Getaway

Thanks to wonderful friends who were willing to watch our children, I was able to accompany Brad on a business trip to sunny Arizona. His conference was at the Biltmore Hotel. So, we enjoyed two days of beautiful weather, warm outdoor pools, blooming flowers, and no responsibility (at least for me).

One of the benefits of going to Arizona was seeing great friends and family. Like these guys.

Keith and Brad were college roommates. We loved spending the evening with them and their five darling boys. I loved the fact that we could walk out into their back yard and pick grapefruit, lemons, and oranges. I had several glasses of freshly squeezed grapefruit and loved every minute of it.

I got to spend an afternoon with my Dad.

One of the things my kids know Grandpa Doug for is his candy stash. His pantry is loaded with treats and the kids love to talk about it. So, I had get a picture of the goods. He sent home a stash for the kids, which delighted them.

I also took a bunch of pictures of the sculptures my dad has done. He's one of the most talented people I know. One of his "hobbies" in recent years has been creating life size sculptures. Here's a few:

This is my great grandfather Burns Crookston. My dad put one of these sculptures of him in my grandparents cabin (which he built) as a surprise. You really feel like he's there when you walk into the room. It's neat.
We were also able to spend a few hours at dinner one evening with Brad's mission president and his wife. It's wonderful to have so many great influences in our lives.