Spring Training in Arizona

Last week, Victor, Max and I headed to Goodyear, Arizona to enjoy the gorgeous weather and take in some Cincinnati Reds spring training games.  My mom works for the Reds and spends the entire month of March in Arizona to work near the team during the preseason.  Not a bad gig, if you ask me, even though she works A LOT while she's out there, perhaps more than she works back home (which is still a lot).

Every year, my sister and I have gone out to visit our mom for a fun girls' long-weekend in the sun.  I missed the trip last year because I was hugely pregnant.  But this year began the (hopefully annual) Victor-Rachel-Max family trip to paradise!

We couldn't have skipped town at a better time.  Our flight out on Tuesday, March 3 was delayed 2 hours as we waited for delayed passengers from other flights to board the plane thanks to the sleet and freezing rain that was falling at the time.  We also had to be de-iced before we could take off.  Then on Thursday, 8 inches of snow was dumped in our area of Maryland.

Thank goodness we got out when we did!

If you've never been to the Phoenix area, I highly recommend that you check it out.  It's gorgeous and the weather is divine in the spring (I hear it's stupid hot in the summer, though).

Here are some photos from our trip.


Having fun at the Reds Development Complex

In my mom's office

The boys practicing

Some pictures of The Wigwam, our resort
(we always stay here and we LOVE it!)

I love the southwestern/adobe decor around the lobby

There are thousands of rosebushes around the resort.  These monster yellow roses were in full bloom and smelled divine

We always make a trip (or three) to the lobby each day to get some complimentary oranges.  They taste sweeter in Arizona

Fun at the pool
(nobody got sunburned...yay!)

Forget toys.  Max had a ball with straws, spoons, and cups

Too much pool fun

Taking in a few baseball games

Ready for game time!

Reds dugout

Brandon Phillips warming up

Max loved sitting with Glam-ma.  He really enjoyed watching the games!

Devin Mesoraco

Max did not enjoy this.

Jaaaaayyy Bruuuuuuuce!

Taking a cornhole break with Auntie

We took walks every morning while we waited for it to be warm enough to go to the pool (it got down in the 50s overnight).  Here are some of our discoveries.

Cacti everywhere

These criss-crossed palm trees were pretty cool

Sisters in an aisle of palms

We walked around the Litchfield Park Art and Culinary Festival and got some chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick

A teepee in the distance on the Wigwam golf course

We also took an overnight trip up north to Flagstaff Friday night and then visited the Grand Canyon before heading back down to Phoenix on Saturday.  It was breathtaking!

This isn't the canyon yet.  We stopped here to buy some goods sold by Navajo natives.  We bought ornaments, dream catchers, jewelry, and other decor.

So amazing

Grand Canyon selfie

Such a wonderful family trip!  Can't wait to go back!

And in case you're wondering how Max did on the 5-hour flights there and back...

The kid was a {drooly} rockstar.  We flew Southwest, which means no assigned seats.  Plus we lucked out and didn't have a full flight either time, so we got to have the empty middle seat as a buffer zone for Max.  He loved the safety pamphlets and seatbelts, and we even had some fun hiding his monkey Wubba-Nub in the airsick bag.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well he did on the flights.  Proud mama, right here!