Summer Vacation !!!

We spent summer vacation this year in...Drum roll please........The Valley of the Sun! Yes you read that right. The great thing about not living in the valley is it's actually kind of a fun place to go on vacation (even in the summer).
We started planning this vacation months ago and we really tried to let the kids do most of the planning. We voted unanimously to go to Amazing Jake's and Sunsplash. The kids also wanted to go to Skateland and eat at Panda express, Dad wanted to go to the Bass Pro Shop, and I wanted to not have to cook or do chores for a few days. I also wanted to eat good ice cream.
It turns out that we all were able to do everything we wanted!
We drove down to Mesa on Tuesday and went strait to Amazing Jake's. After eating lunch, we PLAYED HARD!!! We did EVERYTHING!! We bowled, climbed the rock wall,

mini golfed, drove go carts and bumper cars, Ate some more, played lazer tag, rode in the Tea cups
and on the Frog hopper,
Got a little dizzy on the roller coaster

and played video games and then Ate dinner! Whew, no wonder they call that place AMAZING!!
Once we'd had as much food and fun as we could stand, we drove to the Dobson ranch Inn, got settled in and went swimming.

After we had a good nights sleep (and slept in:), we had a great breakfast at the hotel then we went to SUNSPLASH!!!! My mom met us there and we had blast playing in all that water! I was surprised how brave the kids were. They went on all the slides even the ones they had to ride alone. Caleb loved the Master blaster and the Bonsai slides. Sarah enjoyed the Pirates Cove and the Lazy river, and Eliza liked the Dragon Tail slides and The Banzai slides. My favorite was the Slide shaped like a V. I can't remember the name of it... but WOW that was thrilling. Honestly, it was one of the scariest things I've done. Dad also loved the "V" slide which he rode on with Caleb. He also liked the Black Hole Slides.
We ate dinner that night at Panda Express then we drove on over to the Bass Pro shop.
It was more fun than I'd expected. There was so much to see and do.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped and got some Ice cream at Cold Stone. YUMMY!!
We appreciated another good nights sleep and a great breakfast, then we checked out of the hotel and we went to Skateland. Eliza did awesome, Caleb and Sarah still need a little more practice before they start to enjoy skating... but in any case, it was a great work out.
After we left Skateland we got some lunch then ran a few errands and headed back to our home in Taylor.
Once Adam and I got the kids tucked into their own beds, we went out on the trampoline to lay down and look at the stars. The weather was cool, the night was quiet and dark and the stars were so bright. We decided Mesa can keep Sunsplash, Amazing Jake's, Skateland and even The Bass Pro Shop. As long as we get to keep the stars....we're good!