Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Weekend in Phoenix

We just got back last night from 3 days in Phoenix. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed some of the sites that area has to offer. The first day, we went to the Wildlife World Zoo. They had a great aquarium and quite a huge zoo area as well. Below you will see the stingray petting area. We ate at the Rain Forest Cafe that night. Micah wasn't too excited about the mechanical gorillas that come alive or the fake rain storms, but I think they all still had fun. The second day was a day of hanging out by the pool. The temperature was somewhere in the mid 80's, so it was good outdoor pool weather. Here's the family hanging out in the hot tub.
That night, we visited Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa. It's an interesting concept of pizza, lots of people, and an organ that comes up from the hydraulic floor and controls hundreds of instruments including drums, guitars, bells, and of course organ. I can't help but be impressed by the guy's skills and the ability to form full band sounds with the keys of this massive organ.
Here's a shot from one of the higher balconies of our hotel. I haven't really noticed the beauty of Phoenix until this weekend. It's such a large city, and much of it seems like dirt and concrete, but other areas are built up quite nicely. Sara and the kids have the rest of the week off for spring break, but I'll be heading into work later today. There are a few more pictures in the Photo Album.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Visit From Grandma Hanson

Grandma Hanson (my dad's mom) came to visit us last weekend. She's been traveling around a lot and staying busy since Grandpa Sid passed away last fall. She lives in Sioux Falls, SD, but was in Mesa, AZ staying with some friends and then made the visit to Flagstaff for a few days. It was a nice relaxing visit with her. The kids enjoyed spending time with her too, and Grandma taught Sara how to knit. Sara's working on a scarf now. It looks good so far, though it's only a couple inches long right now.

We're going to be taking a family trip to Phoenix next weekend. Someone from our church anonymously wanted to buy us a couple nights away. We are so blessed by our church family! So, we're getting excited and starting to plan what to do with our time. Hopefully the weather is nice. It's been in the mid 70's down there this week. Sounds good to me!

Honest Abe


On President's day (a couple weeks ago) Sara taught the kids about Abraham Lincoln. They read some about him and got a DVD as well. Here's a picture Gavin drew that day. I'm pretty sure he's got the artistic gene :)