Just Hang'in Out, Columbia, SC (May, 2021)

Anyone that knows Steve and I, knows that we love sight-seeing, but when we are with family, our favorite thing is hanging out at home, making memories.

Learning to ride his new panda push bike.

He takes his coffee black, thank you.

Story time.

Lucy is usually afraid of everyone, but apparently she forgot.

Albert is afraid of the baby, but he can be coaxed into some petting.

And family dinners at the house are always the best!

Hunter-Gatherer Brewery, Columbia SC (May, 2021)

We visited our kids favorite brewery for dinner.  Their outside dining was the perfect place for a toddler, and the wait staff was amazing. 

Of course the best place to play is always in front of the door.

They had a wonderful grassy area and lots of picnic tables.  We all got to take turns playing and eating and everyone was happy!

River Walk, Columbia, SC (May 2021)

There is an incredible river walk just minutes from our kids house.  For that matter, everything is just minutes from their house.

When our grandson got tired of the stroller, they let him walk for a few minutes, but he was interested in everything but walking, so he had to have a little help.

We saw some wonderful wildlife on our walk.

And some that wasn't so wonderful, but he kept moving, and so did we!

What a gorgeous walk!

This Little Man Melts My Heart (May, 2021)

We flew for the first time this week since getting our Covid-19 vaccines.  Masks on from the time you enter the airport until you reach your final destination.  That's a long time in a mask, but it certainly helped to easy my anxiety about flying.  And the flight was definitely worth it, because we got to see our grandson for the first time in six months.  

He loves being outside more than anything!

We heard from our kids that he has a fetish for trash trucks, and on our first walk, we got to see it first hand.  In our kids town, they do a large item clean up once a week, and he couldn't bear it when they would finish and move on.

He was completely mesmerized by the whole process.

And of course, they were kind enough to always honk and wave at him.  What great guys!

Chicken Littles (May, 2021)

Our youngest daughter got four new chicks this spring, and they are the friendliest little birds.  

They love their human parents!

Kayaking the Salt River

We booked an excursion with Sam and Sharyn for kayaking at the Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch.  Whether you have kayaked before or not, this is a great way to go.  They provide the kayaks, life jackets and the transportation back to the ranch at the end of the trip. All you have to do is show up!

We started out with the life jacket fitting and kayak orientation.

Then we had a little test before we could take off down river.

Once we passed our test, we were free to head down the Salt River, below the beautiful cliffs.

We paddled for awhile in complete peace and serenity.

Then we caught up with all of the tubers and the river got a little more crowded.  Tubing is also a really fun activity on the Salt River!

Toward the end of our trip, we all had to move over for the Sheriff boat.  They almost ran over Sam.

They rescued a little girl that had been separated from her family.  She was a super brave little thing, and it was so nice to see a happy ending!  

What a great time with great friends!  It is so nice to be getting back out into the world, or at least our little corner of Arizona.

Golf at Wigwam (May, 2020)

We met Sam and Sharyn at Wigwam Golf Club in Goodyear, AZ this morning for a round of golf.  It is in an older neighborhood that is extremely well kept, and has three 18 hole courses.  We played the Red course, which is quite a ways away from the pro shop and restaurant, so we felt like we got a little bit of an adventure just getting to our first hole.  The blue and gold courses both start right near the pro shop.

The course was what we call "old style", meaning that it was pretty much all grass, and nice wide fairways,  no desert or canyon shots.

We really liked the neighborhood, and the golf course.  Too bad it's so far away from our house.  Steve got three pars today, and I got four.  I actually beat him today for the first time ever...only by one point, but I'll take it!  It was great to see Sam and Sharyn again!