photo diary: mesa summer part III

Thanks to my racked-up rapid rewards points, I could fly back to Phoenix (from Austin) free one last time before heading back to Portland for the school year.  Lucky me, I got home just in time for my dad's big birthday party and a visit from Ted, who was going home afterwards for the first time this summer.  The party was a hit, thanks to my mom's hard work, an awesome trivia slideshow made by my dad, and some delicious tacos and bean dip.  It was a great time had by all, and I loved catching up with family and family friends.  That night, Ted and I watched The Truman Show and I felt very lucky to have him around to show off (this never gets old), and to just do whatever.

The next day, Ted and I made our first carrot cake for my dad's actual birthday and went to my grandparents' (mom's side) to hang out for a while.  Despite some frustration, the cake turned out great, and we covered it with walnuts and coconut, because WHY NOT?  It went wonderfully with the delicious homemade meal my grandparents (dad's side) cooked up for my dad's birthday dinner--ribs and mac n' cheese.  SO GOOD.  

After the road trip, Ted and I enjoyed a low-key day of a lunch and movie date.  We ate at Cornish Pasty Co., which got our seal of approval.  We split the The Oggie (Steak, potatoes, onion and rutabaga) and The Lamb Greek (Lamb, spinach, fresh mozzarella, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichokes and roasted garlic).  As you can probably imagine--both incredible.  Highly recommend this place for a casual date.  Afterwards, we saw Monsters University.  Nothing like a Pixar movie date!  (Fun fact: The first time we hung out, we had a Pixar marathon with friends.)  We ended the night with leftover Mexican food and a froyo run with friends.

The next day, we did some Harry Potter legos and said our goodbyes, like true adults.  It was sad, but at least I got to go hang out with my grandma with my dad and Kendal afterward for lunch. The days leading up to my departure were filled with sewing (pillows for my momma above), Izzy cuddles, iced tea with Rylee, Flancer's with my grandpa and parents, and one last trip to Nello's with my grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins after some antiquing.

It was sad saying goodbye (I hate goodbyes more than most things), but the promise of the holidays is always present in my holiday-obsessed mind.  Miss and love you guys dearly.