Arizona Heat!

Just a week after my family left, we hopped on a plane for a trip to the desert, and just in time for a heat wave in Phoenix. 110 degrees is hot; I don't care if everyone says it's a dry heat!

But we couldn't miss the chance to be there for one of my dearest friend's wedding! Unfortunately, I being the good friend that I am, did not take one single picture of the bride and groom, so I stole this one off her facebook page. Jen looked beautiful and just radiated joy. There's nothing sweeter than seeing one of your friends find her soul mate.

While we were out west, Greg also had an interview at Thunderbird. Greg has been studying for the GMAT and looking into various MBA programs, and Thunderbird has always intrigued us - mainly because of it's focus on international business and our wild dreams of living abroad for a few years. Anyway, the interview went well, and we will see where we end up in the next couple years.

And for the rest of the trip? Here is a TOP 10 LIST (in no particular order):

1. The El Charo 

No trip to Mesa is complete without at least one trip to this family-owned Mexican establishment. My family has been going there for over 65 years, and my uncle even proposed to my aunt in one of the back booths. We have lots of memories there, and nothing beats their bean and cheese burros and beef tacos. Greg even loved it (which according to my Aunt Udell makes him officially part of the family).

2. Bluth Cousins

I was so happy we got to see my cousin Chelsea and her husband Shane and son Gus and my cousin Amy. They were all leaving on Friday to go on vacation to California, but they were able to squeeze in a few hours with us the night before they left. We love them and wish they lived closer so we could see them more often.

3. Sale at JCrew

Greg has not gotten new clothes since we started dating. I feel like a horrible wife, but I always needed him to come shopping with me. So since we had time in Arizona, we looked online and found the only JCrew in the Phoenix area that carries men's clothes, showed up, and they were having a summer sale + 30% all sale items + the regular 15% off you get when you use your student ID.  It was AMAZING! And I even happened to find a few things for myself.

4. New Babies

It's so fun to see the family grow and to see all my little cousins becoming parents. Trey and Eli are so cute and lucky to have such beautiful mommas! We loved the mini Sturdivant family reunion at my grandma's house. We're all crazy, but we sure do love each other!

5. The Western Hotel

My grandparents were so nice in letting us stay at their beautiful home in Mesa, and they treated us like royalty! We had good food and great times sitting around talking. Greg kept saying over and over how happy he was that he got to know Grandma and Papa better and how they really made him feel like part of the family. It makes us excited for the days when we will be bringing our kids out to Granny and Papa's house.

6. In-n-Out. 

This was our first official stop when we landed in Phoenix. The plane was so cold, and we were so happy to be out in the sun that I begged Greg to eat outside with me. He didn't even complain when the sweat beads started forming on his forehead.

7. The POOL

We spent lots of time in the sun. Every day we went to the pool (which is not something we get to do in the summer in NYC). Greg, of course, used the time to study. While laying out, I was able to finish two books and catch up on my celebrity gossip from my grandma's magazine collection.

8. Engaged Couple

We loved seeing Greg's cousin Lesley and her fiance Paul. They are getting married in the fall, and we couldn't be happier for them. We were so lucky that they were able to take time out of their busy schedules to meet up.

9. A Frozen Deer Head and A Gun Collection

Probably the highlight of the trip for Greg was when his cousin Kimber's husband showed him his freezer full of fish from a recent fishing trip, a deer head (which he obtained after hitting a deer with his truck and cut off the head so he can mount it on the wall in his son's room), and his gun/rifle collection. He even made Greg hold the rifle and pull the trigger so he could feel how it kicks back. We definitely had a good time with Kimber and Ryan that night!

10. Four Entire Days Together!

No explanation needed.