How's Summer Going?

How is my summer? Well the past couple of weeks was filled with family and I owe everyone a big album of photos. 

Couple weeks ago had a trip to Phoenix... it was for a retreat for the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union Board of Directors and I figured since my kids have cousins there... we make it a family trip. Despite it hitting 119 for several days in a row, we survived. The kids had not been to Phoenix since well before the pandemic so we were due for a trip, their cousins are 9, 11, and 13... so the blend with Mari (9) and Cruz (12) is just a perfect play group. So Heather also came on the trip so the kids could enjoy a fun trip while I worked. Living so far apart from family is hard, and so it was nice the cousins got to spend a week together.

A special part of that trip was staying at the Arizona Biltmore... a historic resort that is a Waldorf Astoria property which means... fancy. If you know Mari, you know she likes luxury and fancy things, so despite the fact that the sun was trying to kill us on a daily basis, she was in heaven. The kids swam at their cousins pool, and we hosted them all at the resort one day to enjoy the slides, pool, etc. Thank you Matt and Cristy for hosting us and for rides to and from the airport. Big thanks to NDFCU for the great retreat site, I love serving on that board and supporting the positive work they do in the communities we serve. It was a great way to recharge! 

Our return home landed us some airport delays so we got back to South Bend late... to start our next big family visit. Andres was in town (lives on the Isle of Mann) and he brought with him Javier, my nephew who lives in Mississippi, who was in Chicago while Andres was there working, so they came over together. Since he was visiting, my sister Raquel also came to visit and brought her daughter Ayanna and her partner Kory. Also Novalí was able to come down... so we had a very FULL House here for the weekend! 

We lined up fun stuff, an outing to the South Bend Cubs, I took them all to an autocross at the Tire Rack test tracak (need to upload some videos), quick Studebaker National Museum stop and of course no visitors come to South Bend without a stop to the South Bend Brew Werks. Cruz had a football event and Andres and Javi stopped to watch a little before a quick trip for pictures at Notre Dame. 

Whew... that was a whirlwind few days... but wait, there is more! 

A few days later, I took Cruz and Mari to Florida to visit my parents! We flew from Grand Rapids, which was cheaper, but also a good excuse to get to see Novalí again. We got lunch with her on Friday before we flew out, and dinner with her on Tuesday when we got back. 

In keeping with summer vacation theme... it was mega hot and this time we added in FL muggy to the mix. Regardless though it was a great time with my parents. It has become a little tradition now that I take the kids to FL just before they go back to school. This year Novalí couldn't join us as she is going with them to Ireland and the Isle of Mann at the end of the month and can't get more time off. (So excited for their trip!). 

We enjoyed time in the pool, playing tennis, fishing, table tennis, shooting pool and Cruz even hit the links a little with my dad... we played outside when we could, and when it was too hot, or rainy, we busted out the classic Wii or the kids played chess with grandpa or puzzles and baking with grandma. 

Dropping a bunch of pictures on Facebook and Instagram, so check me out there for more views from our trips... now it is time to grind out back to school! Wish us luck over here... 4th and 7th grades starting soon!