Four Nights in Phoenix

Labor Day weekend I took my birthday surprise visit out to Phoenix to visit the McEntires in their new city. Things got started off with a hellish ten hour delay and me rage pouting on my couch, finally landing at about 11:30pm. First let me say Arizona is HOTTER THAN HELL. Maddie had been warning me for weeks and I laughed it off saying it had been in the hundreds in Utah, but I take it all back. There is a special, face melting, desert heat going on down there. One of my favorite things about hanging out with the McEntires has always been the ability to go out and be adventurous and explore or sit on the couch, eat cookie dough and watch Netflix. They are lazy adventurers after my own heart. 

We stopped at La Grande Orange for some amazing pizza, walked around old town Scottsdale, stopping to look at The Mission and window shop, ending at the bridge/canal with perfectly strung lights, a live performer and a little lesson about the canal from Trevor. That man can be anywhere for a day and know every environmental aspect and I'm always amazed by it. Saturday we walked through the Phoenix Public Market and I kicked myself for not bringing a legit carry on bag so I could smuggle all of the fresh Arizona honey I could handle. Maybe I'll get some on my doorstep for Christmas....hint. Later that day Trevor and I spent a good hour and a half, maybe more who knows, in the pool just floating, talking and laughing and for me burning. I realized after the weekend was over and I'd spent at least four hours in the water, sizzling in the sun, that maybe I'm not meant to live in a place with year round pool access or I would have skin cancer by 30. I could sit in that water all day, heavenly! 

I loved being back in their house, planting myself on their couch, watching Robin Hood with Ben, laughing, talking about the stuff that matters and wishing the weekend would never end. For three days it was like nothing had ever changed. 

Changes

My best friend is moving to Arizona in three days. THREE DAYS. Besides my initial mental breakdown (Drea knows what I'm talking about) I've been holding in the tears pretty well...so far. "Arizona's a state away, Provo airport flies out to Mesa, we can text, call, email!" This has been my mantra for basically the past month and will probably have to continue well into the next few months at least.

Even though I'm incredibly sad and we've ignored any sort of hug or goodbye I'm trying to take some good out of the situation and by trying I mean grasping for any possible good outcome. What I've come up with is being inspired by the huge change that's on the way for their family. Change is scary, terrifying if you're me, but living in fear is not living! With my new found inspiration I will make an effort to put plans in motion and make things happen.

Imma miss ya fren.

Maple Lake

This weekend my friend Holly and I went for a quick over night trip up Payson Canyon to Maple Lake. After a short hike to The Grotto and having to duct tape our tent poles together, we walked down to the lake and sat on the shore drinking diet cokes, watching the sunset. I love the beginning of the fall season; the leaves are just starting to change and there's just a hint of chill in the air.

We spent the rest of the night around a campfire, making s'mores and biscuits and cursing the rain while trying to act like we weren't scared of the noises surrounding us. I really enjoyed this impromptu trip and I want to make them more often. There's no better feeling than being in the mountains to me. There's a sense of peace and awe that I don't find anywhere else.

San Francisco to Burney

Last week me and my good friend Maddi loaded up the car and headed west for San Francisco. It was part vacation, part visiting a friend that had recently adopted an adorable baby boy and part meet up with Maddi's boyfriend AJ who has been hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for the past four months. So much to do!

First of all let me say driving in San Francisco is....a nightmare! Everyone is so impatient and I've never heard so much honking in my life, there are even billboards about 'honkaholism'! After a day or two I felt I had it down and I could whip around cars and cut someone off with the best of 'em. Our first big day out we stopped for brunch at Zazie which is not only delicious, but has the cutest atmosphere then headed over to the Japanese Tea Gardens.

We did just about everything touristy we could think of, including walking the Golden Gate Bridge and sitting at Alamo Square across the street from the Painted Ladies where we had a picnic of Easy Cheese and Ritz Crackers and acted like we were hanging out with Uncle Jesse. We walked along Haight Ashbury laughing at the hippies in the park and stopping in shops along the way as a piper and beat-boxing accordion player blared down the street. 

Our last full day started at Fisherman's Wharf for some salt water taffy and a fishwich and since we were denied an Alcatraz tour we opted for an hour boat ride on some dude's fishing boat. It was kind of legit in that we had to pay for it, but we were literally sitting on plastic lawn chairs in the back, perfectly ghetto and made us laugh the whole time. I even made a new unwanted friend that had Maddi and I striking up random conversations and turning to look behind us in order to avoid him and has given me the new nickname of Denise. So awkward, but funny.  

That evening also led us to one of the prettiest places and beaches I have ever, EVER been to. It's called the Sutro Baths Ruins and it is gorgeous. There used to be pool houses along the beach, but they burned down in the 60s and were never rebuilt. We were in complete awe. I still am just thinking back!

Friday we packed up and headed out early for the four hour drive to meet up with the boys, but first made a quick stop to Stinson Beach. Soooooo coooooold! We drove longer to get there than we actually stayed, but it's a cute beach with an even cuter town. I'm torn between living there and Truckee. They have a beach, but Truckee's got the burger.

We met the boys in Burney, and drove into the mountains for a camping spot and a campfire dance sesh. It was fun and interesting seeing a glimpse of their daily lives while on the trail. Lastly we made a quick trip to see Burney Falls and cool off in the lake. Sunday was a looooong drive home, but the trip as a whole was a success! Now I just need another week to relax and recover.

27

Family, friends, pizza and ice cream cake, a perfect way to celebrate 27 years

Ben

After a long two weeks of not seeing baby Ben (and Maddie and Trevor!), I finally stopped in for a visit and he's gotten so big! Full cheeks, little neck rolls, starts of a pot-belly, dimpled elbows, cooing! He's so cute I can barely handle it. Even better he thinks I'm funny, even though I know he's really looking at the ceiling fan, I'll take it!

 

 

I always look forward  to my nights on Roosevelt Avenue spent in the cozy home of Maddie and Trevor  and this past Monday might have been one of my favorites.  First, Maddie and I cruised the streets before heading to the grocery store to make my dreams of a warm cookie and a cold glass of milk come true.  We wandered the store gathering a random assortment of food including a frozen CPK pizza and a twelve pack of Tab and laughed  at  with our cashier.  

As I mixed up the cookie dough Maddie "prepped the TV for whatever we want to watch" while calling Trevor to make him jealous he wasn't there.  Next the sweatpants went on, we sat our butts on the couch with a heaping plate of chocolate chip cookies and two lazy animals and proceeded to watch whatever looked best on Hulu.  Not too long after Trevor came home, joined right in and I'm pretty sure we all sat on the couch for the rest of the night until bedtime.  I love having these two in my life and I'm grateful they're always willing to open their home to me.  Thanks bess frens!