The DeLorme Family: Trip to Arizona

Labor Day weekend we went on a very special trip. My Grandma Rocks recently turned 90 years old! To celebrate such a special woman and such a momentous occasion, my entire family went to Scottsdale to celebrate. Our family has grown so much over the years and it was so neat that everyone was able to make it out. We got to see cousins and second cousins we have not seen for a very long time. It was such a great weekend and we had such a great time spending time with family and celebrating such a special lady.
My sister's family and my family decided to drive down there. We decided to make it easy on the kids and divide up the drive over two days. We left on Thursday morning and made it to Albuquerque. The kids did really well in the car. I feel bad for Gracie because her car seat is still rear facing so she can"t really look out forwards. She also still has never watched T.V. or a movie, so she can't do that to entertain herself either. She managed to stay entertained with toys and did very good.
We checked into our hotel for the night and went to a nearby Mexican restaurant that the front desk recommended. It was very tasty and just what we needed after a long car ride! After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and the kids got to go for a long swim to get out some of their energy. We headed to bed and were up bright and early to make our way to our destination.

Silly girl at dinner

The boys really enjoyed the chips

We are such a big group

After a quick breakfast, we hopped in the cars and headed towards Scottsdale. It took us most of Friday to get there. One of Joey's dad's long time friends lives and works as a patrolman in one of the small Arizona towns we drove through. We were able to meet him along the road and Joey got to have a quick reunion with him.

Joey and Abel

We stopped for lunch about an hour outside of Scottsdale. The kids were ready to eat and stretch their legs! Again, they did so good in the car. After lunch, we drove the rest of the way to Scottsdale. We were all so excited to check out the resort. My grandma and uncles did a lot of research to pick the perfect hotel for everyone to stay at. They picked the Westin at Kierland Commons which was amazing. The main reason they chose it was because it has an amazing pool that we all could swim in. The resort was just beautiful and we were all so pleased with their choice. We explored the hotel for a bit, got situated, and then headed to In and Out for dinner. After a long day in the car, we wanted something quick and tasty. As usual, it was wonderful!

Walking around the hotel

My family rented a cabana for the weekend, and we were anxious to get to the pool. We woke up early Saturday morning, had a quick breakfast and headed down to the pool. The pool was magnificent. It was designed just for kids. It had a beach area, splash pad, and an awesome lazy river. The water was the perfect temperature and the weather was just perfect. We literally swam all day long until we had to leave to get ready for a very important dinner.

The boys eating breakfast

The girls having a serious conversation on the balcony

They kids loved the splash pad

Gracie is such a fan of balls

Even though it was hot, the kids still wanted to go in the hot tub

Lazy river

Mr. Muscles

Just floating

I can't even begin to tell you the amount of time we spent floating around this lazy river. It was so much fun and so relaxing!

Resting in the cabana

This is the life!

We headed back to our rooms and showered and got all dressed up for my grandma's birthday dinner. They had planned a special dinner at her retirement community. It was so nice to get to have dinner with everyone and spend time with family. The food was amazing and it was truly the perfect way to celebrate my grandma. They even brought in a photographer to take some pictures.

My grandma with the great grandkids

Our side of the family. My how we have grown over the years

My brother, sister and I with our grandma.

My grandma with all her grandkids and great grandkids. There is a lot of us!

Another family shot with my grandma

The entire Rocks family

My cousin's daughter Molly is only a few months older than Ashlyn. They hit it off immediately and had a great time playing together.

Dawson kicking back

The boys playing at dinner

Dawson is always with his Legos

Gracie and Ella love each other so much

Random picture

Gracie had a great time at dinner We had a private room so the kids were able to get up and move around.

The next morning, we all got together for brunch at a local restaurant. My aunt Debby designed shirts for all of us to wear. It was fun showing up with so many people wearing the same shirt. We definitely got a lot of stares! Breakfast was great and we had a nice time.

Sea of purple

Gracie is a wild one!

We had to use two tables

What a group!

Playing at breakfast

Ashlyn and Molly.

So festive!

Joey throwing Dawson in the pool. Dawson could not get enough!

After breakfast, we headed back to the hotel for another day full of swimming. We had a blast again. We swam for most of the day until we had to leave for dinner. Before dinner, we snuck in a really quick trip to the very close brand new American Girl store. I can't believe it took Scottsdale so long to get an American Girl. The girls love the new store and picked out a few things they just had to have. We went to dinner with my grandma Sunday night.
On Monday, we woke up bright and early and headed down to the pool again for a little swimming before it was time to go. We wanted the kids nice and tired before we hit the road. We had so much fun during our final swim. I know we were all very sad to say goodbye to the pool and resort.
We stopped for a quick lunch at one of our favorite quick restaurants, Portillos. After we were all full and happy,we got in the car for the long drive back. Since we left Scottsdale so late and because of the time change, we didn't get to Albuquerque until 9:00 P.M. The kids were a bit hyped up, but the ran around the hotel room for a bit and promptly passed out.
Thankfully, the drive home was nice and uneventful. Just the way we like it. The kids did so well in the car. I am most surprised with how well Gracie did. She was very glad to get out of her car seat on Tuesday and be home!
We had such a great weekend and it was such a special weekend for all of us. I am so glad we got to celebrate such a big milestone with my grandma and extended family. It was a time we will never forget.