Winter in April: Escape to Phoenix

After making an offhand comment at the beginning of January about how winter really wasn’t too bad this year, Mother Nature decide to prove me wrong. It seemed like we were getting snow or experiencing below zero temperatures constantly for months. When the snow wouldn’t end in March, we decided we needed another escape. We used the explore feature on Kayak.com and found plane tickets to Phoenix, AZ for $60/person in April.

The mornings started out in the 60s and the temperature was in the 80s or 90s by the afternoon. Our kids are not great at changing their sleeping pattern due to time changes, so we got up early every morning and went hiking before breakfast – and before it got too hot. Then we went swimming from about 10-12, had lunch, and worked on a little schoolwork before finding an afternoon/evening activity. Pretty much any activity that could be done outside was, so we could soak up as much sunshine as possible.

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The company Aaron works for has an office in Scottsdale, so I felt like we needed to scope out some good restaurants in case we come back. My favorite breakfast spot was Butters Cafe and we had a fun afternoon date by going to Top Golf and getting donuts at the Fractured Prune. We were also happy to find that they have In-N-Out Burger in Arizona and I kinda wanted a Neopolitan shake every day, but I showed self-restraint. Sort of. Really, we just scoped out several different spots to satisfy my sweet tooth and were happy to find a great ice cream spot, Churn, close to the Phoenix Art Museum – which, if you’re visiting, is free on Wednesday afternoons starting at 3!

Although it took a few weeks to fully warm up to normal spring temperatures when we got home, this was just the recharge we needed to make it through!

Spring and other things…

Right now, my kids are in the backyard playing. They’re wearing bicycle helmets and are alternately battling each other with giant sticks or sliding down the slide head first, upside down and every which way. (They’ve done both of these activities before and I’ve thought about stopping them, but they’re wearing helmets and haven’t sustained any major injuries, so they continue!) They are barefoot and D has taken his shirt off, because he was just soooo hot. It’s 59 degrees and gloriously sunny.

At this time yesterday, my kiddos were sitting at the kitchen table drawing pictures and making books. They asked for hot chocolate and were wearing their slippers. It was raining, windy and the real feel was in the 30’s. We’d had at least 4 days in a row with the same, dreary weather.

This is springtime in Iowa, or maybe just Iowa weather in general 😉  At times, I find it to be almost more trying than winter, and I hate winter! It’s always tough when you get a taste of something great – sunshine and wonderful, warm weather – only to go back to something less desirable – the cold, rainy weather. My kids certainly don’t like the days when I insist that they wear socks and shoes, after running around barefoot the days before.

However, I try to keep reminding myself that spring is a sign that summer, and all the things we love about summer are on their way. Soon, we’ll be able to have playdates at the park and spend hours at the pool. We will be able to enjoy picnics, evening walks and bike rides on a regular basis. As the weather improves, we happen to be finishing up some of the curriculum we chose for this year, so we’ll be able to wind down and spend less time on schoolwork – which means more time playing!

I’m so very thankful for days like today that remind me that the sun will come out again, regardless of how many cloudy days we have in a row. And in case you missed it, I’m not just talking about the weather. There’s a deeper meaning to all this too 🙂

Although, seriously, I much prefer the sunshine! Oh, and I’m also singing “Tomorrow” from Annie – the 1980’s version…

On a side note: I’m also so very thankful that summer is on its way, because summer is flip-flop season and baby-time! At almost 34 weeks, I’m just done tying shoes. Even boots that I have to pull on are just too much some days. And 34 weeks means that in a month or two, this baby will get to be in its parent’s arms. How awesome is that?!?