractors!

Bug watching.
I love this picture of the 3 little boys looking at the bugs. They were so cute together.


The only bad parts were sleeping in the heat of the unconditioned top floor and....

Jack's unfortunate run in with a wasp who stung him right on the cheek. I couldn't believe he didn't cry (he was choking back the tears, tough kid). He looked so different with his puffy face!

Melissa-we can't wait to go back again. Mom & Dad- thanks for making it a great trip! We love all you guys.

Shoot 'em up!

I felt like we were a bit of a white trash family when we got up early saturday morning and headed out to do some shootin'!

Jack seriously loves his ear protection. He puts them on before we even leave the house. He wears them on the short drive down our road, past the prison and trailer parks and out into the desert (doesn't it sound like we live in a lovely neighborhood?) He just keeps those "mickey mouse ears" on all day!

I like the handgun best. Don't try breakin' into my house when Quinn is gone, I keep this babe by the bed!

No, this is not a real gun.

Yes, that is a really cute little face made extra chubby by the "ears."

Jack shootin' the real gun with his Daddy.

On the way home I made Quinn stop the car so I could pick some of these:

Quinn: "San..(he says in that warning voice that tells me he doesn't trust what I am about to do)

Be careful not to poke yourself!"

Me: "The actual fruits don't even have pokies on them."

I proceed to pick.

Quinn: "Are they even edible? What if they are poisoned?"

Me: "They're not poisoned, people make jam out of these!"

Now I have about 5 or 6.

Me: "OUch, oh....oh man..they do have stickers on them!"

It turns out the fruit themselves seem harmless as they just have a few spikes on them that are literally as flexible and thin as a human hair. They eventually stick ya though and my fingers still hurt 2 days later, nasty little suckers!

I did eat one half-hearted bite and one big whole-hearted bite

(after doning my gloves and cutting away all the skin)

but they don't taste like much, just very juicy and tasteless.

Those jam makers must use alot of sugar.

You can't be kidding me!

After my last post about the Airplane hotels, imagine my surprise when we checked into our hotel in Colorado Springs and saw this next door:An Airplane Restaurant!

The tables are actually inside the plane. I would say thats the next best thing to the airplane hotels. We already had our reservations at the Melting Pot and I was super stoked about my long-awaited fondue so we will have to try the airplane restaurant sometime today.

We are with out our cute little munchkins but we had some amazing reminders of them. On the two block walk we passed "Jack Quinn's Pub" and the Melting Pot is located just under "Chase Bank"
I do miss my boys a bit but I am loving just sitting here at the computer without anyone hanging on my leg, banging on the keys or screaming from the other room. I am heading to the base in a few minutes to swim laps and attend a yoga class, ahhh...this is what I like on my days alone.

I really want to stay here:

(And of course my hubby would think he had died and gone to pilot heaven)

Or should I say, I want to stay in this suite since this whole airplane is just one room. This crazy hotel in Costa Rica disassembled the plane and brought it to the jungle/beach on 5 semi trucks, then reassembled it. How cool is that? Here is the balcony with an amazing view of the ocean below. The bedroom, oh la la. But, whats with the 2 beds? Can I request one king bed please?

The shower has a giant window looking out onto the jungle, the monkeys there get quite a show.

This place is like $500 a night which I think it not too bad but when looking for a better deal I would love to try the:

JUMBO HOSTEL in Sweden.

They left it parked at the airport for traveler convenience. The cockpit room
This is the "Honeymoon Suite"
(You can get married on the wing if you would like!)

A Coach bedroom. The overhead bins are still there!
You can buy "in-flight meals" and eat them on the original first class chairs which have been arranged for better conversing.
I want to go.


If I wasn't married to Quinn I probably wouldn't care too much but I love that guy and he loves airplanes...I think this is going on the bucket list. Someday...

I can't believe I havn't posted since my Quinn got home! But, with the trip to the ranch in Wells, NV, the 70 person family reunion in Orem, a couple days in Mesa and lots of fun in between...can you blame me?

I love having my Husband back. We have fun while he is gone; I work extra hard to take care of my 2 boys so they don't feel like they are missing out but when he comes home it is like the big missing piece of our family is put back in place and we are all happier and more content.


Jack and Chase were so excited to see him this time. No mad faces, no grumpiness, no shyness, no clinging to grandma (all of which have happened at some time or other when he comes home). This time it was all squeels, hugs, kisses and laughter.


Quinn and I have commented to each other many times in the past 2 weeks how much we love our little family. Jack is so sweet, imaginative, loving and kind. Chase is spunky, cute, silly and much happier now. We are loving that they are just a little older so that we have just a little more fun and a little less stress.

My wonderfully gracious and talented sister Tracy Anderson did some awesome pictures for us again! She deserves an extra thanks because not one is she a very busy mother of four young children but she had just helped plan and pull off the above mentioned family reunion for 70 people. So, THANK YOU TRACY!!





I tried to upload a bunch of other pictures of the session but blogger is being way lame so these will have to suffice, there were tons of great ones...maybe next time.

P.s. Yes, you can congratulate me on this being my 100th post, I'm such a blogger!:)