YEA! DAD'S BACK!

Don went on a retreat with the elders this weekend in prayer and fasting as they considered the direction God wants for this church. While they had a much inspiring weekend, I was glad to have my hubby back and Nate was glad to have dad back! Don came in his room today to get him up from his nap and he SQUEALED with joy when he saw it was dad! It was the sweetest sound and I know it made Don feel like a million dollars. It's interesting that when kids are used to having both dad and mom around, when one parent is gone, their behavior changes. Nate wasn't a bad kid all weekend but he was definitely more moody and irritable.

I didn't stick around the house much while Don was gone. Friday I took Nate to Rawhide and did some shopping at the AZ Mills outlet. Found a great deal on some very cool Vans shoes for Nate. They're black with flames on the sides and a chinese dragon on the top..for only $4.98!! These are $24 shoes so I was stoked! (do people still use that word today? flashback to high school). The only problem with our little trip was that I forgot that Phoenix is 10 degrees hotter than Tucson (we're talking 116 degrees that day!!!). So we waited until sundown to go to Rawhide but it was still in the 90's and you couldn't see anything. Rawhide is a little western town with shops, shootouts, and western "rides" like the train, stagecoach, burro rides, etc. It always reminded me of FrontierLand in Disneyland.

Saturday, I went to a movie while Nate slept in his stroller. 'Journey to the Center of the Earth" in 3-D! I can't remember the last time I saw a 3-D movie but it was totally cool! The acting wasn't that great but the special effects were fun. That afternoon, we went to Trail Dust Town, which is a miniature version of Rawhide...and frankly I liked it better. The train ride was much more fun and the shootout stunts were 10 times better. The only thing I didn't like was that the script was more adult material than kid-friendly. There were several crude lines that they could've re-written. You tend to be more aware of that stuff after you have a kid! The lady next to me had a 3-yr old and she was cringing. I can just hear her son repeating some of things they said!

It was a fun-filled weekend with my son but I'm glad to have my hubby back. He is a great husband and father and I admire and respect his leadership, his love for me and God, and love how he enjoys being a kid with Nate. Although I don't say it often enough, I am very proud of him and glad to share life with him.