On our way to ARIZONA!
It was time for me to take my family around my old stomping grounds in Mesa and thereabouts.
We also had some fun visits with my brother Greg and his awesome family.
On our way to Arizona, we took the Vegas route to visit Hoover Dam. We walked across the bridge and I wanted to throw up. Heights really bite my rear end as I get older.
But it was really cool.
They brought their magnifying glasses.
Good heaven's this made me want to throw up. "Derek, put him down." :)
Unfortunately, little Joseph boy was sick. As soon as we got in the car to take off on Saturday night, he was coughing up a storm and felt warm.
Being in the car didn't help.
By Monday morning, we took Joseph to the Urgent care because he was sounding slight croupy. They prescribed him some medicine syrup that can help open up his air way a little better.
Poor little guy. He was such a good trooper.
Later on Monday, we went and visited some of my favorite places. We went to my elementary school, Nathan Hale Elementary in Mesa. It's been remodeled but some things still remained the same.
This was the trailer that my kindergarten class room was in. :)
This was my first grade class room :) Miss Oster was my teacher. Oh, the memories.
The drinking fountains! The original drinking fountains! I was super excited, can you tell?
Then, we made a stop at my huber house. I lived there since I was a baby until I was 7 years old. SO many awesome memories in this house.
I forgot to take a picture of the front, duh!
The owner was so sweet to let us in to come chat and take a tour. It's all been remodeled but still so fun to see! I took lots of pictures on my phone, but won't post all of them. Just a few.
Here is mine and my sister Pam's old bedroom.
My brother Greg's bedroom. Now it's a lego room. :)
This used to be our playroom in the basement.
This was our back yard railing on our balcony. All the brick is the same. :) Greg and Mike used to jump off this railing to the trampoline and finally broke the tramp.
This is the kitchen. Quite different now. I told Emma that when I lived in this kitchen, I lost one of my first teeth by chewing on a cheese quesadilla. :)
This was my other house on Gary Circle. We moved there when I was 7 until we moved to Utah when I was 11 years old.
The owner was ALSO there and was kind to invite us in.
This was an old storage shed that my Grandpa Mills built and it's still standing.
Oh how I miss him.
Our pool.
On Tuesday, we had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Gilbert, Arizona Temple. It was absolutely beautiful.
I wasn't sure what to expect from my children during the open house but they were delightful. :)
They loved walking through it and finding the rooms that were pictured in their pamphlets.
Look at those windows.
Standing in line, waiting to enter.
Once again, look at those windows. They were my favorite part of the Temple.
The baptismal font was also very beautiful. Emma said she wants to be baptized there. :)
Hanging out by the water fountains after our tour.
Go, go Joe!! Get up and walk!
And there he goes! :)
We went and visited my Grandma and Grandpa Mills old house. The new owners have remodeled most of it :( but it was still great to go see. The emotions were flowing as we pulled up. This house is FILLED with amazing memories with my Grandparents. They are a HUGE part of my childhood and I'm forever grateful for the memories they helped make for me.
One of the renters came out and I spoke to her for a while. She told me I could come through.
The put the garage door in, but after opening it, it led right to the car port area that I think is still original. I didn't go through the old apartments back there. Grandpa's garage on the right has been turned into an apartment/storage room. This is where we'd set up tables and have Thanksgiving with all the family. There used to be a metal slide on the grass area. Then in the very, very back (I didn't go back there) is where Grandpa and I would go BB gun, target shooting.
Our last night in the hotel.
We took a different way on the way back home, through flagstaff. We went to the Meteor Crater grounds and museum in the middle of no where. It was really awesome.
Emma looking through the telescope into the crater.
Thomas in front of the huge crater.
We climbed a little further up the hill to get a higher view. Thomas wants cuddles.
Emma doing her goofy pose.
This was fun. The museum showed a video of meteor flying and hitting the earth. It felt like you were right there on the meteor. Thomas especially loved this one.
After driving through the North side of the Grand Canyon, we saw these awesome boulders that were built into huts by people.
We went into them to explore.
Joseph wasn't a fan going in the inside of the hut.
They built this house like place.
It was so beautiful on the drive back. We drove by the reservations and saw a few Trading Post stores that sold Native American jewerly and treasures. I loved seeing those because they remind me of my many road trips with my grandparents.
What a fun trip we had. I'm sad I didn't really get any pictures of my brother and his family. The cousins were so great with our kids. Katie and Matthew were so kind to send Emma and Thomas off with a couple of their toys. Thomas got a bow and arrow (which he LOVES SO much. He even will sleep with it some times.) And Katie gave Emma a pony, carriage and doll. So sweet of them.
This is a letter that Emma wrote to her school class while driving back.
Her and Thomas sang "Frozen" about 53 times on our trip. They sang it with all their hearts. I still can't get the songs out of my head. :)
