as with all good things...

 ...we are heading back to New York tonight...it's been such a nice vacation.  We haven't done tourist-y things, but we have relaxed outside, gone out shopping a few times, had phenomenal dinners, and swam in the heated pool.  I've done my water aerobics every day, but shh, there's no way I'm coming home slim and trim.  Riley baked molasses cookies from Paul's grandma's recipe (picked us up from the airport with homemade iced Americanos and fresh cookies!)...we've had homemade raspberry pie, and the cookies:

Birthday cake, chocolate crinkle, frosted sugar, snickerdoodle, pumpkin, oatmeal chocolate chip with cookie butter frosting, peanutbutter with Nutella, lemon...

We weren't total barbarians, we used forks, but we definitely all tasted all of them...the one in the plastic container was a lime/coconut frosted with raspberry sauce...

Aaron and the pups and a small bit of charcuterie...

...when the sun sets on the desert...

Chicken wings grilled...

Christmas!  It doesn't seem to belong here...but we smelled all the candles.

Cilantro for 47 cents!

Milk is so cheap here.

Just a car window pic...the landscape is amazing.

Grocery store geek, Safeway!

The creme brûlée from last night...yes, that's torched sugar on top...oh dear.

Who are those old people?!  :)

Right beyond their back yard...

Surprise! A wild pig showed up!  He was about 60 pounds, and cute, but scary too.  He came right up to the fence to greet us.  

I'm headed out to the pool for one last dose of warm sunshine until who knows when.  We leave for the airport this evening for the red-eye to NewJersey, then a quick flight, getting in around ten in the morning...Kathryn will be picking us up. 

The kids at home:  I miss them! I am glad to be going home, but also sad to be leaving these guys...it's been so nice.