Mara, age 5, was very crafty the whole time we were in Mesa. She made lots of Valentines and then decided to make Valentine headbands for everyone to wear in a valentines parade we were planning. Unfortunately the parade never happened, but two headbands were completed...Ivar's and Svea's. They were kind enough to pause from their busy schedules for a photo shoot.
When my parents purchased their place in Mesa it came fully furnished and move-in-ready. Including the patio furniture. Now the patio furniture works, but could use some love. The arm rests on these things are brittle from the Arizona sun, and most are cracked apart with lots of sharp edges. After my niece Sonna scraped her leg really badly on a cracked arm rest a case was made for new patio chairs. My mom was making the case and as she asked my dad to go and purchase new chairs, part of my arm rest crumbled under the weight of my elbow.
Rory, Ivar and I stayed at my Grandma's place while we were in Mesa. It's just two blocks from my parents so we weren't there a whole lot, but every morning after I fed Ivar, I'd take him up to his Great Grandma and lay him on the couch. And there they would smile and laugh at each other and start their day off in the happiest of moods.
Vacations are always hard to come off of and this one is no exception. I love family, I love the sun, I love a good hot tub, I love taking walks with the stroller, I love family discussions and I love watching Rory with Ivar. This vacation had it all. We spent most of our time in the pool. The water was about as warm as Ivar's bath water which made it enticing for adults and 3-year-olds alike.
You could also find us zipping around on my Grandma's golf cart, or pushing various combinations of kiddos in the strollers. The weather was perfect every day...and we felt grateful to be out of Minnesota for a break from winter.
My favorite quote from the week came from Mara. I was taking her and Sonna to the pool by myself and as we were walking there I was talking through some ground rules. I told them that they could not swim away from me, that they always had to be close enough that I could help them if they needed it, since there were two of them and only one of me. Mara replied, "I know. We should be close so you can hear our bubbles if we go under the water."
Sonna rocked it in pink all week long. The girl has got style and spunk.
And I believe Svea was just happy that the ratio of adults to children was so high. I think she found this vacation to be a nice rest from well-intentioned sisters who tend to violate her personal space.
Rory got to read two books while we were there. That's a good sign of a good vacation.
And I got to snuggle a lot with my little boy. 
This was my fortune from Leeann Chin on new years eve. When I read it I screamed, "We're going to Mesa!"
Rory and Ivar and I just returned from an incredible five days in sunny Arizona. It was perfect. Lots of pictures and stories to come...
