Back From Vacation

Well, friends, I just came back from 2 whole blissful weeks in Arizona!  I have to say that I'm extremely envious of those of you who live in gorgeous year-round warmer climates. (Ok, I admit it, I'm downright bitter!  It's no secret that I'm NOT a fan of winter.)

My parents and hubby and I try and visit my sister and her family in Tucson at least once a year, and January is the perfect time to escape our grueling winter weather.  We picked an especially great time to go this year as it was extra cold here in Ohio, and extra warm in Tucson.

We left bundled up like this...

...and arrived to this...

The four of us rented a house through VRBO. (Vacation Rental By Owner)  We've always used this and have been pleased with the homes; however this year's home was especially gorgeous!

The grounds were like a compound!   I hope you've got some time, 'cause I'm gonna give you a tour.

Here's outside the front gates...

Once inside the front gates, this is the walkway to the main house...

By the way, those trees and more in the back were laden with delicious grapefruit, oranges, and tangelos (or tangerines...one of those!) that we constantly picked and snacked on, and also juiced...yum!!

The house was clean and spacious.  It had been recently renovated so everything was top-notch, including the gourmet kitchen.  On the other side there are 2 ovens and an extra large fridge.  I don't cook, but my mom and Keith were drooling over this kitchen and enjoyed making us several meals in it!

The style/decor of the home obviously isn't my taste, but I could still appreciate the attention to detail and care that went into the reno.  My mom and I laughed that we could have it filled with treasures and decorated in homey vintage style in no time!

The layout was great for us, with a central great room, dining room and kitchen...

...then a bathroom/bedroom/closet suite on either end of the home.  (The bathrooms were amazing with HUGE shower rooms, complete with a steam feature if you wanted a steam shower!)

We particularly enjoyed the backyard!  We spent a lot of time out there reading, grilling, and just hanging out in the incredible weather.

You don't see these in Ohio!

Keith got some great pics of some stunning blossoms in the backyard!

We even got treated to some wildlife.  A hawk stopped by one morning right outside the kitchen window...

There was a cute hummingbird that visited often, too, but unfortunately we couldn't capture his picture.

We did get this sweet red bird, though...

At the other end of the backyard was a beautiful  portico. (Bikes courtesy of my great niece and nephew! :)

Here's my mom and sister enjoying a glass of wine under it.

And at the other end of the back property was a guest house!  When my sister came to visit she stayed there...perfect! (We didn't think to get any pictures inside, but it was also beautiful with a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.)

It's hard to believe that just a couple of days ago we were taking morning walks with nothing more than a light jacket on!  Our views were breathtaking...crystal blue skies every day.

Here's Keith on one of our walks with our great niece Rayne, who's four.  We had SO much fun with her!! (I thought they looked so cute in front of me that I had to snap a pic!)

Here are she and I getting ready for a night out on the town. She insisted that we 'match' with our hoodies and jeans tucked into our boots!  My little fashion plate :)

Well, I suppose all good things must come to an end...sigh.  

I can't say that I'm happy to be back to single digit temps; however, I did miss our kitties like crazy, and there really is no place like home!

Of course I did some fabulous shopping, which I know is what you really want to see! :)

I'll be back soon to share all of that with you.

Have a wonderful day and if you're in a frigid climate like us, stay warm!

And if you're in warm weather, well, no offense, but I don't like you very much right now.  (Just kidding...kind of... ;)