Sometime life is full of laughter and other times it is full of frustration and tears. I believe with a good friend you can weather it all. My friend Ana is a GOOD friend. I met her when Claire was 2 and Ana was her Sunday school teacher. I never would have guessed that she would have been the type of friend she has become. Ana turned 40 in December and a trip was in order to celebrate her!
Ana is great for a good laugh! She can also laugh at herself which is a quality about her that I love. I have artfully (although with great shadows) captured her laugh here. The kind that is so hard that her eyes have completely closed. Who knew a gift from Audra could ever produce such a reaction?!
Ana don't kill me for this picture...I LOVE it!
Happy 40th to my *Asian* friend!!
While in Phoenix we had time to do what we wanted. I had a list of tennis, running, shopping, getting a massage, using the spa amenities, hiking, eating and getting to spend time with friends. I would say I got to do ALL of these things with the shopping coming in last. That was actually fine with me. I had so many things I would rather do, REALLY!
Hiking was near the top of my list. On Saturday 4 of us drove 15 minutes to Pinnacle Peak
The time there went WAY TOO FAST! Saturday night we all had dinner together at a restaurant on the resort. It was great, but many had to head back early to pack for their 6am departing flight.
Ana and I had the luxury of being the last to check out. We had a relaxing morning where we headed back to the spa for a Sonoran stretch class and said goodbye to our fluffy white robes. I had spent so much of my weekend in that robe that I was actually attached. I found out were to buy one online if anyone is interested. As we were leaving that morning all the natives were commenting on how unseasonably cold it was that morning. Then I snapped this picture of the snow covered mountains. It is so beautiful against the green of the golf course and the cactus!
This was a great opportunity is so many ways. I will not ever pretend that my life is hard. But I do believe there is so much to be said for a change of scenery and a change of pace. Going new places and trying new things is something I will never get too old for.
and boy was it steep. Audra made it all the way up! Go Aud!
Here we are taking a rest on our ascent. Amy, Julie, Audra and me
The scenery on the hike was beautiful. It is really neat in Phoenix/Scottsdale how all of the housing is built into the mountains and sort of designed to blend in. You would never see a blue or yellow house. It is all very southwest in terms of color and stucco materials.
The time there went WAY TOO FAST! Saturday night we all had dinner together at a restaurant on the resort. It was great, but many had to head back early to pack for their 6am departing flight.
Ana and I had the luxury of being the last to check out. We had a relaxing morning where we headed back to the spa for a Sonoran stretch class and said goodbye to our fluffy white robes. I had spent so much of my weekend in that robe that I was actually attached. I found out were to buy one online if anyone is interested. As we were leaving that morning all the natives were commenting on how unseasonably cold it was that morning. Then I snapped this picture of the snow covered mountains. It is so beautiful against the green of the golf course and the cactus!
This was a great opportunity is so many ways. I will not ever pretend that my life is hard. But I do believe there is so much to be said for a change of scenery and a change of pace. Going new places and trying new things is something I will never get too old for.
2 comments:
great photos!!! i will need to knowl where to get one of those robes... :)
oops. i mean "know"
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