The One Where we Go to Arizona

We are back from Arizona and trying to get back to the daily grind of things. To say that our trip was a success would be an understatement, we didn't want to leave.

It felt so wonderful being with family, especially during such a difficult time. We laughed, we cried, we talked, we played, it was truly just what I needed. I can't tell you how incredibly grateful I am for my family, simply put: they rock. I have the funniest Aunts and Uncles in the entire world, they are HYSTERICAL. Not only that but their hugs have an amazing ability to make you feel so much love and support that you think you might burst, it's the best feeling. And my cousins? Well I could talk to them all night long. Seriously, I despised the end of the night when we had to say goodbye, especially our last night there. Our trip needed to be a few days longer that's for sure.

Bria surprised the heck out of me by doing awesome. The girl acted like flying and traveling were her job, and she now deserves a promotion. I was soooo nervous for the flight and had a panic attack the night before about everything, just stressed about packing, the flight, her sleeping. But dang, that little precious girl shocked me and did awesome and was just so flexible. The day we traveled there she didn't get a nap, besides a few cranky moments you wouldn't even have known it though. The rest of the days she got a nap which was good because we were wearing her out with all the swimming and playing.

At my grandma's clubhouse ready to swim!

Bria is a fish, plain and simple. The girl did not want to leave the water, she LOVES it. Brian even did some stunting with her...pictures to come.

I met up with some friends while we were there, it was nice to give them a hug and talk for a little bit.

Abby turned 10 while we were there, she's getting so old!

So here is a summary of our trip:

Flight to Arizona: A+

• Not only was Bria good, she was laughing hysterically. My Dad sat in front of us and she had a blast playing peek-a-boo with him.

Sleeping: A

• There were a few times when I laid her down that she fussed for a minute, but literally it was a minute at the longest and then she'd zonk out. She slept like a rock which was good since she was in our room with us. Although if I'm being completely honest we put the pack 'n play in the big walk in closet, yes I put my daughter in a closet. Hey, don't judge, it was nice and dark and quiet in there, and don't worry I didn't shut the door.

Socializing: B+

• Bria is such a mommies girl that sometimes it can be hard to pry her death grip from my leg, but she warmed up really fast and was playing with all the kids. She would let her Aunts and Uncles hold her without crying first which is a big step. I can't tell you how much of a difference this made, it helped tremendously and I'm grateful to my family who helped me soooo much. She did cling to my leg a little bit at times, I think when she was overwhelmed, so that is to be expected. But after she warmed up and realized it was fun to go explore she would take off. One of my favorite moments was at my Aunts house, Bria was playing on this cool lounge thing that sat right on the ground. She'd get in with my cousins little boy and my other cousin would rock them back and forth. Well she thought this was so much fun that she ran over to me and said, "Rock a bye rock a bye," and then ran back over. For me it was like she had to come tell me how much fun she was having and it was just adorable, I loved it.

Flight Home: A

• Once again, Bria did wonderful on the flight home and didn't cry at all. She had a great time going back and forth between our laps, talking to the people in front of her, behind her, and we even put her blanket on the ground at my feet and let her sit there and read for awhile-that was nice for all of us.

Bria enjoying her stickers on the flight home.

Me: A+

• Why do I deserve an A+? Because of my flexibility. Bria's routine is very important to me, I feel that the reason she's a good sleeper is because she is on a predictable routine and she knows what comes next. I can lay her down awake and she'll put herself to sleep-that in itself is so nice. Anyway, I had to mentally prepare myself to just let her schedule go. And I did. Like I said, the first day she didn't get a nap and I didn't freak out. Then the next 2 nights she went to bed at like 9:30 pm which is really late, but I didn't stress out. We were with family, Bria was having fun, and everything was fine so I told myself not to stress. And I didn't. It was nice when my sisters told me I was doing good and they gave my kudos. And ya know what? Bria survived. She was so accommodating and just rolled with it. Her nap was early one day and late the next, she was okay with it. Her bedtime was late, but she rolled with it. I have to say part of me expected her to crash when we got home and go to bed early, sleep late, but that hasn't happened. I can dream ;)

Honestly, for Bria this was the best age to travel.

The funeral was hard. Really hard. Harder than I had anticipated. Not just the funeral, but saying goodbye to my grandpa was hard. We sat around and told stories about him and I loved that, it made me weep though because I miss him so much. At the funeral it was so wonderful to hear my grandmother speak and tell his life story, they had such an adventure together. Listening to my Aunts and Uncles and Dad speak was wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. It was a beautiful and amazing service.

I have a bazillion more photos that Jenny took for me so I'll put some of those in another post, but I wanted to at least show you a glimpse of our trip. So stay tuned :)