As promised, here are the rest of the photos from our Phoenix Christmas. Many thanks to everyone who shared their pictures of the fun since I was often too busy playing to tote around a camera.
Swimming at Tapatio Resort:
Thanks to Uncle Lance's fantastic perks working for Hilton, most of the crew was able to get a great deal on rooms at a local resort. Here we are soaking in the sun (and the hot tub) on the day after Christmas.
The weather was pretty brisk so most of us avoided the big pool until the sun emerged. Brooklyn, however, embraced the cold.
Talia too.
Life's always better with a waterslide. (Not quite sure whose feet are sticking out of the splash.)
Charles, Brianna and Eli preferred watching. (Me too, actually. I was worry that I might get stuck in the tube.)
Getting out was chilly but worth it, right Jason?
Warming up in the hot tub.
Just before it was time to go, the sun came out and we braved deeper waters. Three cheers for Arizona warmth!
Christmas Train Ride:
On another evening, we ventured out for an adorable Christmas train ride in the park. Here are Eli and Jason, looking excited as we wait.
We had so much fun loading into miniature cars and watching all the light displays.
Afterward, Jason and Eli even got to ride in the old-fashioned steam engine. What a fun memory!
Goldfield Ghost Town:
A different afternoon found us in Goldfield, a historic gold mining town.
Talia got put in jail.
Her little sister's pretty trapped too.
We even met a real-live, ruff 'n tuff cowboy. Brooklyn initially hid behind a cactus.
Talia, however, played right along.
When the scar-faced, gun-toting buckaroo asked how old she was, she turned things right around and said...
"Well how old are
you?"
A few more shots of the wild, wild west.
On the Way Home:
In case you ever wondered where my children get their daredevil streaks...
The perfect ending to a lovely day.
Lance, tolerating a far-less stylish vehicle than his normal ride, yet still looking sporty as ever.
The remarkable view of Phoenix from South Mountain Park.
Papago Park:
Next stop, Papago Park. One of our favorite haunts in Phoenix.
Posing for a few pictures with our favorite aunts. Here are all the munchkins with Aunt Brianna...
...and the girls with Aunt Christy.
Eli, meanwhile, rode on Grandpa Charles's shoulders, chronicling the tragic death of a field mouse when a boulder rolled down the mountain and landed on its head. (Eli decided to pursue a career in forensics after spotting a bleached mouse skull on the side of the path.)
Fine Dining: Cornish Pasties
Despite the late hour, we splurged on cornish pasties at a local pub one evening. So tasty--definitely worth the wait! Here are Ben, Christy...
Kara, Brooklyn, Jason, Eli...
Brianna, Talia, Lance...
Charles, Susie, and Justin. Did we miss anyone? At any rate, we all enjoyed the Bangers and Mash.
Visiting the Phoenix Temple Grounds:
Picking Oranges:
Num, num, num--delicious!
Needless to say, we had a delightful holiday. So many thanks to Brianna and Justin for hosting us all! And by the way, our cute little Eli (shown here with Uncle Lance) was pretty much fully potty-trained by the time we traveled home. Best Christmas present EVER!
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and happy New Year as well.
3 comments:
Thanks for assembling such an array of Christmas holiday photos! As you know, I enjoyed a few of the oranges you picked when we visited last week. Keep Smiling!
Love all of the pictures and memories!
Thanks so much for sharing all those fabulous pictures! Almost made me feel like I was with you! Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the family is super beautiful!
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