Wrapping Up 2015 in Arizona

 Tuscan, Arizona

One of our days in sunny Arizona was spent in Tuscan visiting my sister, Ginger, and her darling family.  We enjoyed getting to know her children better and see their beautiful home.  We went out to lunch at Chilis where little Ethan FINALLY warmed up to Dave.  Dave was so excited he had me snap a picture (which clearly didn't turn out) but it does document that miracles do happen. :)

Taylor and Zoe bonded instantly.  Taylor is the cutest, sweetest older cousin.  She LOVES playing dress up, doing nails and hair, and all of the above with the little ones.  And they adore her too.  While we were downstairs trying to lure Ethan to us with our M&Ms, here is what Taylor and Zoe were doing:

Projects

My mom told me before we left for AZ that she and dad had several projects they hoped Dave would help them with since they know he can do so many things.  Dave was incredibly helpful and spent hours with dad helping him hang lights and put up shelving in the garage.  Mom and Dad appreciated his help so much and mentioned it over and over again how grateful they were for helping them with things they struggle to do on their own.

Park Fun!

 The neighborhood in which mom and dad live has lots of parks and places to have fun.  We went on lots of walks and bike rides to enjoy time with cousins.

Dave and I took a bike ride on mom and dad's cruisers.  Dave didn't want to adjust the seat so he looked a little ridiculous riding around, but we had fun!

NEW YEAR'S EVE 2015

 We wrapped up our final night in AZ with a New Year's Eve party with lots of Papa Murphey's pizzas, games, more pool, laughs, and fun.  It was the perfect ending to a good year for our family.  To be surrounded by my sisters and their families, my wonderful parents, and especially Dave and my own children reminded me that I have everything I ever dreamed of having.

An Arionza-Style Christmas

 We set our alarm for 3:30am and arose 15 minutes later.  We loaded our packed bags into the cold Yukon and got the kids up.  It ended up taking about 45 minutes to get us all in and ready to roll.  We stopped to gas up in PG on our way out of town so we figure we pretty much left around 4:55am.  

I-15 had been filled with snow thanks to the Christmas Eve snow storm but it has been plowed okay....that is, until we hit Nephi.  It was patchy and slick, especially in the passing lane.  I got pretty tired and fell asleep from a little out of Nephi until half-way to Beaver.  The roads there were awful!  Thankfully, Dave drove slowly and carefully to keep our family safe.

We stopped in Mesquite for breakfast around 9:00am.  We made great time until we hit Boulder City, where traffic was backed up to get on the 2-lane road to take us south to Arizona.  

We stopped in Kingman for treats and were determined to make it to AZ for lunch.  We did!  Mom and Dad's house is in Maricopa, the most southern city in the greater Phoenix area.  In other words, once we arrived in Phoenix, it took about 90 minutes to get to their house!  

Mom walked the grandkids out on the sidewalk to welcome us to their house!  Ginger, Jenny, and Brandon's families were there since they had all spent Christmas with mom and dad.

Announcement for new grandbabies in 2016:  

Charlotte and Jenny!

The First Annual Hatch Family Polar Plunge

 Uncle Dan, the ever-adventurer, challenged Taylor and the boys to jump into the un-heated pool in mom and dad's backyard.  It was dark and cold and the challenge was on!  Dan and Jaxson went to take the plunge and only Dan jumped in!  Brandon eased his way in to be followed by Jaxson and Austin jumping in!  The water was frigid!

 Ginger's new baby, Chaz, stole our hearts from the get-go!  He is the yummiest little baby!

 Dad's new pool table has been used around the clock!  Our first night in AZ, dad and his sons stayed up until 1:00am shooting pool.  Dad had an epic game, cleaning the table in one turn!

 Taylor is so adorable with her little cousins!  Painting and decorating nails created a following for Taylor.  The little girls wouldn't leave her alone!  She is the BEST big cousin ever!

 A Sunday feast!

 Pool never looked so good!

 Playing "Old Mexico" until late into the night!  Jaxson and Austin LOVED the game!  What a great night!

MESA TEMPLE with Christmas Lights!

On Sunday evening, we drove to the Mesa Temple to see the lights as a family.  The lights were spectacular.  We loved the tall palm trees lit to the top.  The room with the Nativities was a huge hit!