FLASHBACK FRIDAY - Back to Reality....

It is so hard to return to reality when you have been "playing" for 12 days straight! Our 2009 Sister Retreat has already come and gone. Time flies when you are having fun!! Each Year it gets harder to say good-bye and we start counting and planning for the next year, right away. Sandra flies in from Provo, Utah. Gail arrives from Monument, Colorado. Betty and I are always anxiously awaiting for them here, in Gilbert.... We gather for my birthday each year and it is just a week (12 days this time) of visiting, laughing, sitting out on the back patio (Gail and Sandra especially enjoy this, as they are "thawing out" from their long cold winters), watching movies, pedicures, massages, jacuzzi, Jordan's (our favorite Mexican Food place, in Phoenix). We attended the temple and did sealings for some family names. We were able to go to our Stake RS Enrichment Day. We planted flowers, went for a ride down Memory Lane in Phoenix, to see all our old homes we lived in and our old schools, Church buildings, etc.

Let's see how many movies did we watch (this info is just strictly for my journal entry) during this visit?

1) Fiddler On the Roof

2) Overboard

3) Friendly Persuasion

4) Thoroughly Modern Millie

5) The Apartment

6) How to Murder Your Wife

7) Some Like It Hot

8) Brian Regan "I Walked On the Moon"

9) What's Up Doc?

10) Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer (Cary Grant)


I Think that's all....can you believe it?? As if 10 movies weren't enough....we even went to the theater and saw "Confessions of a Shopaholic"!



Here are a few photos of this past week (Feb. 12- 24)....





Our brother Phil and his sweet wife, Susan joined us for
dinner one evening. Our brother Ron stopped by too, but we
forgot to get a picture with him. No, men allowed at our
Retreats..but we let our brothers stop by for visit. Ken, thanks
for putting up with all of us crazy girls and giving up your time with me...
you are the best husband! Every year he does this for me!

On our ride down Memory Lane we saw....


Our home on Campbell, (1950- 1956? 20th Street and Campbell)in Phoenix.
It basically looks the same, at least the owners have kept it up.



Our Mariposa home ( 28th Street and Camelback Rd), Phoenix
(1956 - 1966ish? -This house has been totally remodeled and
doesn't even look like the house we lived in... it's nice, huh?).


Our 19th Street home ( 1967 -1972. 19th Street and Bethany Home) -
This home has been remodeled, too and looks better than it did
when we lived in it! It was nice to see that our childhood homes were
well taken care of and still standing after all these years!




Our East Phoenix Stake Center (18th Street and Brill)
It is empty and not owned by our church anymore.




Gail, Sandra and Betty in front of Jordan's Mexican Restaurant.
This Jordan's is located on 7th Street and Bethany Home Rd. The
original Jordan's (the one we went to more often) was located on Central
and Thomas area. Because of the "light rail" it went out of business! That
was a sad day for all of us... for over 50 years we ate there!


BUT, we didn't just watch movies, we did a few productive things....

Gail and Donna planted flowers in front of Ken and Donna's home



Donna and Gail and planted flowers...(Thanks-Gail!)

And one thing we can always count on is....
When ever we are together we reminisce
about our visits to Hawaii....
and plan for our next trip there!





Gail, Betty, Donna and Sandra in Hawaii....




We will always take whatever chance we can to be together but...
We would always rather be shopping, or beach hopping in Hawaii...(we try to go every other year, if our finances allows us). We love our time together there and our husbands are allowed to join us on this retreat, ha-ha!

But, until next time, Sisters...we'll just keep dreaming of Hawaii! A big THANKS for all that you do for me and for taking the time to come here each year. I love you, Sandra, Betty and Gail!

Your little sister,

Donna