End of Summer Catch Up....

Rocky's face says it all.....'really? crossing the desert to Scottsdale again?"

 

 Yes, it's true - another dash across the desert and this time for my brothers knee surgery and to take mom to post op eye surgery appointment....there is no slowing this girl down!

 I always enjoy my brothers toys....we both share a love for vintage autos....

 His collection mainly in trucks....

 Usually ones my dad had in the past...

 and restored to perfection.....also very fun to drive and ride in!

 Between appointments I was able to squeeze in 2 short hours at the Old Towne Shops in Glendale.....love that place.  
 

 Back in the day it was all migrant workers houses and over the years has been renovated into boutiques and restaurants....so nice to see how things can change for the good!

 Lots of inspiration in some of these stores....

 Visual overload....

 ....and so fun.

 My brother recovered very nicely and after a few days it was back to San Diego.....and a few projects that I had not finished.

 I needed some outdoor pillows and could not find anyone colorful enough....so I found these vinyl placemats and had some pillow filler...so I stitched it up.

 And stuffed them.....

 And it is just the pop of color the chaise lounges by the fountain needed! Next up:  Some yellow mums in those empty pots....it never ends....

 And with all the visual inspiration from the Glendale shops I had to drag out my Halloween decorations.....the boys table....

 The countertop in the kitchen.....

 The lazy Susan on the dining room table holds all the 'smalls' I have collected over the years

 The coffee table in the living room is the 'Witches station'...

 ....a little vignette by the front door......

 My witches hat garland....that's my mom's dog peeking at me....she and my mom came home with us for awhile....

 The entry way leading to the front door.....

 And was also happy to be home for this little all star's game....my little pitching phenom....

 He is a great role model for his little brother, who is also a fearless catcher....

These two always fun and entertaining.....as catcher Brody yells 'Play Ball!'

To Quote Brody - "I didn't see that coming!"

I have been crossing the desert a lot, in fact, too much lately.  My mom has had some eye issues and I want to be at her appointments, surgeries, etc.  The upside is to visit Adam and Shannon and lots of other family and friends in the area.  Fun to drive around old places and just drop in new ones (in between doctor appointments!).

 

On one of my trips I was so hoping to see a monsoon....they used to scare me to death when I was little, but now they are the ultimate entertainment when visiting Phoenix in the late summer.....

 

However what I didn't see coming is that it absolutely poured one night, starting at midnight....

 ...and when Rocky needed to go out at 3 a.m. he fell in the pool. There was so much rain you could not see where the patio ended and the pool began.  Good thing I was watching him!  And guess who had do dive in after him - that would be me.  Didn't see coming a swim in my pj's at 3 am in a rainstorm.....

 My little guy was in shock!  We got out the blow dryer and made sure he was pretty dry and then he just sulked the rest of the night while it rained and rained. 

Then by morning it had rained more in Phoenix than ever recorded in history....here is a picture a few blocks from The Addie's place....I imagine these drivers did not see this coming!

 So after the roads were back open and safe we had to dash home to catch up with our boys!  They are playing fall ball and it is a very interesting program they have near where they live.  In the a.m. professional ball players come and give them a skills clinic.  In the afternoon they play actual games.

Brody was picked as team captain for the first game:

 He wanted to be catcher....he was so excited!

 He looked so little behind the plate and he hung in there, played so well and had 2 awesome hits.  At his age they bat off the pitching machine.

 Dylan moved up a level to where they now use pitchers - so he decided to be one!  He has amazing control and accuracy and loves any sport with a ball.  He threw a few warm up pitches....

 At this age he can pitch 2 full innings and he had no hits or runs against him (he also had a good fielding team supporting him).  He even struck out all hitters in one inning.  A pretty good start and the smile on his face was priceless.

 A very proud mommy and daddy looked on.....

 And one thing we saw coming and wanted to enjoy was having our neighbors over for a happy hour to thank them for putting up with our mess and dust all summer!

It was a fun and relaxing evening.....and Rocky enjoyed a patio that was dry!