Party of six, and a car seat

Mom, Howie, Arlene and Jorge are on their plane, headling back to California. We had a great weekend. The main stop on our weekend agenda was the Tempe Festival of the Arts, an art fair that extends most of the way along downtown Tempe's Mill Avenue. The festival has always been a fun thing to do, as most of the wares for sale are of good quality and nicely made. It's amazing to me how much it's grown though. When I first started going, it ran the length of the street -- barely. Now, it's packed along the main street and spreads down the side streets. One thing that hasn't changed are the fantastic finds. I've got a super cool new desk lamp (which was quite necessary, since the last one was shattered in the move); Mom and Arlene picked up a couple nifty vases; Mom and I each got a piece of Christmas decor for the garden; and of course, we made tracks for the most required stop: kettle corn (one of man's greatest inventions). The weather was amazing -- just the right mix of sunshine and cool temperatures -- and there was a ton to look at and marvel over. I find myself looking forward to the spring festival already.
We also made our way through a few good restaurants, and in and out of a few shops at the mall today. The visit itself was a day short, if you ask me, but with the holidays coming up, I won't be lacking for family company in the weeks ahead. Still, I wish they'd have been able to stay another day.