Visit to Arizona

So this past weekend I went to Arizona for my younger sister Chantelle's graduation! It was a blast! I flew out of Salt Lake Wednesday night (5/23) and into Phoenix. My Aunt Joanne picked me up from the airport and I spent the evening at her house. The next morning I flew from Phoenix into Show Low on a much smaller plane, a Beechcraft 1900D. It was through Great Lakes Airline. It was so cool! I loved flying on the smaller plane by far! The gate is far from all the other gates. When you board the plane you walk outside to the plane and walk up the stairs into the plane! It was so cool! Plus, you get both a window & aisle seat all in one! And to top that off, you get to see the captains fly the plane the whole time. It doesn't go as high as the regular commercial planes so you can see everything below the whole flight! I loved it! Isabelle did wonderful on the flights, she slept the whole time! So, I got into Show Low at 8:30 in the morning...another perk about flying with a smaller airline...my flight was scheduled to leave at 8am and to arrive at 8:46, however our flight left early cause there was only 6 people on our flight and since everyone was there we left early, hence my early arrival into Show Low!! My Mom & sister Dani picked us up. We then went to Safeway to pick up Chantelle's graduation cake and other desserts for her party then we went home. My Mom and I then decorated the house for the graduation party!! Fun fun!! Before the graduation everyone...being, my Gma Preece, Aunt Joanne, Uncle Gary & Cousins Eric, Brian & girlfriend Alyssa, Douglas, Dillan, Stephanie & her kids Jacob & Alyson all came over for a BBQ. We had hot dogs and hamburgers, fruit & dip, chips and dip, beans and cupcakes, & tiramisu (there was a 3rd dessert but I can't remember the name of it.
(Chantelle, Me & Dani @ the BBQ)
That evening was the graduation! Chantelle was the first to walk!! Apparently they get to pick where they want to sit and according to where they sit is how they get called...well, Chantelle and her friend Ashley sat on the wrong end of the front row, therefore she was the first to go! She was so beautiful! As she always is! I am so proud of her!!
(Chantelle & Ashley)
(The picture is blurry...I was very far away and couldn't get a good shot...when my mom emails me the pictures she took, I will post a better one!)
Blue Ridge High School
Graduating Class 2007
Chantelle & Ashley are on the front row, far left

Friday morning everyone came over for breakfast, yummy Taro pancakes & bacon!! We also went riding on the quads around the neighborhood, everyone took turns. That was a blast!! Definitely something to invest in. That afternoon we went and had family pictures done. We have NEVER done family pictures!! So that was nice. After that we had an early dinner at a Mexican restaurant and then went home and just hung out and visited some more.
We took a picture of the 4 generations before Grandma went back down to the valley.
Me, My Grandma Preece (my mom's mom)
& My Mom holding Isabelle.
Maime & Isabelle
Saturday we all slept in!! So very nice! Mom & Chantelle had gone to the store that morning to get some things for dinner that evening and then all us girls went out to lunch to a
Thai restaurant. My very first time!! I was quite skeptical, I thought we were going somewhere else but on the way my mom told me where we were going...I wasn't so sure, but I figured there has to be something I would like! Well, there was! I ordered shitake mushroom, w/bean sprouts, chicken, onions, bamboo & brown rice!! YUMMY!!! Everyone ordered something different so we all passed our plates around and got to try a little of everything! Can I just say DELICIOUS!!! I wasn't too thrilled with the soup my mom ordered but it was ok, and Jessica's meal was too spicy for me. Everything else was delish!! Dani's had rice noodles...something I have never had and found quite a liking to. I am not sure what Chantelle had but it was good! Now, I am planning to check out the Thai restaurant out here! I hope I am not disappointed! Apparently, the cook at this restaurant we went to is from Thailand and every year they close down for 5 weeks so she can go home and visit!! After that we went to the Gingerbread House, a cute little country type store! So many cute things! Then we went to the Art Barn, there was an Art show and some little "shops" set up. I didn't really look around too much cause Izzy was fussy and I tried to feed her but it wasn't happening, so I started getting frustrated and decided since we had 2 vehicles I would head back to the house. Yes, I am a bit bummed that I left early, cause I would have liked to stay and look around, but on the bright side I went and took a 2 hour nap w/Izzy...pretty sweet! And of course once we got home...she ate with no problems, go figure. That evening Doug BBQ'ed Ribs and Corn on the Cob!! Again, some more yummy food!! There is an area in my mom's yard that has a fire pit, and we roasted marshmallows and made smores and also "roasted" starbursts!! Once again more yummy food! Izzy loved the fire! She was so mesmerized by it. At one point my mom was holding her and got up and walked away from the fire and Izzy started getting fussy, my mom then went and sat back down by the fire and Izzy stopped.
L-R: Chantelle, Jessica, Donna-Mom & DaniI was there too
(Thanks to Chantelle for taking the picture!)Don't forget Grandpa & Izzy
And of course who could forget Toby,
he was on the other side in his dog run.

Jessica is holding her leg cause she burnt herself. At one point that night, Chantelle also burned herself on a starburst. When "roasting" a starburst they tend to get hot, hot sugar on skin=burns! So be careful, if you decide to try and "roast" a starburst.

Doug put some copper into the fire and it turned some cool colors

Enjoying the fire!!

Isabelle LOVED the fire!!

Maime, Isabelle & Grandpa Doug

After that we all went inside and watched Frontier House.
Chantelle gave me a pedicure and also painted my fingernails.

After that I made sure I had everything packed, for the most part and then fell asleep around 3am. The others were still watching the movie when I went to bed...it is about 6 hours long. Anyway, I woke up around 7 on Sunday morning. Doug and my mom were the only ones awake. Doug made me a yummy breakfast sandwich!! I fed Izzy and finished packing and getting ready to leave. My flight out of Show Low left around 9am. My mom took us to the airport. Once we got to the Phoenix airport I had to transfer terminals. I had to also go get my luggage cause Great Lakes doesn't transfer luggage to Southwest or Continental airlines, all other airlines they do. So, I had to go to baggage claim and get my luggage..a huge roller bag & car seat, along with Izzy and the diaper bag, and get on a shuttle to go to another terminal. I was not sure how I was going to do it all by myself. Low and behold my knights in shining armor arrived, Mike & Dave...ok, they weren't really wearing armor but they came to my rescue. They were on the same flight as me from Show Low to Phoenix and asked me if I new which carousel our luggage was supposed to come out of, I said I wasn't sure, and then they asked if I needed help w/my luggage... being how I am, I was going to say no thanks, but then I thought about how I really could use the help. So, I said Yes, I would really appreciate the help. So they got my luggage and helped me. They went beyond the help I was expecting. I told them that I needed to go to Terminal 4 (we were currently in Terminal 2), they thought that they needed to go to Terminal 3, but said they would help me get to were I needed to go and then they would go to where they needed to be. Well, it turned out that they needed to go to the same terminal as me. So, onto the shuttle we went and off to Terminal 4. Well, once we got there we saw how LONG the line for southwest was. VERY VERY LONG!! They found someone to see if there was a way I could get checked in faster (since i had a baby and all) but of course there wasn't. One of the employees at the airport said that I could check my bags in at skycap, which would cost some $$, but he wasn't sure how much, but then that way I could go check in at the counter and not have to worry about my bags. So, Mike said, let's go, our treat. So, off we went. However, we then found a cart and put my stuff on it. That made it so I could just push the cart w/everything on it...making it much easier for me. So, off I went to stand in line. And off they went to check in w/their own airline. While I was still in line, they came back over (they had already finished checking in) to check on me to see if I was doing ok. They then told me that they were headed upstairs to get something to eat and that if I was hungry to come find them. I was & am so grateful to them and their help!! They had made sure that I was taken care of BEFORE they went and checked in for their own flights!! How often do you find people like that today?? Not many. Anyways, as we were talking on the way to the shuttle and on the shuttle they had asked where I was going and where I was from..I said of course Salt Lake, Dave then said he had family in Heber & Midway, I then commented that my dad lived in Heber. Well, it turns out his Uncle and Aunt are the owners of Johnson's Mill Bed & Breakfast in Midway...where my father did the wood floor and a lot of other work on the place too. Apparently they were in Springerville visiting there dad, which is about 45 miles away from where my mom lives. What a small world this is. It was a nice relaxing weekend! Lots of yummy food and good company.