Whirlwind Weeks

Goodness, what a busy couple of weeks.  The whirlwind started with a weekend trip to Oklahoma to see the familia.  I scheduled the trip around watching my little sister play 

(I couldn't have been more proud of how she played...)

I lucked out and was able to watch my step dad's team play too.  The weather was just a tad bit colder than what I was experiencing in AZ but there was no other person I'd rather be snuggled with than with my Mamacita

Although the time spent with everyone was extremely short I had an absolute blast.  I was even able to see my little sister dressed up in her cute Halloween costume.  I was trying to remember the last time I was able to spend Halloween with her and I am pretty sure that was when I was a Senior in high school... SO LONG AGO.  So that alone was a blast!

I made my way back to AZ and got the house ready for my older sister, brother-in-law and niece to come into town.  I had been counting down for their arrival for a couple months so you could imagine my excitement when they finally got there.

Sorry Josh...we some how missed our photo session :) Saturday I was on sitter/Tia duty while Marissa and Josh made their way to the ASU/Notre Dame football game. First up... a trip to the park.

Emersen is going to make the best big sister next year.  She took valuable time away from swinging to help Sedona stay hydrated

Just to make sure you see how much Sedona is enjoying the water I am going to zoom in for you all

hahahahahahahahahaha.

After the park we had a picnic in the living room and watched The Little Mermaid! One of my all time favorite movies.  Emerson also brought the water paints out and I forgot just how fun it was to use water paints lol.

We ended the weekend at one of my favorite parks in Arizona.. The Railroad Park. It has the cutest set up for little kids...AND big kids :).  They even have a train ride that takes people around the park. I can't tell who was having more fun, can you?

My sister's best friend and her kids met us at the park too.   It was so sweet watching the kiddos interact with one another. So innocent and sweet...

 Watching their goodbyes made my heart sad but good thing they are only a close plane ride away from one another.

I too was very sad when it was time for them to leave for the airport.  I would give anything to have my family all together in one city again but for now this is the way it has to be unfortunately.  I've started my countdown until I get to see them again for Christmas!

My Happy Place

For as long as I can remember, the beach has always been my happy place.  Maybe it's because my birth city just so happens to be close to the beach in California?  But every single time it I visit, I feel at complete and utter peace and if my heart could smile it would.

Sedona and I decided to make one last trip of the summer and to sunny California for Labor Day weekend.  It couldn't have come at a better time...

And as soon as we arrived to this

We were all smiles.  Every day we were there, it went a little something like this... Wake up at 5:30 AM (I know I am totally weird like that) and take Sedona to the beach.

This was Sedona's reaction to the beach on our first day there.  :) 

After a little time at the beach each morning Sedona would be exhausted and that worked out perfectly for us because we would take her back to the hotel so that she could nap while  I would head back to the beach to relax. 

After a couple of hours of beach time I would head back to the hotel and join Sedona in a nap.

The town we stayed in was a small beach town with super cute shops and restaurants.  The afternoons were spent exploring what the town had to offer and the days ended  listening to the ocean and watching the beautiful sunset. I looked fwd to this every day I was there.

I know this sounds silly, but Sedona will randomly give me hugs if I'm sitting on the floor (she does this by putting her head on my shoulder and that means she wants me to wrap my arms around her).  She did this to me the day I met her and she continues to do so.  To this day it still stops me dead in my tracks when she does it... and I will always whisper in her ear how much I love her. In a strange way I can feel her telling me she loves me right back.  It is the absolute best thing in the world when this happens and it is so very special to me that this moment was caught while we were watching the sunset together one night.

Like all things, our wonderful relaxing weekend had to come to an end. Boo.  I decided to do one of my all time favorites and drive down the coast on our way out of town.  It was a perfect way to end the last trip of the summer.

What Will I Be Like When I Grow Up?

I often find myself thinking of how I will be as a person when i'm older; "older" being my Abuela's age.  Obviously mentally I still feel as if I am in my early 20's but it is funny because I can remember when I use to wonder how I would be when I was 30 and now that I am here I wonder what I will be like in my 70's. Will I be rocking the gray short hair (oh goodness lets hope dye is still around and I still have hair)? Will I be considered super cool to my grand-kids (hmmmmmm)? Or will I be complaining all the time to my kids about my body hurting (it's already hurting so that's not a great sign haha)? Either way, I am left wondering what the future has in store for me.

One of the many things I love about my neighborhood is the mix of people.  I have a handful of people my age and then there are the elder. I absolutely adore the elder! At least the ones I have encountered. For example, there is a group of women that meet every morning at the park up the street with their little dogs.  They are an absolute hoot! I use to go there with Sedona all the time but not so much anymore. One women brings a little bag of carrots for the dogs. She keeps the bag in her pocket so all the dogs follow her around the park haha. Then there is this woman that will walk up and and down the main street by the house picking up garbage.  She always wears the cutest visor and a pair of massive sunglasses that cover half of her face  and I always want to go up and thank her for her help... buuuuut I haven't found the courage to interrupt her just yet.  And then there is this man who looks like Santa Clause. He has the best personality.  He wears suspenders and an old school trucker hat and I always see him walking his doxin.  I never would have pinned him as the "conversation type" but he is!  Although Sedona and I always seem to be walking on the opposite side of the street when we see him, he always stops and says hello to Sedona and I and laughs at how much bigger Sedona is than his dog.

Then there is Bob.  He is my favorite.  Bob wears an old baseball cap and walks (at a snails pace) every day (some days he will even walk two times a day if its cool enough outside). All the old peeps know Bob and will wave to him (I just love seeing that).  He is the nicest old man with the prettiest blue eyes and boy does he love Sedona.  Every time they see one another it is the same thing. Sedona plays super coy and hides behind me yet sticks her head out so he can pet her.  Bob always says the same thing "Hey girl. Aren't you the prettiest thing I have ever seen!!"  The last time we saw Bob his voice trembled as he told me he once had a dog that was a golden retriever and he was the best dog he could have ever asked for.  It caught me off guard and made my eyes water. I was able to be a wierdo and catch a quick picture as he walked away... but this is Bob.

With every encounter I have with the elder in my neighborhood I'm gently reminded of how precious life is and yet wonder how I will be when that time comes.  I see these people on their walks, with their dogs and all smiles and I'm thankful for the opportunity to see their appreciation for their life as it is.

Flagstaff Fun

I have been wanting to get out of crazy hot Scottsdale since I left Washington and I figured a hot summer weekend was just the reason to do it.  So up North to Flagstaff we went.  Sedona was very excited!

The first night there we camped.  Now, this is only the 2nd time Sedona and I have camped, but I swear it's totally growing on me.  The tent was called "The Cabin" and I'm not kidding it was like being in a cabin; AMAZING and HUGE.  I don't know what it is but there is definitely something about the cold, fresh air that makes me sleep so incredibly well.  

The next day I woke up refreshed and ready to make my way to downtown Flagstaff AND to the hotel for a shower haha.  On the way out of the forest we made a stop by a lake.  The last time I brought Sedona to natural water was 2 years ago when I took her to the beach for the first time. To this day, that trip remains one of my favorite memories. I could not stop laughing at how crazy excited she got playing in the ocean.

This was no different...

I think it is safe to say that Sedona LOVES water! Seeing how happy she gets when she gets to play in water, I could watch her play in it all day long.  Of course I had to get a quick picture with my girl, but as you can see she was not happy that I interrupted her "play time."

We spent the rest of the day and the next say outdoors as much as possible. I found a great hiking trail near Northern AZ University and when S and I finished our 5 mile hike...sitting in the cool grass surrounded by pine trees was just what the doctor ordered.

The weekend was such a blast  spending time in cooler weather.Sedona definitely played her little heart out because as soon as she got in the car to go home she couldn't keep her eyes open and I couldn't help but smile.

I saw this on the hike... One of my favorites as a kid.

**Make a wish **

Happy Daddio(s) Day

Father's Day is today OR what I like to call "Daddio Day."  When I was young and I would call my Dad "Daddio."  No idea why (haha), but it always made my Dad laugh when I would say it and Valerie and I would then laugh too.

I never knew I would one day be blessed with Two Dads.  It is interesting when I think about My Dad's and how lucky I am to have both as part of my life.  Both of which love(d) and care for me immensely which at the end of the day that is all I could ever ask for.

Dad #1

I have so many memories of my Dad. Some that date back to when I was a toddler. Scary I know.  My older sister says I have a crazy good memory and she is right.  I don't know how I remember events that happen so long ago but I do.

My Dad had this super old white car and Valerie and I would love running errands with him because that car had a bucket seat in the front and we could ALL sit in front together. Then to top it off, my Dad had this cassette player with a tape that he NEVER switched out.  It had the 80's song "Sweet Dreams" on it and I would push it in and all three of us would sing as loud as we could the entire song. Some times we would designate parts and laugh the entire song, but never the less we would sing out hearts out. When the song would end, I would press rewind and we would do it all over again.  Some times my Dad would say "Are you sure you don't want to listen to the radio?" haha.  Needless to say, when I hear that song on the radio in my car today, I blast it as loud as I can and sing my heart out.  I always feel as if it is my little sign from my Dad in heaven letting me know he is with me.  You would be surprised how often I hear it it play too. :)

I am thankful I had the opportunity to experience and take on some of the many talents my Dad had.  His cooking rocked! I am almost positive I have my sweet tooth because of him (thanks Daddio), but really, his home made birthday cakes growing up WERE TO DIE FOR.  My love for movies is because of him too.  Our weekend outings would consist of a movie and a lot of critiquing after it.  I miss being able to do that with him but treasure the times we did.


Dad #2

I have equally as many memories with my Matt! For starters, I would never have been the soccer player I was if it wasn't for Matt.  To this day, I am certain Matt is one of the very few TOP female coaches that we have here in the United States.  His ability to relate and listen to females on a daily basis (NOT easy) and to be patient all at the same time is what makes Matt not only and extraordinary soccer coach but an extremely special person and Dad in my life.  The older I get, the more our relationship grows even closer and I am truly thankful for that.

One of my favorite memories I have with Matt is when I had the wonderful opportunity to visit HIS home; England.  I always knew Matt was a legend but to be able to experience that first hand with him was truly special.  He took me to my first ever England soccer match! It was honestly one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed. There were so many people wanting to see Matt while we were there it made me realize how grateful I am to have him in my life all the time. Living in different states makes it hard at times, but the times he is able to come to AZ on recruiting trips he makes sure to see me even if its only for a cup of coffee and that does more than I am sure he realizes.

I am thankful for things Matt continues to teach me.  His kind heart and patience is something I will always admire and look up too.  He always finds a way to see the good in situations and people and I find that to be an incredible quality to have.

Happy Father's Day Daddio(s)! 

Hoping your day is as special and dear as you both are to me and my heart.

Mr. and Mrs Haas (Part II)

Okay I am back! Unfortunately I have to be at work this Saturday morning... buuuuuut it allows for me to finish Part II of Valerie and Carl's wedding!

Valerie was one of the most "relaxed" brides on her actual wedding day that I have ever been around.  Not that I would expect anything else from her.  We started getting ready around 9am the day of the wedding at the house my Mom and Matt rented for the festivities. I was thouroughly impressed with how in sink all the hair and make-up artists were. 9AM on the dot 3 hair people and 2 make up artists were at the door ready to go. Valerie and I sat outside waiting for our turn and while doing so I was lucky enough to capture Valerie's reaction seeing her bouquet for the very first time.

Wasn't her bouquet absolutely stunning? It took my breath away that's for sure. UNTIL I saw Valerie just about done with her hair. 

Cassidy mentioned that she looked like a brunette Marilyn Monroe and she sure did :)

I was able to get this photo quickly before things got a little crazy with putting Valerie's dress on and trying not to fall out of mine hahaha.

 And THEN... The dress was on!!! Ahhhhhh it was just as beautiful as I remembered. Yes ladies, it is totally okay if you are drooling over this beaded tea length wedding dress!

 I wish I had photos during the ceremony but I don't have any to show yet. Valerie's friend took this one of all of us waiting to walk down the aisle of the church

My goal was to not cry.  I failed horribly.  As soon as My Mom and Valerie walked down the aisle; Snot every where, tears falling kind of lost it.  I am sure it will look just lovely in photographs (haha).  Thankfully I know everyone's attention was on the jaw dropping bride and soon after we had

MR. & MRS. HAAS!!!

The reception turned out to be everything my sister had hoped for (and more if you ask me). 

 Obviously the dessert bar was my favorite part. SO creative and so delicious.

My two grandmas loved the chair area they created next to the dance floor

 

Cocktail hour started the party off. Auntie Vera, Uncle Rob and Auntie June had the right idea. Rest the feet as much as possible before the dancing started

And then it really got cracking with DJ Gumbo from New Orleans haha. Here are some of my  favorites...

I love my sisters so very much

Every time I look at this picture my heart melts...

And then you have some that I can't stop laughing at

 

 Sweaty and Tired...

We danced the ENTIRE night. I even hurt my hip from dancing so hard (no joke people). Apparently I can't "drop it like it's hot" without stretching anymore. Like all things, the beautiful day had to come to an end and if it didn't I am pretty sure I would have had to be carried back to my hotel room. Cheers to the newlyweds and to a loving and Happy future together!