Spring Training

Justin helped coordinate a big regional conference for work, and as a thank you was gifted tickets to a spring training game. It was perfect timing because just the week before I suggested going to a game, because it wouldn't be too hot and it would be cheaper than a regular-season game.

The game was at the stadium in Peoria where both the Mariners and the Padres train; we watched the Padres vs. the White Sox.

I'm guessing this was one of Rolin's best days, as it included lots of open space for running, lots of things for climbing, lemonade, sno-cones and sunshine. I can't say we watched much of the game at all, but we had fantastic seats, the weather was great and Rolin did fabulously.

My Aunt Camille and Uncle Iver have a snowbird house near Peoria, and they volunteer at that same stadium during spring training. They had that afternoon off, but we went to their house afterward, where they treated us to fresh-picked grapefruit and tangelos, and a little wooden toy car for Rolly, in addition to familiar faces and lovely conversation.

Ostrich Festival

Chandler holds an annual Ostrich Festival in March, so we went...more out of curiosity than a need for entertainment. Turns out, it is more of a typical fair with rides, rows and rows of crafts, shirts with wolves howling at the moon and jewelry. There were tons of food options and, of course, real ostriches.

They do race ostriches. We didn't get a chance to see a race, but that's something I'd go for again to see. They also bring in some entertainment worth naming, such as Edwin McCain, The Axe Women Loggers of Maine (yes, you read that right), Flock of Seagulls and some gals from the Disney channel.

We had the most fun in the petting zoo area. Rolin got to see ostriches up close, which really excited him because there is an ostrich statue in almost every public building in town, and Rolin loves to see them. Here's one at the library:

Here are a few videos and pictures of Rolly feeding goats and sheep. He didn't hesitate at all to feed them!

Rolin also got to go on one ride with daddy, while momma sat on a bench with a few other pregnant ladies where we discussed how it was much warmer that day than expected, and how we're grateful for a bench and good husbands who ride rides with our littles. 

Christmas

We were joined by Justin's parents for Christmas. It was nice to have some family around for the holiday!

I left nearly all the grocery shopping to do until the 23rd, the Monday before Christmas, you know, like any sane person would do. I had a plan. I had different lists for different stores. Rolin and I were going to gobble breakfast and get out of the house by 9:30 a.m.; we got out by 10 a.m., but I was still happy with the time knowing I could get it all done and be back for lunch and nap time.

Well, the car wouldn't start.

I popped the hood, shook some wires, checked the oil, looked at the filter, jiggled the battery...

Just kidding, I didn't do any of that.

I called Justin and told him what was going on with the car. Then I texted my mom to complain that I was a fool for leaving shopping until that day anyway and then the car wouldn't start. Then dad called and we covered a list of possibilities. Everyone involved suspected the battery, but it was odd the car would sound like it wanted to start, it just wouldn't finish turning over. Thankfully, Justin was able to rework his schedule a bit and came home to my rescue. We got a new battery, even though the battery people told us there was nothing wrong with the old one.

They were right -- the new battery didn't fix the problem. We had the car towed to a repair shop where we learned it was the fuel pump and that they could get it fixed by Friday. I'm grateful we have Justin's work car as a backup!

Team Thompson against faulty fuel pumps. 

via

Anyway, we got errands done, naps taken and Christmas dishes were started after bedtime. The Thompsons arrived that night around 10 p.m., just as the cheese ball was chilling, the rolls were rising, the eggs were boiling, the twice-baked potatoes had completed their first baking rotation, the fudge was cooling and I was finishing the clam chowder we'd have Christmas Eve.

Rolin greeted his grandparents in the morning, who quickly swept him off to the park to play. Justin worked for a bit on Christmas Eve day, but was home in time for the candlelight service at church. After dinner, at which was served the traditional clam chowder, spinach salad and rolls, we all opened one gift and then got everyone to bed.

If I'm being realistic, this was probably the last Christmas, for about 17 or so years, or at least until my children are teenagers, where I'll have an opportunity to sleep past six in the morning. We all took advantage of the extra sleep time, but were ready to hop downstairs once Rolly was awake. No one wanted to miss seeing Rolin's face when he spotted his presents.

Lots of playing with toys was done after breakfast, and the Thompsons each took pajama-clad strolls around our cul de sac, pushing Rolin in his little car. He was quite insistent in going outside every 10 minutes or so.

Rolin also received the moon for Christmas.  

Dinner was the Team Thompson tradition of surf-n-turf. We had crab legs and flank steak, accompanied by twice-baked potatoes, salad, rolls and a few other small delights.We played games, watched Christmas movies, FaceTimed with other family members and overall enjoyed our day.

The following day, the Thompsons, Rolin and I went to the Phoenix Zoo while Justin went to work. Rolin cruised in style in his new car, was enthralled with the lizards, lions and a duck that he and Grammy fed Cheetos. He and Grammy even got to go feed the giraffes! He didn't fall asleep or get cranky -- I was very impressed, especially since we were there from 11a.m. - 4 p.m.; he had a great time!

Headed to the zoo with Grandpa Lee and Grammy Karen!

 Grammy Karen and Rolin got to get up close and personal with the giraffes. 

Rolly wasn't much of a fan.

Before the Thompsons left that Friday, we met Justin for lunch and then hit up the train park in Scottsdale. I'm glad Rolin got to spend a few action-packed days with his Grandpa and Grammy, I know they were glad about it too!

Watching the trains pass by overhead at the train park.

Aunt & Uncle Visits

Rolly is one lucky little guy to have loving uncles and aunts. I'm not officially an aunt myself, but I can only hope to be at least half as wonderful an aunt as Rolly's Aunt Brianna, or Nana, as the kiddos say. She loves him and he knows it. Sometimes he carries her family-photo flash card around the house or gives her photo a ride on his truck. I'm not kidding. And her photo is the only one lucky enough to have been offered a ride. So cute!

Rolly and Aunt Brianna at the pumpkin patch. The best thing about these two together is that Rolin doesn't seem to have much stranger danger with her. Soooo nice!

Everyone was, of course, excited when we moved back to Washington, particularly because we had a baby on the way. We had lots of family come visit while we were there, mostly to see Rolin, the main attraction. Naturally, they all feared Rolly wouldn't remember them very well when we moved to Arizona, so we've already had multiple rounds of visits from both sides of the family, and expect Grandpa Lee and Grammy again at Christmas. We are blessed with family that wants to and is willing to come visit. (I'm sure the Arizona weather has something to do with frequent visits, too, but I'm going to pretend it's really the three of us that keep everyone coming back, teehee.)

Aunt Brianna came out to visit in October. It was perfect timing as Justin had to work again that weekend, and I'd unpacked to a point where the necessities were out so there was a 98 percent chance it would take me a year to get other things out of the boxes. With someone here to play with Rolly, I was able to get more things unpacked, hang some pictures and get some work done without Rolin tugging on my pant leg. Plus, I got to introduce Brianna to "Steel Magnolias," and she got to watch me turn into a blubbery mess at the end (it gets me every time!). Good golly...it's even worse to watch as a parent, yet I willingly subject myself to it again and again.

We went to the pumpkin patch while Brianna was here in October. This one was much more than just a patch...there were rides, food stations, trains, pig races...the works!

He did not want to get his face painted. We walked away with only one swipe of yellow that he screamed about until it was removed, ha!

Just over two-feet tall this fall.

Back to school, back to school...

We rode the carousel.

And the train. It was hot. Jeans were a bad choice.

We picked out pumpkins.

Rolin loved this pumpkin so much he kept giving it hugs.

There was lots of snuggle time and game playing with Aunt Brianna.

Rolin and Nanna had pompom fights, too. Rolin thought it was hilarious to grab a handful of as many pompoms he could and throw them at Aunt Brianna. The giggles lasted a long time :)

Aunt Brianna and Uncle Joe came back to visit in November. We'd been practicing with our family photo flash cards so Rolin was well practiced in saying Uncle Joe and Aunt Brianna / Nana by the time they got here. It's so stinkin' cute!! 

I think Rolin's favorite part about that trip was all the lounging on the couch watching football with Uncle Joe. 

And playing shapes with Uncle Joe.

And giving Uncle Joe and Aunt Brianna high fives.

And just having Uncle Joe and Aunt Brianna in the house. There was always someone to play blocks. 

After the farmers market on Saturday we went to lunch at Joe's Farm Grill. Had to take a picture, of course. 

And on Sunday we went to check out Arizona State University. The stadium was open, so we helped ourselves. 

Rolin loved playing on the stairs in the center of the courtyard. I thought this was similar to WSU's "nipple of knowledge." Coincidentally, this structure is also positioned atop the library. 

We're so glad to have visitors, and our house is always open to whoever, whenever! Come on down!

Tourists

Though we were no longer in need of their offered moving assistance, mom and dad still came up to Spokane a few weekends ago to hang out with the Rolinator and me while Justin was out of town. 

My smart, thoughtful and dutifully documenting mother suggested we play tourist in Spokane, to make sure we experienced and snapped photos of the sites we’d soon leave unexplored. I’m so glad she came up with the idea; I really doubt it would have even crossed my mind until we got to Phoenix.

Not sure you know this or not, readers, but I was born in Spokane too. We lived there for just six months after my arrival.

This is Rolin and me in front of the house mom and dad called home as newlyweds. A neat fact about this house is that my dad moved the staircase. He just moved it! Before he and my mom went a courtin', he decided the staircase would be better on a different side of the house, so he did what any bachelor with power tools would do: he cut a hole in the floor and made new stairs. He told me this when I was little Christine and I remember thinking, "that is the coolest thing anyone has ever done!"

This is me where I was baptized.

We also headed down to Riverfront Park. We hit up the (huge) little red wagon, stood on the over-sized blocks, checked out the ducks and geese and then pretended to be Bloomsday runners.  

Go, dad go!

Rolin and I rode the carousel twice, once with Grandma and again with Grandpa.

Rolin loved it! He had a gaping smile on his face for the first half of both rides. He ended the last half of both rides with a slightly nauseated look on his face -- he kept it together, though. No barf from this kiddo (I don’t imagine we’ll always be this lucky).

Of course we finished the afternoon enjoying sno-cones. Though it may be hard to believe just by looking at the picture, Rolin said he preferred cherry over watermelon.

It's Independence Day

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

 Fireworks from 2009 at Shoreline Amphitheater. Taken before we got trapped in 2 hours of traffic just 1.5 miles from our house. 

I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday by staying at home.

Apparently I was the only one in all of San Jose who had to go to work this morning.

Enjoy your freedom by celebrating safely.

Run to the Hills

Justin and I like hiking. Hiking is something Justin did often during his childhood. It's something I never did during mine. I wouldn't say we're hardcore hikers, but maybe we will be someday! If we keep it up this summer, we're thinking of trying an overnight hike where you walk into your campsite.

We have experienced those so called "walk-in campgrounds" around these parts...but this time we're talking a real walk-all-day-to-the-site type walk-in campground...something we're prepared for going into it.

Last weekend we headed up to the hills west of Palo Alto for a quick hike. It was sunny and warm in San Jose so we were surprised to find fog and the weather to be about 20 degrees cooler in Palo Alto...that's the Peninsula for ya! I'm glad I grabbed my sweatshirt on the way out the door.

 

At he peak of the hike

Lunch break

Suddenly the fog rolls in like crazy!

Here's a video of it coming in...

Then the backdrop is completely covered in fog

We found a cave!

Giants in the fog

Gumdrop tree in the fog

The end of the trail.