Free stuff. Seriously. I get it all the time. It is honestly the best part of my job.
Contests, giveaways, lunch meetings... they're always going on and they're always fun to win.
You may remember last year when we got to go Whitewater Rafting for an HP contest I won at work... well this year the contest was an "extreme" Hummer tour through the desert and we got to go again!
We met for the trip at a 19th century cowboy town in Pioneer, AZ (I highly recommend it for any large event - it was awesome!)
We played "cowboy" games: the hatchet toss, lassoing, quick draw and of course archery where Benson gained the nickname "Robin Hood" for the day. They then fed us lunch and we headed out in the hummers!
It was a pretty intense four hour ride through the desert... think the Disneyland Indiana Jones ride for 4 hours straight - but it was SO much fun.
You can't really tell but in this picture we're headed almost straight down this hill...
They stopped a few times along the way to tell us the history of the location - this was a really neat spot where the chief of the indian tribe lived - there are still rock walls standing from when they inhabited the area
After the tour we went back to the "ranch" for dinner, cowboy singers,
and Native American dancers
all of which were very entertaining.
The night ended with s'mores by the bonfire and getting to see the Orion Nebula and Jupiter through a fancy schmancy telescope.
We're crossing our fingers that next year's trip is skydiving! :)
My niece Liberty is getting baptized this weekend so last Friday I took her out in her pretty white dress to take pictures at the temple. They turned out SO pretty - it helps that she's such a cute little girl! I can't believe how big she is getting!
Mesa Arizona Kids Photographer
Gilbert Arizona Kids Photographer
Queen Creek Arizona Kids Photographer
I remember times in my life when family members would comment on how big I was getting and how that made them feel "so old".... well now I know what they mean.
Pretty much overnight this little beaker on the right....
has turned into this....
It's one thing when your little brother gets taller than you and graduates high school... but your nephew? That should be illegal.
I might as well buy myself a walker and start stocking up on depends now, I'll need them soon enough.
This is one of three pictures I took at Christmas... all of which were on this couch of the same kids. It was too much fun having all the family around! We had three "first Christmas" babies around, Tanner and Shelly staying with us from Utah, Nate and Heidi down from Lakeside and lots of fun!
Benson and I took advantage of the $25 Southwest flights and our (finally) free schedules right after school ended and took a fun trip to San Diego and then to St. George! Unfortunately I didn't take one picture in Utah, but here's a few from California!
Plane ride there...
Birch Aquarium
Seaport Village
Balboa Park
Tidepools & Lighthouse in Point Loma
2009 was a good year...
January - A new niece
February - Our first garden
March - Finding out what Benson would look like at 300 lbs.
April - Whitewater Rafting!
May - Little Brother & Little sister #2 Graduate
June - Trip to San Diego and LA to get Passports
July - Mexico!
August - Baby Niece #2 and Nacho Party!
September - Starting our Kitchen Re-Model & Baby Niece #3
October - U2!!!
November - Still working on the re-model
December - California & St. George
