Living The Campbell Life: Thanksgiving in Arizona

Grants grandpa Burgoyne passed away right at the beginning of Thanksgiving break, so our plans switched from a fun trip to Boise to see Uncle Paul and Aunt Whitney, to a week long trip to Phoenix Arizona for a funeral. It had been about 5 years since we had been to Arizona so we were excited for the trip!! The kids all did great on the 15 hour drive down. We stayed with Grants sister Kendra and her family in Phoenix. It was the first time the entire family has been together in over 4 years. They only person missing was Jason Curtis, Evelyn's husband. It was a very fast, fun week filled with lots of driving, eating and playing. It was sad to say goodbye to Grandpa, but we know he is in a better place now and no longer ill. We also know we will see him again someday! I know he is singing away in the choirs in heaven, and watching over us continually.

We stopped in Beaver Utah for gas and the kids had fun taking pictures at the gas station.

This sums up how tired we all were. We played hard every day so we didn't miss out on anything.

Kayce and Parker playing the Ipad

The girls had so much fun holding the two guinea pigs and Wilson the cat.

It wouldn't be a Campbell gathering without some basketball!!

Ellie hanging from a orange tree

Our neice Sadie Campbell

Susie Campbell

Emma Stein

Anyone from Idaho knows what a big deal it is to eat Thanksgiving Dinner outside!! It was awesome!!

Josh, Carter, Luck, Truman and Max. The fab 5!!

Daddy and Mad dog taking some cute selfies

The six pretty princesses. Uncle Grant had them all spin at the same time to see whos dress spun the best. It was super cute!!

Left: Hailee Curtis, Kayce, Emma, Ellie, Allivia and Tressa

Emma, Ellie, Allivia, Sadie, Celeste, Hailee and Tressa posing with their roses after the funeral.

Max, Garrett and Parker playing twister while the big kids played basketball

Ellie fell asleep while the boys practiced for a musical number for the funeral. Grandpa Terry was a good snuggler :)

I was pretty happy with how my triple berry pie turned out for Thanksgiving Dinner. The outer crust was a little dark, but I loved the maple leaf design.

One of our favorite places to go in Arizona is Hole in the Rock in Scottsdale. Grant and I went there when we were dating and it has been a tradition ever since. The kids had fun hiking and playing and looking at the view of the valley.

Emma, Parker, Allivia ellie and Kayce

Parker and Kayce

Emma loved to pose for the camera, she is such a cutie!!

Ellie loved to pose just as much as Emma :)

Maddox and mommy selfie at the hole.

What beautiful girls we have in our family. L- Emma, Allivia, Kayce, and Ellie

Brandon, Ethan, Grant and Carter hiked to the top of hole in the rock and peered down from a hole at the top. It was pretty cool but slightly scary.

Carter and Uncle Brandon

The kids wanted to stop and take pictures every couple minutes.

Our traditional family picture at Hold in the Rock. Uncle Brandon's finder made an appearance in the picture too!!! hehe

Our whole group who hiked.

The little kids and I hiked up the path to the rock with Uncle Brandon. Grant and the boys climbed up the front of the mountain. Grant said it was pretty scary how steep it got at the end but they had no choice but to keep climbing.

Ethan at the top

The view of Hole in the Rock from the ground. The boys climbed up the front of the mountain in the little valley you can see.

Allivia was able to celebrate her birthday in Arizona too. She loved having all her cousins there. We kept it simple and went to a park in Tempe by Grandma Burgoynes house. We had cupcakes and played on the toys.

Happy 9th birthday Allivia MeChelle Campbell!

All the cousins. It was almost 90 degrees that day and there wasn't much shade. The frosting was melting on the cupcakes. Thank goodness they were yucky store bought ones :)

biting into her giant cupcake.

She was spoiled rotten with all the gifts from her family!!

After the funeral we all gathered outside of the church for a big family picture.

This was just the family who made it to the funeral. I believe there are around 170 members of the Roger and Charlete Burgoyne family.

All the Terry and Kathy Campbell family accept Jason Curtis

All the Campbell family Grandkids.

we were able to squeeze in a very quick trip to to see the lights at the Mesa Temple. They were beautiful!! I felt silly that we were actually cold and it was in the 60's the night.

It was a long drive home from Arizona for the burial. Only took 14 hours but we got stuck in traffic jams that made it very stressful with a car full of tired people. Kids did great again though!! We left sunny Arizona and drove to snowy Montpelier Idaho for the burial. It was quite the climate change!!