4th of July Kiddie Parade

Every year our town has a 4th of July Kiddie Parade, and all of the kids and their parents get decked out to walk around the square. This was the 71st year of the parade, and Henry's Grandpa actually walked in it himself as a child, many years ago! Neat, right? This morning was Henry's very first time participating. He wasn't too into it- he was hot and cranky (as you can tell in the photos), but overall I think he had a good time looking at all of the neat sights and listening to the band. We walked with our friends, and pulled our little decorated wagon up and around the square. There were so many great floats and we are absolutely inspired to go a little over the top next year and WIN something! After the parade all of the participants met in front of the courthouse for awards and ice cream, and then we headed on home so little Henry could finally take his nap.

Tomorrow morning is the actual 4th of July parade, which is one of my very favorite days ever. I've said it before and I'll say it again- small town living isn't for everyone, but it sure is for me! Today was awesome.

Father's Day in Flagstaff

This year for Father's Day I decided it would be fun to take Hank and Henry on a mini-road trip up to Flagstaff, to enjoy some of our favorite foods and a change of scenery. Flag will always hold a super special place in my heart, as I went to all four years of college there (and graduate school too!), so no matter when we go, it's always a great experience. Some of the best times of my life were spent in that little town, and every time I find myself making my way up that way on the I-17 my stomach flips a little, in the most excited way. Flagstaff is definitely my happy place, and I love that Hank adores it just as much as I do.

We got up bright and early this morning and arrived in Flagstaff around 9:30am. Our first stop was Hank's favorite coffee shop, Macy's. He got a coffee and we split a "birdseed" treat, which is really just a whole lot of nuts and seeds pressed into a peanut butter base. Delicious. We spent the rest of the day walking around, enjoying the crisp mountain air that is so similar to ours but yet somehow so different, and eating lots of yummy food. Our favorite Thai restaurant Dara Thai was closed today so we decided to eat at an old favorite, Pita Jungle. Henry loves hummus so we knew it was pretty foolproof, and we had a great meal.  We arrived home later in the evening, exhausted but so, so happy to have spent such a fun day together as a family.

Here are some photos, mainly from my regular camera and a couple little collages from my iPhone. And on a side/related note- it's only been two days of taking my camera out more places with us and I couldn't be happier. Nothing's better than pretty photos to capture such special memories!

Happy Father's Day!

Mother's Day Weekend

Oh, Monday. I typically really love Mondays but today I'm dragging a bit. I got up early to get my cardio out of the way at the gym, then Henry and I went food shopping, and now all I want to do is nap! I'm one of those people though that can't sleep at night if they nap, so I know it's out of the question. Plus after being out of town for a few days there is way too much to do around here to "waste" one of Henry's naps sleeping myself. So here I am, counting on this bright screen and my ever-growing "summer" playlist on Spotify to keep me going until the little guys wakes up and we head out to tackle more to-dos.

This weekend was awesome. Saturday morning we walked up to the gym and had a great workout, then later one Hank and I headed out to Scottsdale to celebrate one of my best friends turning 30. We spent the day swimming at the beautiful Montelucia, and had a great night out with so many people we love, toasting to Shirley. Hank got a little crazy and even had a red bull! Haha! On a side (but related) note, can I say how nice it is to be around my oldest friends? I love new people, and new experiences, but there's something to be said about those friends who knew you "before" and "way back when." We all have so many amazing memories and funny stories between us, and when I'm with these girlfriends it just feels like home.

Sunday my family and I went to brunch, then spent all day swimming, sunning, and eating! I got to spend it all with my Mom (who is the best mother in the entire world), so my day was made from the start. Add in some pizza and chocolate covered strawberries, and it was better than anything I could have imagined. I'm still on Cloud 9.

Here are some photos (a mix of iPhone shots/my regular camera). And I hope all of you had the happiest of Mother's Days too!