Sunday Adventure

Yesterday we had a very busy, very fun day. We decided last week to drive up to Casa Grande to visit Grace Baptist Church, where Erik and Stephanie (Wayne's daughter and son-in-law) are. Mark realized that we'd be most of the way to Phoenix, so we arranged to have dinner in Phoenix with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Chuck. We were gone all day, but after so many days of just hanging out around the house, it was so nice to get out. We really enjoyed visiting the church--it was pretty small, but everyone was so friendly. After being at Hoffmantown for so long, visiting small churches really is a different experience. It seems like everyone knows you're new, so they all say hi and introduce themselves, which is nice. They certainly made us feel welcome. We could also tell that the church is growing because they plan to start a second Sunday morning service in the fall. It was great to meet Erik and Stephanie. Of course, Wayne talks about them and their kids, and since I worked with Steve (Stephanie's brother), we felt like we kind of already knew them. At any rate, we had plenty to talk about. It's too bad that they are over an hour away, though, because we really enjoyed the service. But, we heard that Steve is coming out in the fall for some sporting event, so we're hoping to plan another trip up to spend more time with Erik and Stephanie and catch up with Steve. I hope it'll work out.

After church, Mark and I went to lunch, then over to the outlet malls at Casa Grande. We planned to just window shop, but we did buy a new pair of shoes for Mark. There are some fun shops there. I expect to go back another time when I actually have some spending money. We also checked out the new, giant, outdoor shopping center they're building. There, we were able to use a gift card we had for Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It was fun, but we did feel pretty tired from walking around in the heat. It's definitely hotter there (and in Phoenix) than it is in Tucson, so that gave us some good perspective.

We left the mall at about 4:30 and went on up to Phoenix. Aunt Linda is so excited to have us closer, and it's fun for me, too, to have some family near by. We visited for a while and snacked on nachos (Aunt Linda always has a tasty snack ready) and Uncle Chuck grilled some giant burgers. Then we had ice cream with homemade cookies and chocolate sauce. We were so stuffed! It was good for Mark to get to know them a little better, and I think we'll enjoy seeing them more often. Aunt Linda's son and family live in Tucson, so we hope they'll stop by and see our place next time they come down.

So, I'm really glad yesterday worked out the way it did. Now, I've got to get ready for my training, which starts bright and early on Wednesday morning. Just two more days to relax before things will get crazy again!