New Years 2022 in Arizona! 🌞

First Trip for Heiken Family of 4.
First airplane ride for Hayden and Dean.

First travel since Covid/kids.

Monday, December 27

Day of packing and waiting while ~12 inches of snow falls. Flight put at 2130, delayed by 1 hour. Dean slept the majority of our airport experience; Hayden did great staying up late, cruising around the airport in her pajamas and crashing on dad before loading the plane. She woke up with about 30 minutes til landing, looking out the window at the lights. Scott picked us up and we got to their house around 0230. Surprisingly, Hayden did go back to sleep when we settled into the Casita!

Tuesday, December 28

Woke up around 0815, ready to learn about the farm chores! Scott showed us the ropes and we cruised the pasture of 11 goats, 2 alpaca, 4 geese, 5 ducks! Also, 3 dogs and 5 baby chicks 🐤 They are entrusting our crew with their animals while they are in Spain.

Hayden loves the animals! Wants to go see them multiple times a day; and take the golf cart to see the orange-eating cows down the road.

Candace sets us cookie decorating for everyone which is a blast. We try to stay out of their way for their last-minute packing and catch up a bit.

Sam drops the group off at the airport and we settle in for our stay.

Wednesday, December 29

We're up around 0700, quick breakfast and suit up for chores! Denim overalls ("farm pants") and rain boots for Hayden. Hayden pulls hay from the bales and puts it into the buckets for the alpaca. The geese are crazy noisy chatters and the goats are a funny, curious lot. We let the ducks out - two eggs! - and walked around the pasture. Next, Sam and Dean took the 3 pups for a walk while Hayden and I went for a golf cart ride to see the cows and chickens/roosters, fruit trees and planes, turkeys, horses, cats - so much to see!

Dean took a monster nap, so we only had time for a quick lunch, which took so long for pick up that we drove back to the house and ate poolside 🌞

Hayden gets LOTS of Murphy (daschund) kisses.

After Hayden's amazing nap and lounging on the patio, we packed up for our Walmart pick up and a stroll downtown Chandler. Saw the Tumbleweed Christmas tree and lots of holiday fun, including a slide - there was climbing holds to get to the top and Hayden didn't hesitate to get up there! Did it all on her own on her 2nd try 💪

Back to the farm for evening chores and dinner.

Was a glorious, sunny and fun first full day!

Thursday, December 30

Up for breakfast and chores; golf cart ride to see the cows, goats and roosters down the road. Supposed to be a rainy morning, so we packed up for the SeaLife Aquarium! It was a little overwhelming (for all of us), but we had a great time with the sharks, fishes, turtle, etc. And, Hayden touched a snake!!

Back for nap time and relax. Hayden and dad went to feed carrots to the cows and goats while Dean and mom laid down.

Quail Haven Park. No slide, but we had fun on the crazy bridge, swings and all. Danced with our shadows, played in the sand. A gorgeous, sunny late afternoon. Back for evening chores, Thai food dinner and bedtime.

Friday, December 31

Happy NYE!

Breakfast and chores. Went to Lantana Ranch Park, which is awesome! Hayden loved it, ran around everywhere. Dean relaxed in the Bjorn. Went to Fry's for some groceries with what seemed like every single person in Arizona.😬 Lunch and animal time before nap.

Golf cart rides to feed the cows. Rainy afternoon so played and danced inside. NYE appetizer of shrimp cocktail. NY Strips for dinner. Dip in the pool at 2145 in the rain 🥳

Pretty low-key day!

Saturday, January 1

Breezy, cooler morning - but sunshine! - with chores, dog walks and golf cart rides. Puddles and mud from yesterday's rain. Loaded up for a walk through the Chandler Farmers Market, except that it wasn't happening today, apparently 😢 Grabbed lunch on the way back to the farm. Epic long naps from both Hayden and Dean (1-3pm), then we headed to Tumbleweed Park. Great park with lots of variety in the playground; Hayden had a blast, Dean was chillin.

Back for dinner, complete with black-eyed peas! Happy New Year!

Sunday, January 2

Big, big day! Started out with our morning routine, then headed to Desert Breeze Park. Played on the playground until the railroad opened at 10. Rode the 50c machines, then boarded the first train ride at 1030! Little chilly, but a great ride around the park, including a lake. Then, the carousel 🎠 ♥ Three times! Rode the chicken and said Cockadoodledoo the whole time.

Walked around the park, had a snack watching the lake, fed the ducks and pigeons on our way back to the car.

Lunch from MOD Pizza by the pool 🌞

Golf cart ride to the cows and long trip around the neighborhood. Hayden eating oranges ALL the time!

Back at the farm to hang with the animals. Beautiful, sunny afternoon! Hayden discovered the abandoned trampoline 🙈 She so badly wants to feed Pam, one of the alpaca, but doesn't quite see how to do it. Really wanting to help fill the buckets of hay. Dean was up for it all!

After dinner, bathtime in the big tub! First (limited) time with both of them 😳

Great day, lots of sunshine and loving being outside!

Monday, January 3

Breakfast, animals, dogs walked. Then, loaded up for a morning at the Desert Botanical Gardens! There by 0930, walked around the paths. Huge cacti! Really awesome displays! Hayden did a great job staying on the trails and not touching anything but the little rocks underfoot. "Cactus ouchie" 👏👏 After about an hour, we went to Cactus Clubhouse, an area dedicated to kids with games, digging, building, playing, etc. It was a really nice spot for Hayden to explore! We saw 1 hummingbird and 1 butterfly, and many planes overhead.

Dean did great and passed out hard near the end of our stay.

We picked up Tokyo Joe's on the drive back and had 2 mega nappers in the backseats. Back to the farm around 1230 for poolside lunch and hang out.

We busted open a new balance bike for Hayden that she spent approximately 3 minutes on 🤦🏻‍♀️ but hopefully will love soon enough. Golf carts rides, trampoline, goat feeding, too many oranges, etc. Hayden is getting very comfortable around the goats - hugs through the gate and will stick her hand through the fence for kisses. She was SO CLOSE to feeding Pam today! I'm not into the geese at all and skittish animals (alpaca) give me anxiety, especially when their go-to move is to kick.

Inside time with Dean rolling onto his side! Few songs and dancing then BLTs for dinner.

Big day, early to bed 😴

Tuesday, January 4

Dean is 3 months old today!

Morning of breakfast and chores. Then, picked up donuts on the way to visit Rich and Twink! Stopped by Optimist Park playground for a little bit beforehand; Hayden was more interested in the giant lawn tractor than the slides.

Great visit with Rich and Twink. Hayden hiding donuts and oranges around their living room 🙈

Nap time and animal time, then headed to Lantana Ranch Park to enjoy the sunshine!

Back to the farm for fun with the goats, trampoline jumping and attempts to feed Pam.

Wednesday, January 5

Morning with all the animals and golf cart ride and oranges 🍊 Last full day with the place to ourselves - much to clean 🙃

Gorgeous, sunny day!! Stopped at Paseo Vista playground, then grocery store and then poolside ice cream!

Lots of outside and animal time. Saw someone riding horses down the road. Met some neighbors (mom Kelsey, 4 kids), adorable family.

Pizza dinner and move back to the Casita!

Scott, Candace and gang back tonight around 2230.

Thursday, January 6

All the animals and now a full house! Golf cart rides to the cows and horses. Hayden told me where to turn ("that way") for Mooshi and Uggie.

Lots of running, giggling and fun in the sun. First In&Out Burger experience today. New chicken coop delivered!

Nap refusal meant more time to play…

Awesome pho dinner and great chatting with everyone.

Friday, January 7

Relaxing morning and animal time. Clean and packing up! Thankfully, we got a 1 hour nap out of Hayden, then took a farewell ride on the golf cart. To the airport by 1445, through security by 1515, boarded by 1545 and off we pop!

Hayden did really well - she watched out the window for takeoff and landing, looked at mountain tops and cities from the window. Loved opening and closing the window. Little squirrly by the end. Dean was squirrly, then had a massive poop that almost blew out of his diaper in 3 directions, then he was chill and slept.

Emily picked us up and we drove home. Now, all we need is our Canyon pup.

Kids both asleep in their beds by 2100. Dean slept til 0430!