A Grand Anniversary Done Right

Several weeks ago, I asked for this week off from work. I only got confirmation late last week that I could indeed take the time off. They even tell me when my vacations can be! So once we knew for sure that I was going to be home, we got to planning our anniversary weekend. Hubby had Thursday through Tuesday off to celebrate, and I was tickled to get to spend so much quality time with the man I married three years ago.

We began our awesome weekend on Friday Date Night at The Cheesecake Factory, of course. We had a gift card from birthday presents from my parents. It's really the perfect present for us. Where else can a man eat a burrito the size of his arm? He downed it all and loved every moment. And I enjoyed something new from their Skinnylicious Menu...a turkey bacon club sandwich with avocado. I probably erased some of the healthy aspects of selecting such a sandwich when I exchanged the salad for sweet potato fries. Luckily, they were a little too salty for my taste, and I only ate a few! We brought the rest home for Hubby to polish off for breakfast the next morning. We didn't get a slice of cheesecake this time around, which is admirable considering it is Pumpkin Cheesecake Season.

Saturday was spent doing a service project with our church. We cleaned all the alleys in our neighborhood, since they can get rather nasty when random people dump random things and then run. We worked from early that morning until 12:30 and got home just in time for Hubby to play his Saturday basketball at one. Then we cleaned up and relaxed for the rest of the day. Manual labor is hard work!

Sunday meant the big travel day! We first went to church, and it seemed to last forever since I was so excited for our drive immediately following. We were packed up and in the car by 3:30 and headed north to Flagstaff. I've driven through here several times, but this was my first chance to stop and really enjoy the town. We had a blast here all weekend. Thanks to my hotel points, we had a free night first in the Drury Inn and Suites, and free second night in the Springhill Suites by Marriott. I love not paying for a place to sleep!

Monday morning, we ate a yummy breakfast at the hotel before loading up for our 78-mile drive to the Grand Canyon. Did you know this was my first time ever seeing it?! I can't leave town since I'm constantly on-call for my job, so this was a real treat to visit one of the wonders of the world at last. It certainly didn't disappoint. Hubby came here for a field trip in elementary school, but a lot of the tourist things were new to him. So we both enjoyed our time hiking, people-watching, shuttle bus-riding, and eating. The canyon is spectacular! We think we hiked a total of about five miles, counting all the trails we took. We hiked the Rim Trail and then finished with the Trail of Time, which counts out the dates of rocks found in the canyon. Time starts 1960 million years ago! Sheesh! It was neat to see that incredible beauty in person. And fun to watch all of the international tourists as well. We grabbed lunch around 3:00 PM at the Bright Angel Lodge Restaurant. It wasn't very good, but we were so hungry that it didn't even matter!

We left the Grand Canyon at 4:15 PM. I drove us back to Flagstaff since Hubby was so tired, but he helped me look for deer along the way. We GPSed it to our next hotel, the Springhill Suites by Marriott. I've always wanted to stay here, and it might have something to do with the cool, retro interior and the utilization of my favorite two colors! The room was neat, too, with a giant sectional couch and a modern feel. Thanks to a late lunch, we weren't hungry enough to head out for dinner. We walked next door to Wal-Mart and grabbed some things for the microwave instead. We were both tuckered out from an awesome day at the canyon, so we went to sleep pretty early.

Tuesday morning came bright and early. We were planning to head to Snowbowl for some frisbee golf, but I was reluctant to drive the eight miles to get to the ski resort. They weren't answering their phone, either, so we weren't even sure we would be able to play once we arrived. Luckily, the gal at the hotel desk told us about a course right in Flagstaff, and we were there just a few minutes later. I've played before when I lived in Grand Forks, but this was Hubby's first time experiencing disc golf. We had so much fun attempting to avoid trees. The course was incredible...on a mountain and tucked away in the forest. It seemed we were the only ones there enjoying the crisp Autumn air. We played all eighteen holes with Hubby winning me by one point. I'm glad we bought frisbees for our trip...there are several courses at home that we can now enjoy together!

After we worked up an appetite playing golf, we headed to Salsa Brava on the eastern side of Flagstaff. This place was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and I've wanted to visit it ever since. Let me just tell you that it was the best chimichanga I've ever eaten! Hubby got the same thing and finished mine for me after he polished off his. What a nice husband I have!

After lunch, we grabbed gas and headed home. Traffic wasn't bad, and we accidentally stopped at the Anthem Outlet Mall so I could get a few new things to wear with some birthday money. I love paying $15 for $70 jeans at Banana Republic! My patient Hubby helped me find two new shirts as well. I'm glad we stopped!

It was such a fun weekend together. I really love my husband, and it was a treat to spend so much time with him. I'm glad we got to see the Grand Canyon together. And the food was delicious! Thanks for a great three years, Hubby!

It's More Like a Black Thumb

As last spring rolled around, we were so excited to head outside and plant some beautiful greenery for our curb appeal. After some dark mulch was added around the bright green plants and cacti, we felt like we had a welcome and maintained look for people as they walked up to our house. I went outside on countless occasions just to see how well everything turned out. It was pretty!

And then summer happened. And all but two of our gorgeous plants headed to the happy hunting grounds. We even managed to kill off a cactus. How does that even happen!

A month of record-heat temperatures, that's how.

Luckily, since it's cooling down, we decided to risk it again by planting some new things in our front patch just yesterday. And by "cooling down," I mean it was 101 degrees. We visited a local nursery and found lots of beautiful and hardy plants that could handle drought and high-heat situations. Since they face south and might not get water every day, we figured we needed all the help we could get.

The survivors were the Natal Plumb and one Barrel Cactus. They still look brand-new, though neither grew very much since being in the ground. Our big guy this time around is a Texas Sage. We filled in the other holes with a Little Johns and a Boxleaf. I refuse to pay $30 for a cactus, so I headed to Home Depot to buy a few smaller cacti to fill in the rest of the space. For about $40 total, we were able to completely redo the front walkway to our home!

I love how it looks, but I'm already scared that things will die. We have such a hard clay in this dirt, which is native to Arizona and probably contributed to the killing of our spring plants. To prevent this from happening, Hubby mixed in some dry grass clippings to keep the dirt broken up and loose. This will hopefully allow the roots to grow and spread in a healthy manner instead of being stopped by the clay. In addition, planting now will give the plants the entire winter to become hardy enough to stand up to next summer's heat. We purposely picked plants that don't have to be covered for frost, either. For those two nights a year. I love living in Arizona!

Should we call it lazy landscaping? We want maintenance-free but beautiful curb appeal. Is that too much to ask?!

While we were working outside, I cleaned all of the windows. These three receive the most brunt from summer storms, so they had lots of hard water stains and dirt ready to be removed. My mom's old trick of newspaper and vinegar worked, and then I polished with my glass cleaner and some paper towels. It looks amazing, and I love being able to see outside with having to squint through the water spots!

We sure love having this home. And we love being able to make it our own. I don't know what we'll do if these plants decide they are too good for this world. Concrete might be my next solution!

And the Week Goes On

We all know the highlight of my week was eating at Leatherby's Family Creamery in Salt Lake City. The original plan was to go to Utah on Tuesday, so my hopes were crushed when it got bumped back a few days. I kept thinking about their caramel sauce and loads of toasted almond ice cream. Luckily, I was able to get that goodness in me on Thursday! I made a special exception for my no-sugar-during-the-week goals to make room for the best caramel sauce I've ever tasted. And I've tasted a few in my day.

But there I go getting ahead of myself because it's my favorite topic!

We left Omaha around 10:00 AM after sleeping at the Country Inn and Suites not too far from the airport. The flooding that we experienced on our visit here this past summer has subsided slightly. At least I could see most of the freeways not covered in water this time! When Big Boss arrived, they convened in the conference room to decide the next location. After half an hour of tense deliberation, Denver was agreed upon for our next stop. Phew! That's what we fueled for, so it worked out! The flight took about an hour and a half to go from flat Omaha to beautiful mountainous Denver. We landed at the Metro Airport on the northwest side of town.

Though he said it would be just a few hours here, we actually stayed for over five. These are the moments that I really wish I had a nook or Kindle. I don't dare leave the airport because Big Boss could arrive at any time. And I hate watching television to pass the time. I wish I had a bunch of books at my fingertips without having to carry them around all week. It's on my wish list for sure, even though Hubby doesn't think I would use it!

My passengers came with a sweet surprise...the best peaches I've ever tasted in my life. We ate one on the flight to Salt Lake City, and I was simply in heaven. If peaches tasted like that all the time, they would certainly be my favorite fruit (don't worry, Red Grapes. You're safe in that highly-esteemed position forever). We stole one of the passengers to treat him to Leatherby's after we landed. Luckily, they have a little-known location just a few miles from the airport. With road construction (in Utah?! That's new...), the twenty-minute drive felt like an eternity to me. I had been talking this ice cream up all week and could hardly wait to share it with Terry and Sean. 

I split a grilled cheese sandwich and fries with Sean before we each ordered our own ice cream. Sean opted for a hot fudge sundae with a hidden banana inside. Terry ate a pastrami burger and still managed to polish off the Allan's Black and Tan. So impressive! I had my usual...Karen's Small Sundae with toasted almond ice cream and more caramel than most people can handle. It was worth the wait all week...and everyone agreed that it lived up to my constant bragging about this place. I love Leatherby's. Period. If I lived closer to one, I'd be in a lot of trouble.

After a few hours in Salt Lake, we were surprised with the announcement that we were headed home! I flew right over my hometown and then waived to my sister's house outside of Richfield. Did you hear me fly over? We landed shortly after 10:00 PM. in toasty Phoenix.

Omaha - Denver/Metro - Salt Lake City - Phoenix