Honeymoon Part 2!

If you missed part 1 of Our Honeymoon, take a minute to read up on our super Dodger Days leading up to this!

 

After spending a few days with The Dodgers, we drove north out of the city to visit the Sedona area. We were hoping to see some of the most amazing rock formations in the world, and that we did. This first photo is at a vista point about half way between Sedona and Phoenix. Living in Ohio, we were pretty excited once we made it into the mountains:)

 The office manager at our little resort in Oak Creek Canyon told us one of the hottest spots in town to check out a sunset was up at the airport, located on top of a mesa 500 feet above Sedona. We didn't catch a sunset that first evening, but did enjoy the views. I bet it is AMAZING to fly into there.

 Our first  hike was at Boynton Canyon. I was disappointed in the overcast skies. In my pre-honeymoon dreams, we got a million shots of beautiful red rocks and blue skies fading into pinks and purples, or whatever happens during sunset down there. But you know what, overcast is better than 90 degree hiking, or rain! And it was a great afternoon hike. 

We followed our hike with a great dinner, including cactus fries, or something like that. They were better than ok. And they made me feel like i'd tried the local cuisine:)

That sunshine did appear the next day, and I enjoyed the red rocks, and the blues skies of Sedona. We hiked in Oak Creek Canyon early in the day, and climbed Cathedral Rock in the afternoon.

I've got to give Joseph credit for this last photo, for sure. I did not even climb this high at Cathedral Rock:( It was looking a little scary, so I took a seat and enjoyed the views while Mr. climbed to the top. When we go next time, I will go to the top. Word on the street is that it wasn't as scary as it looked, and it was easier coming down than going up. (Also, I got a sunburn ONLY on the left side of my neck and arm while I sat on that rock!)

And that was a glimpse into our 2 days in Sedona, that I wish could have been 3 or 4. 

One more post with our last few adventures coming up this next week. I won't leak any surprises, but we did get a special evening with some of the most special men in my life:)

XOXO, Al

Spring Training Honeymoon!

We've been home from our honeymoon for over two weeks now. So, I thought maybe today I would...

A: Unpack our last suitcase

B: Blog and share a few photos

C: Darn, by the time I got to C, i forgot what it was.

Anyway, we had a blast on our trip to Arizona. When we landed in Phoenix it was over 80, late in the evening, we left it the same when we flew away 9 days later!

Today I will share a few photos from the first part of our trip, and finish you up soon!

We spent the first three days at Camelback Ranch, home of the Dodgers (and White Sox.) and had a blast celebrating our first three baseball games of the season. The facility is one of the nicest in the the cactus league, from what I understand. After visiting there, I wouldn't doubt it at all. 

If you are a baseball fan, you probably should put Spring Training on your bucket list. It was awesome! You can tell how close we were to AJ Ellis. It was like we were at a little league game during practice. When Carl Crawford got out at first, I may as well have been the first base coach. And as for Andre Ethier, It was like I was watching his team play The Mudhens here in Toledo, He was just over the wall from me, walking around in right field. I could throw popcorn at him. 

Spring training is known for bringing a lot of faces to the clubhouse that aren't really in an organization any more, but were a big part of an organization at some point. 

For example, Joseph and I had the opportunity to meet Tommy Lasorda. This means a whole lot more to Joseph than it does me. But I knew I was meeting someone great. I told him I brought my husband to Dodger's Spring Training on our honeymoon, and he wish us a happy marriage:) 

There was an evening we were freshening up in our hotel room, talking food options, and I picked a random restaurant near Camelback Ranch. It was warm, the sunset was lovely, and we were without a toddler on our honeymoon. We walked into the hotel, into the restaurant and out the door to sit and enjoy the patio. Before we could even get out the door though, Joseph pointed out Vin Scully dining at a table with his wife and a friend.

OH. MY. GOSH. VIN. SCULLY. 

Vin Scully is a long time Dodgers announcer. When I say long time, I mean, I am certain he began with the team in his 20's and he is now well into his 80's. This man is a legend in not only Dodgers baseball, but...

JUST. PLAIN. BASEBALL.

Again, this had to have meant more to Joseph than me, but I have a difficult time imagining that. I love listening to his commentary on games. This man knows everything, on the spot. He talks baseball, family, everything in between pitches. He's amazing. And his voice is one of the most recognizable in baseball history.

So, we dined next to Vin Scully. There is no photo, we didn't even say "Hello." He was pestered by so many other fans that we couldn't bring ourselves to interrupt his dinner yet again. 

But we will forever remember Vin Scully's commentary through dinner, talking about splitting a salad with his wife, asking the waiter if the steak quesadilla was fattening, turning away drinks sent by the drunk idiot who sent his kid back multiple times to sign item after item.

Hey, is there a Dodgers game on tonight? I'm in the mood for baseball now.

Good thing opening day for the Toledo Mudhens is tomorrow! 

XOXO, Al

This Was Almost a Wordless Wednesday

The memory of who got me these cakes as a little girl is a little fuzzy. I was certain the memory was of my Grandma Alice, but a few years back, my mother confessed at least sometimes it was her...

Whichever of those great ladies brought that cake to me for Easter, it was so special to me. 

So, when Hadley and I ran in to Kroger for some produce on Monday, (and you have to pass right by the really unhealthy treats to get to the really healthy spinach) I was stopped in my tracks with an overwhelming sense of loss for my Grandma Alice, who was so special to me.

And I bought this crap (sweet bunny cake) for my sweet Hadley, in hopes maybe someday she would remember and love me for making a special memory with her. 

P.S. Apparently it wasn't that great. Hadley had a few bites, I had a few bites, Joseph wouldn't touch it, and it's still sitting on the counter.

XOXO, Al

Easter

Hope you all had a happy Easter. We enjoyed a really great family day here at home. It was joseph's first day off work since we arrived home from the honeymoon.

Hadley has this new thing where she is scared to death to walk on grass. As you can imagine, that made an Easter Egg Hunt very difficult. 

Clearly, it was awesome.

But Sunday proved to be much easier, staying inside most the day.

With candy and new toys.

We hope you all enjoyed your day as much as we did. 

XOXO, Al