scottsdale 2011

ahhhh, scottsdale. how we love thee.....


you keep us coming back for more, and 2011 was the year that 36 and 1/2 of us landed on your desert shores. we partook of your beautiful bounty. and it was GOOD.


here are the lessons we learned this year while enjoying your sunshine:


1. taking a group photo at the gas station right at take-off is always required:

2. this group is one wild & crazy bunch:

3. sometimes you must endure a mother's smothering/love in order to get stuff you want:

4. there are many, many photo-ops in the desert for your "wood" coffee-table book:

5. our annual hike up camelback never seems to get any easier. perhaps it's our advancing years? (NOOOOOO.):

6. your hotel is the bomb-diggity for putting on a desert reptiles show:

7. ginormous snakes are creepy:

8. swimming with your friends is made even better if you can charge $80.00 at the waterside cafe for a couple of drinks and a burger:

9. the view from a balcony is always just a little bit better:

10. an easter egg hunt in the desert totally rocks:

11. when the lord said to multiply and replenish, we took it pretty serious:

(why did we have so many flipping kids??!! and we were missing three in the photo.)

12. having a sugar daddy is the best: