Looking back, so much has changed in the last year. A year ago we were in Japan with good friends and family...
and I was just starting to show. (Check out the post-Thanksgiving belly on Scott though!) We still didn't know if we were having a Camden Grace or a Christian Josiah, and we didn't know where we were going to live when he or she was going to be born. We were doing a whole lot of trusting at that point...
This year, I can't think of anything I am more thankful for than CJ. He has changed our lives in more ways than I can name, but every one of them is a blessing. While we missed good friends this year, it was great to have dad and Dick for Thanksgiving again. This year we went to the Arizona Inn for lunch. While we have a great little house here with a semi-stocked kitchen, I just couldn't make Thanksgiving work in this kitchen on our (and CJ's) schedules. And since I wasn't cooking or cleaning up we had a lot more time for fun and relaxing.
CJ was sooooo good at lunch. The two tables next to us even complimented us on what a good baby he was. And of course as we walked around, lots of people stopped us to tell us how cute he was. After we ate, we roamed the beautiful grounds. I forgot how much I missed greenness after so many months in the desert.
After some family photos, we explored and oohed and aahed over CJ's adorableness. CJ had lots of fun playing with his dad that afternoon. I love his little feet hanging out!
CJ got to play in the grass for the first time. Our back yard in Arizona is all rock, so he wasn't quite sure what the green stuff was at first, but then decided it was ok.
And then he got to sit up in one of the chairs by the ping pong tables all by himself. It was good that we got this happy shot, because he was getting tired, and wanted to be held after this.
He looked at some pretty flowers...
and mom tried to take a picture of him in the flower bed, but he did not like his feet in the cold dirt. I am sure one of these days, I will find him eating dirt in the back yard, but for now...not his favorite.
Dad rescued him and cleaned off the feet.
Then we went and played by the fountain.
CJ was transfixed by the water. I think he liked the sound, and he kept reaching out to touch it.
After lunch, we drove through the saguaro forrest again so dad and Dick could see it for themselves. Even for a second time, it was amazing.
On Friday, we headed into Tombstone. It is a fun little city, and it has retained a lot of it charm from the Old West days...mostly for tourists though. CJ was cuddly and had fun riding in his sling. I think he looks so cute in it all balled up.
Tombstone Courthouse
The OK Corral - where the famous shoot out too place.
And a "real-life" cowboy. :) I think this is for us tourists, but it is still fun to see.
Then Saturday we went to Bisbee. It is another fun town nearby. It is an old copper mining town, so you can see the old mines and there are still hotels and homes from that era. Today it is an artists haven so it was fun to wander through the galleries and shops. We had so much fun looking at all the artwork, local people of interest and CJ, that we didn't take any pictures of the city. But Scott did snap some good ones of CJ with his phone while we were inside taking a break from the cold (and getting some fudge...yummy!)
We had a great weekend, and CJ is even more spoiled than before...if that is even possible.
