Number of Miles Driven: 0 (Woohoo!!)

Ahhh…the remainder of our time in Indian Wells was pure bliss. We got to catch up on some rest, lounge around the beautiful house, swim in the pristine pool, and eat gourmet food. Dani was excited to help Aunt Julie make pancakes on Saturday morning - they were delicious - especially with the Boysenberry preserve! 


Making pancakes with Aunt Julie


Geoff hooked us up with a free car wash from one of his former sponsors (our car was DUSTY!) and then he and Michael had our car checked to make sure our tires/alignment were still good. It was suggested that our tires were in the “yellow” (i.e., need to change soon) but they told us we could make it back home safely before putting new tires on our car. Meanwhile, the kids swam and Julie and I worked on my blog by the pool (really, Julie worked on the blog and I just looked over her shoulder). I had expressed frustration about formatting issues with my blog and not liking how it cropped my images - so Julie helped me find another template that handled photos better and looks a little more streamlined. We also created a logo. So, if you’re wondering why my blog looks different, that’s why. Thanks, Julie, for all the help! Changing over to a new template actually caused us a few headaches, but Julie is much better at troubleshooting through these issues than I am, so I’m glad she sacrificed some time to help me. 






Working by the pool was nice at the beginning of the morning, but by 11:30 we were melting and decided to move it inside. We made another trip to the clubhouse for yogurt (before lunch!) and the kids were super excited to select their toppings again - gummy bears, oreo cookie crumbles, and sprinkles were the top choices. The kids had grilled cheese for lunch and then had some chill time in the afternoon since it was too hot to do anything else. Carolyn LOVED her room and would have stayed curled up in her big fluffy bed with the lights off watching TV if we didn’t make her come out and be social - I don’t blame her…I probably would’ve chosen the same thing. The kids were fascinated with a  youtube series about two guys building different things (outdoor pool, house, dog house, etc) with primitive tools in a time-lapse format. Meanwhile, Julie and I went to the grocery store and then spent the afternoon preparing food for our planned taco bar on Sunday afternoon with the Korandas. 


Dani loves her Uncle Geoff. She was his little shadow


We wrapped up the evening with Geoff smoking halibut and then reverse-searing some filets on his Traeger. And let me tell you what…..it was just okay. 




I’m TOTALLY KIDDING (gotcha, Geoff!). It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Geoff is Team Traeger and has been encouraging us to go Team Traeger for awhile. This was his opportunity to prove it, and he did not disappoint. I even documented the process! He and Julie put together a delicious meal and we loved every bite. One funny story though…After smoking/reverse-searing in the 118 degree heat Geoff wanted to take a quick shower before dinner. Julie encouraged him to jump in while the final filet (mine) was  getting up to temp - I requested mine at Medium while everyone else selected Medium Rare. Geoff was concerned that Julie wouldn’t remember to take the filet off in time - he was working hard to sway us to Team Traeger  and was aiming for perfectly cooked steaks - but she assured him she wouldn’t forget.  Well, you can guess what happened. In her defense…she only let it go about one minute past the timer, but it got cooked closer to Medium-Well - and after all that hard work for perfection from Geoff. We didn’t tell him until the end of the weekend and then he couldn’t believe it! It was pretty funny - especially since I still thought the filet was amazing! 

The steaks were delicious and perfectly cooked



The kids had a night swim and then Aunt Julie cooked some chocolate chip cookies - and the deliciousness continued. After quick showers in “the coolest shower ever” - per Matthew - the kids got to bed late, and the adults weren’t too far behind. 



Carolyn also contributed to dessert with some marshmallow stuffed dough balls (I don't know the technical name for her creation). 

Uncle Geoff loved them!


Matthew loved the shower


Sunday started off early. Despite all the kids having two late nights in a row, they woke up refreshed and energetic at 6:30 each day. Geoff took Andrew to the driving range around 7:30 a.m. and taught him how to hit a few balls. He didn’t technically have the proper clothes (no collared shirt), but Uncle Geoff was kind enough to take him anyway. I think he had a great time - Geoff told me what clubs he was using but I've already forgotten (and driver and a wedge??). When they got back from the driving range we all had homemade cinnamon roles (thanks, Julie!) and then got ready for church. 





We enjoyed getting to join Geoff and Julie at their home church. Even though the churches are different we felt right at home with the similar worship music. Their old worship leader had returned for that service and he did a great job. The pastor gave a great message about living for an eternal life - a life with significance that is based on non worldly goals and values. The kids also had a nice time and Andrew even made "plans" with a new friend. 



After church we got ready to host the Korandas (Rob and Erin) - friends of ours from when Michael interned at UNC/Butner in 2006/2007. They live in Ontario, CA (about an hour from Geoff and Julie), so they made the drive over with their two kids Tyler (9) and Emily (4). We had a great time reconnecting and learning all about Rob’s recent success on the Wheel of Fortune - it was fun to learn some of the behind-the-scene’s details that he could share. 




The kids also had a lot of fun together - especially Andrew with Tyler and Dani with Emily. Andrew and Tyler played chess and hung out in the pool. Dani and Emily also swam and then played inside quite a bit. It was a short visit but so treasured. Like so many other visits we’ve been blessed with on this trip - it was as if no time had passed and we picked up right where we left off. We shared kid stories and threw out the possibility of a Disney Cruise with both families in the future. Before they left, Andrew and Carolyn insisted they take Tyler and Emily around on the golf carts. 


Playing chess with Tyler


Emily and Dani - twinsies...just a year apart

Swimming in the hot tub in 115+ degree weather...crazy!

We had a taco bar for lunch and homemade boysenberry bars courtesy of Aunt Julie!



After wrapping up with the Korandas we started the sad process of packing up to make our next morning go a bit more smoothly and quickly. We had laundry to do and we had unpacked the ENTIRE care to get it washed - so we (ahem, Michael) had a lot of repacking to do - including all the bags on the roof. Julie made our lunches - and even took into account all our unique requests (e.g., sandwich cut into triangles, only a small amount of jelly, only peanut butter - ha!). The kids were more than content with getting to watch movies and eating popcorn while we packed - Carolyn will truly miss her designated comfy space. 


We got to a stopping point with packing and enjoyed a final drink with Geoff and Julie. We had great conversation, a lot of laughs, and even learned a few things about each other that we hadn’t known - always the best and most treasured moments of any trip. 




When we called it a night, Michael and I continued to finish laundry and he packed up the roof bags. We got to bed around midnight and tried to get some sleep before our early start the next day up the coast of California. 


Geoff and Julie - thank you for such an amazing respite. We couldn’t have wrapped up Phase 1 of our trip any better. The time that we and the kids got to have with you was wonderful - and, of course, the digs and scenery didn’t hurt the experience of relaxation. We truly appreciate all you did to make our stay in Indian Wells special - it won’t be forgotten! We love you and are sad to leave - but we’re already looking forward to our next time together! Always a great time! 


Saying goodbye is always hard...(but look how clean our van is!)

Next stop: Carmel, CA