Happy Birthday, Papa!

As you know by now, I’m vacationing in warm and sunny Scottsdale, AZ. I’m not a huge fan of the desert. Let’s face it, it’s brown and dusty. But I am in favor of sunshine and warm temps, which are both abundant here, of course. Plus, today is my dad’s 70th birthday! 🙂 Happy birthday, dad!!

Happy birthday, Papa!

We planned our trip to the desert to celebrate my dad’s birthday. Originally we weren’t sure if we were going to surprise him or tell him ahead of time. When we gathered with the family in DC for my cousin’s wedding, we ultimately decided we would surprise him. It was really hard, too, because of course he asked if we would be making a trip to AZ any time soon. I bit my tongue and said, “we’ll see!” Fast forward a month and here we are. My brother helped us surprise him by somehow convincing my dad to go for a walk around his apartment complex. I’m not entirely sure my dad bought it, but it was fun nonetheless. 🙂 Boo and I waited by the front clubhouse and as soon as my dad turned the corner he pointed at Boo and said, “hey! I know you!” It was very cute.

We’ve spent lots of much needed quality time with Papa and Nana, plus my brothers and sister-in-law, and nieces and nephews we rarely get to see. So far our adventures have included playing at the playground with cousins, swimming at three different pools, brunch with almost the entire family, a visit to the Train Park, and two trips to In-N-Out Burger.