AZ family

We made it safely back to Oregon with only a little kicking and screaming involved. We had a very fun and very busy trip. (And you all are getting the whole story) feel free to skip most of it if you want.

We arrived at the Phoenix airport at 9:30 am. That means we left our house at 4:30 am. Amazingly the same children I have to drag out of bed every morning at 7:00 am had no problem jumping up at 3:30 that morning. (that is am).
I called Elise(she is always my morning contact) to see who was picking us up ( seeing as how I had forgotten to make actual arrangements). She informed me that my mom had gone to the emergency room that morning, so she got suckered into pick up duty. My mom had a very large kidney stone and was in extreme pain(until they drugged her up, of course). She is fine, but was in the hospital until the day before Ty's wedding (my little brother). If you know my mom, or any mother in the world, you know that she was frustrated to no end that she was not up doing the million things that she had planned. This is where trusty old Merilee comes in ( and my other four sisters, and a couple of brothers, and a sister in law, and one of the brothers girlfriends, and my dad) That is how many people it takes to take over my mother's duties!
That night was Halloween. My parents have the perrffeecctt set up for this. Not a scary set up, but a down home, country time, fall festival, covered in straw set up.
Elise and Megan's contest entries
haride anyone?

We grilled hotdogs by the bonfire, while sitting on hay bales for chairs. Then we went door to door with ten children(5 adults, and one strange vampire, who I later realized was a little friend of my boys), who were trick-or-treating their hearts out. When the children were satisfied with all their loot, we headed back to my parents for the hayride. I have been on many hayrides in my day, but nothing beats my dad's hayrides! It's a fabulous mix of dusty roads, tractor fuel(cough, cough),Did anyone bring an inhaler?, spooky cowboy stories, children dangerously jumping on and off the trailer, and pistachio branches threatening to bludgeon you if you come one inch closer. Thanks Dad, awesome as ever!

This is a really long story. I'm going to have to change my plan to installments. That was Day 1.