Party Weekend!

We spent the weekend in Tucson with family, and it was lots of fun. Brooks worked half a day on Friday and we drove down to Tucson once he got off. We dropped our Mazda off to have some work done as this seemed good timing, and came down in a rental, which happened to be the 2008 version of our Mazda. It was pretty nice and Brooks enjoyed driving it. We stayed at the Embassy Suites Paloma Village, which was in North Tucson, near the pretty mountains, and a new shopping development. Being in Phoenix for a few years now, we drive faster, and we think better, than most Tucsonans and enjoy making comments to each other like, "stupid Tucson driver" or whatever. If you are from Tucson, you either love it and never leave, or you hate it and move to Phoenix. I'd say we are the latter, but Brooks says he has a special place in his heart for Tucson. And, if he ever got a smokin' job offer down there, which is highly unlikely just because there isn't much down there, we'd go back. But, it would have to be a really good offer.

But, it is worth going to T-Town to see family. Worth the ugly drive on the I-10 and the slow traffic and the bad freeway construction. After checking into the hotel, we headed to Araceli's house for Bella's birthday party. We were starvin' Marvins and hit the pizza right away. Taylor went off with Michael to play Transformers and chase the girls around. I am not sure if Bella and her friends wanted Tay with them, but he is a social guy and wanted to hang out. Which meant run around with them while they were playing musical chairs and dancing on Bella's High School Musical dance mat while she was trying to. Bella turned seven on the 16th and was having a High School Musical slumber party. It was too cute, all her little friends were wearing their HSM t-shirts and having a good time. We also brought Sarah's present since she is a January baby, too. We got Bella a karaoke machine and the kids had a blast singing and dancing along to the HSM songs.

The hotel was nice, and it was great to have a king size bed. The bed seems so big now, but won't once we are in the new house and have us, the kids, and the doggies with us. Oh, and a kitty cat. The coolest thing about the hotel room, though, is that there were a couple floor length mirrors, which I have not looked into in a loooong time. It was neat to see my big belly and how much it sticks out. We are so excited to meet little Jasmine, but this will be my last pregnancy, so it is bitter-sweet.

Saturday we went shopping at the mall and bought the kids new clothes and got them each a Build A Bear. Daddy went crazy shopping for Jasmine, but then he usually does. She is going to be a Daddy's girl for sure. Tay picked out a fluffy white polar bear and dressed him in a Phoenix Suns uniform. His name is Prime, after Optimus Prime. Later on in the day, Tay decided he wasn't a polar bear, he was a doggy. Jasmine got the February animal, which is a doggy with heart "spots". After the mall, we headed to our baby shower, which was lots of fun. Jasmine made out like a bandit, and I ate three plate fulls of Carne Asada. I could have easily had more, and if we weren't going back to a hotel, I totally would have taken some home. Taylor loved playing with the other kids, but not quite as much as he enjoyed rolling around in the dirt. Last time we were at Terrie and Spanky's I think I had to change his clothes before we left, this time I knew there was no way I was prying the Herbie shirt off of him. That night we got The Kingdom on the hotel movie list, then slept in until 9 or so.

Sunday we had a big breakfast, then visited Grandma at work and went and played at the park for a while. Afterwards we went to Bison Whiches for lunch and headed home. It was a nice weekend, and the kids made out pretty well. Taylor was on his cutest behavior and was very excited to see Grandma and Katie!