Lions, Tigers, and Bears...Oh My!!

We decided to try and beat the heat on Monday and hang out at an air conditioned museum. The Wildlife Museum was a hit! The boys loved seeing all of these fierce animals up close, but knowing that they weren't alive....and couldn't take a bite out of them! ;) We went with our friends Melissa, Julianna, Natalie, and Will. They have become our Tucson "tour guides" of sorts...sharing with us some of their favorite spots to haunt! The girls loved sharing all the little tidbits they knew about the museum with the boys...since they are frequent visitors. It's great seeing the kids making good friends...luckily their mom is pretty awesome as well! Here are some of my favorite pictures of the day....


Our fearless tour guides!














What a fun day!

Fun at the zoo!

Today was another 100+ HOT Arizona day, so my friend Melissa and I decided to take the kids to the zoo (in the morning before it's sweltering.) She has 2 girls that are Logan and Carson's ages and a little boy that is a bit older than London. All the kids get along great and it was a lot of fun! Afterward all of the kids went swimming...gotta do what you can to beat this Arizona heat! Thanks for the fun day Melissa, Julianna, Natalie, and William!




Playing around at the elephants.





The boys loved that they got to feed the giraffe! Look at that tongue!


I loved that I could get an up close and personal picture!


The kids got to touch all things scaly and slithery a.k.a snakes and lizards.


Carson's new BFF.


This is Arizona so of course there was an armadillo! Who knew they are actually kinda cute?


Carson and Natalie hanging out in the egg inside the Aviary.


Checking out the Rhinos.





This baby zebra is only 4 months old...so cute!


Carson wanted a picture w/ him.


Some monkeys, Logan, and the back of Carson's head....hey I tried.


Unfortunately the "Kenya Get Wet" water fountain park was closed due to a "BEE" problem...dang it...so we improvised and let the kids get wet at the "frog fountain." Not quite the same, but at least they got to cool off.


It even doubles as a drinking fountain...yes we were assured that it is in fact clean drinking water.


In the end the kids got wet and that's all that really matters right?

Perfect spot for winter days and summer nights!

When we were house hunting in Arizona we considered the outdoor living space just as carefully as the indoor. You can be outdoors all year long so it really is an extention of your home. We were so lucky to find such an amazing space with incredible views in a house that we really love! Now if we could just get the yard in shape! We keep telling ourselves one thing at a time! ;)




My new lounge chairs Weston got me for my birthday! I love to lay out here in the evenings (we have gorgeous sunsets in Vail). Also, a comfy spot to lay in the sun...thank goodness the pool is right there...it gets HOT fast!


Our gas firepit...the boys like to do s'mores out here.


I love having a covered patio...a must have on hot summer days and nights. Next up we want to get a ceiling fan above our table to keep it even cooler. Luckily the sun never shines directly towards our patio so it's usually pretty comfortable.


I finally got some flowers planted in my pots.

We have been doing a TON of this lately....

It's supposed to be a 100 degrees by Sunday so I don't see the novelty wearing off any time soon!

A party for the preschool graduate!

Last week Carson's preschool class had their end of the year party. They set up lots of fun activities for the kids in the courtyard. There were water games, sand box fun, painting, a parachute, and of course the playground! Carson had a ball w/ his buddies and is so excited to start kindergarten in July (remember we're year round here so we get 6 weeks off for summer break.) Here's a peek at some of the fun he had...



The kids got to have pizza, cookies, DQ ice cream sandwiches, and lemonade for lunch...Carson was in heaven!


This is his best friend from class R.C.


Aren't these T-shirts the kids made so cute? Too bad Carson's is a bit on the small side...oh well!


Getting his "diploma"


Having a blast w/ the parachute...I remember loving that as a kid!


BFF's! ;)


I just love R.C's pose in this pic! What a little stud! haha!

Prizes from daddy

At least a couple of times a month Weston comes home from work w/ some sort of prize for the boys...usually LEGOS or books. Of course this is why he's their favorite! ;) That's o.k. I'm still London's favorite...for now anyways! Well imagine my delight when Weston came home the other night w/ a prize for me! I've had my eye on these beautiful Denby dishes ever since we moved into our new home. Our previous dishes were purple and they really clashed w/ the new kitchen and it was time to retire them. Not to mention we were missing several plates and half the bowls (that's what happens when you move 5 times!) So my wonderful husband surprised me with a set of 8! I love them and they go w/ the color and style of our new kitchen perfectly! Just one more reason why Weston is my favorite also! ;)