My cousin got married Memorial Day weekend, so we decided to fly out the whole crew in order to celebrate her wedding day and see that side of the family that we haven't seen in over 4 years. We added a few extra days to see the sights and explore a bit. The kids did great with all the traveling involved (planes, trains, and automobiles), as well as the time change and early morning flights. All 4 Caldwells flew out too, and Nana and Grandpa drove from CO, so it was great to have time with the whole family.
We had a 3 hour layover in Atlanta so we rode the train for entertainment. I was trying to show Willow how you could balance without holding on, but she refused to watch (rule follower!!!). As we rode the train longer, though, she got a bit more adventurous:
When we were on the first flight, they'd just announced to turn off electronic devices. I was on my phone for a few seconds longer (literally) and Willow asked me to put my phone away. The girl hears the rules and sticks to them!!
Flying with the kids was so much easier than when we flew to CO 2 years ago, or my first time flying solo with Willow. They're easier to entertain and stick with an activity longer than 5 minutes! Willow enjoyed reading and doing problems in a Logic Puzzles and Math Puzzles book. Owen enjoyed his Star Wars Lego sticker book, Seek-and-Find Star Wars book, and reading books.
For our long flight, each headrest had an iPad type device. It had free movies and games as well as a map to show you our travel status. At one point I'd explained to Owen how we were getting closer to the red dot which is where we were going to land. He promptly opened his window, looked out and said, "We are close to the red dot!"
Owen doesn't nap anymore at home, but the early mornings and busy days exhausted the poor kid. There were many times that we got in the car in the afternoon and he was out within minutes of starting to drive. It definitely helped him hang in during long days though!
This isn't what we see when we look out our window driving at home!
The kids enjoyed our free upgrade to a minivan:
The sun coming through the window was too hot for Willow, so she was happy to move to the back seat and experience that too.
The kids did great playing together. It was fun to stay in the same suite area most nights!
When you get up at 3:30 am Arizona time, you get a little extra screen time while you wait for the rest of the world to wake up.
Owen is still very much in to playing with Legos. We have him keep his Legos away from Hannah and Hunter since they're the small (regular sized) Legos. At one point Hannah went into the room Chris and Owen were playing Legos in. Chris explained to Hannah that she was still too little for the Legos that Owen plays with. She said, "I'm going to go be little now" then walked out of the room.
The kids got to see their great grandparents!
We enjoyed a 2-mile hike one morning. The "easy" labeled trail wasn't "smooth" so the stroller for Hunter didn't last long:
Owen insists on being in the front when we hike together:
Hannah even got in a little hiking too!
At the end of the mile hike in, there was a steep rock that you could climb to see the best view.
We made it!
The view from the top:
Willow added her own stack of rocks to the trail:
When Willow got ahead of us, Owen called, "Lillow....you don't want to get too far from your family!"
It was great to cool (clean) off in the pool. It's fun to see the kids' confidence being in the pool now. Willow enjoyed wearing her cap and goggles and swimming around. Owen enjoyed tossing the rings and jumping in off the side of the pool.
Hunter enjoyed gnawing on the rings:
Lisa picked a beautiful winery in Sedona for the wedding. It was a beautiful (brief) ceremony and nice reception!
The blue dress ladies: Mom and Aunt Colleen from Washington state:
The three used-to-be-Rexroad girls:
I was giggling too much to get a clear picture of Dad and Kim slow dancing to a fast song:
The kids got to see the wedding site at brunch the next morning:
Checking out the stream:
and enjoying the huge swing:
Moments like this don't happen often, therefore, need to be captured!!
After enjoying Sedona, we traveled north to the Grand Canyon. Willow was super excited about it since she'd seen it on one of her PBS shows that she watches. Owen was excited about it since the rest of us were excited about it. Before our picnic we drove by and caught a glimpse of it. Owen's reaction was, "Is it just a mountain???" As we walked on a trail along the edge, I mentioned that it's a national park. He kept saying, "Where's the park???" Maybe we can take him when he's older and has a bit more of an appreciation for it's beauty. :)
What is a mule deer to do when surrounded by tourists? Are they aware that it's a WILD animal??
Again...rare moment:
When you ask Owen his favorite part about the Grand Canyon, this is it ("climbing the Grand Canyon"):
The kids fell asleep SUPER easy every night because our days were so long. They did great sharing a bed the whole time:
Four generations:
We ventured to the Phoenix zoo. We had a good time, but fall/spring is definitely a better time to experience it, I'd imagine. We were hot and so were the animals! They were definitely hiding out in whatever shade they could find!
Willow even hitched a shoulder-ride!
The zoo had a few splash areas that the kids enjoyed (and the adults were tempted to join in on!!):
This is one smart tiger!!
When the weather forecast says triple digits for the next week, it's time to head home!!
These Pictionary pictures mean two things to me: reading and drawing. I'm so thankful Willow is at a fun age to do both. She loved this!! Check out her bike!
Within minutes of getting off the plane to drive home:
My uncle retired from the postal service and this was his hat. The picture is how I still remember him and my cousins. 
My uncle retired from the postal service and this was his hat. The picture is how I still remember him and my cousins. 
My dad spoke at the funeral. He's the oldest of the 5 boys and has already attended the funerals of 3 of his brothers. 
L to R: My cousin Ryan, Lisa's husband Chris, my dad, my uncle Mike.
We were part of a military escort to the cemetery. It's an expectation there that all traffic stop, no matter which direction you're driving in. It's very kind. 
They presented my cousins Lisa and Ryan with a flag, honor his military service. 
Landscaping in Arizona is different!
The view from our hotel room:
My cousin, Jennifer, and her daughter, Crystallyn, came to the funeral along with Lisa and Ryan's mom, Kim. It'd been ages since we'd seen them! I guess we gather for weddings and funerals now. 
