No place like home

The day after Christmas we left our new toys and headed out to AZ.
Our first day there was a busy one. After spending the night with my Aunt Becky & Uncle David Allen,and playing with Buffy & Chloe, we met up with Mom & David.( Different David, there are too many David's in our family... but we love them). We went to feed the ducks at Freestone park and I underestimated the chill Arizona can have. I thought I was so tough now that I lived with snow, ha! Joke was on me. After feeding the ducks (and Tate). We went to dinner, then to see the Temple Lights. I forgot how beautiful that is. I always took it for granted, Or just used it as an excuse to hang out with my friends on a Sunday. It was fun to share that with the boys.
After some ice cream, we said goodbye to Mom & David and headed up to Payson to stay with Greg's parents for a few days.
His sister Cherly had driven in from Cali. with her kids and his brother's kids came up from Gilbert. It was so fun for Brody & Tate to get to know their Evans cousins a little better. They had lots of fun hiking, playing with the new dogs and just being silly together.
We drove back to Tempe and stayed with my Dad & Ann Marie the rest of the trip. I was so happy to get to visit with the friends we were able to see and a little bummed for the ones we missed. Better luck next time. Two highlights were hanging out with Jacque & Doug on New Years playing "Compatablity". Luckily Greg and I are compatible! And we always have a great time with Mark & Leslie, eating at RA was no different. Even thinking about it makes my mouth water. Oh, and thanks for introducing us to "Rock Band". Finally a way we can do karaoke together- That game is awesome!

We celebrated Tate's 2nd Birthday by going to the Phoenix Zoo. It was great. I've loved our zoo here in Kansas City because it is so beautiful will big mature trees, but I must say the Phoenix zoo has it beat. You can get SO CLOSE to the animals! I couldn't believe I was standing 10 feet from a giraffe! We all had a blast -





The one sad part about Tate's big day was that Greg had to fly home that night. I planned it that the boys and I would stay a few extra days, but when the time came I wished we were all leaving together. Oh, well. We did still have a little bit of fun with out him.


Here is even more from our trip.

My last night in town I got to hang out with Alyssa while she watched our Uncle Matt's kids. It was so fun to be around them, they are such great kids. So here is a girl cousin shot w/Tate.

The one strange thing I found out on this trip was, that as much as I will always love Arizona, It just doesn't feel like home anymore. It has changed so much in the (almost) three years that we've been gone. I kept getting lost, I didn't know where things were, it was weird. I felt so out of place, even in my own home. I couldn't wait to get back to my life and friends in Kansas. I never would have thought I'd say that, but it's true. I miss our great friends and family in Az, but someday when you come out and visit, you'll see what I mean. This city is the best kept secret.
I think that was really hard for me too. No one knows where I am, what it's like or anything. Everyone thinks it's cornfields! I don't blame you, that's what I thought it would be too. But we were wrong.
Here is a link to the Overland Park visitor's bureau, if you're curious.
http://www.opcvb.org/
I do love Arizona. I'm just surprised that after living there all my life,(except a year in Utah which doesn't really count) I could feel more at home someplace else. I guess home is where you make it right? And wherever that may be it think it holds true, There really is no place like home!