SURPRISE TRIP TO ARIZONA

My closest sister lives in AZ with her family and like I said, we are very close. Their three boys adore Mike and he has been a big part of their lives. We surprise them pretty often in different ways and this trip was no different. We had this trip planned before Thanksgiving when we saw them last. Southwest had a killer deal which allowed us to snatch up a couple tickets.

We planned it out with my sister and brother-in-law that we would 'run into them' at dinner. The boys had just gotten done with school and baseball tryouts and were ready to chow down on some of their favorite pizza. We walked into the restaurant and casually walked up to them and said, "Hey, what are you guys doing here?" All three of them did a triple take and were utterly confused. 

I love surprising them like that, however when normal things are going on....they tend to get very suspicious and often think there's another surprise coming.

We had spent the week chilling out at home and eating good food....like we always do. I love visiting them because there's never an agenda....it's always relaxed. Of course I didn't take nearly enough pictures, I was terrible about it this trip, but I did get a few. 

Some of our favorite places to grab a bite to eat are The Deli and Joe's Farmhouse Grill. The Deli is a small restaurant with incredible food. Kensi munched on their hummus and flatbread, while Mike and I devoured their Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Warm Roast Beef. 

Joe's Farmhouse is one of my all time favorite places to go. It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives a couple years ago. The atmosphere is laid-back and fun. You can dine inside or outside. My go-to is their Fontina Burger....words can't describe it! 

This was the first time I didn't make my usual trip to the Queen Creek Olive Mill, but Mike did. They have some of the most delicious olives, tapenades and oils. I can NEVER walk out of there empty handed.

Kensi loved hanging out with her cousins as they loved carrying her around like a sack of flour. She had a blast exploring a different house and getting into all sorts of new things. She had a few milestones while we were visiting as well.

For one, she has been teething like crazy for the last month, but I thought it was only appropriate for her to start cutting her first tooth while visiting them. After all, I have witnessed every one of the boys losing their first tooth; and Kensi followed suit. It hasn't popped up yet, but you can definitely feel the little ridges.

Kensi and her cousin Keegan. When she's with her cousins, she gets to play with all the iPads and fun techy stuff, stuff mommy and daddy don't let her do :)

She also learned how to climb the stairs thanks to my sister! She does however get tired halfway up and decides it's time to just sit down, which makes me so nervous!

We also did lots of baking like usual. I had to make two batches of 48 vanilla scones (recipes will come soon, I promise!) The first batch was gone in less than 24 hours. 

 Our two families love cooking together. Colton and Mike made breakfast; One morning was Cole's famous eggs, another was Mike's Frittata. We also made homemade pizza (dough and all), fajitas and donuts.

I can hardly believe the next time we'll see them is October for our nephews wedding. By that time Kensi will nearly be 1 1/2, most likely walking and talking......we may just have to plan another surprise trip....or maybe we could just move there :)