Best. Weekend. Ever.

So, I have not updated my blog in a little while because Casey came to visit me for fourth of July weekend! We had SUCH a blast.

He came in on Thursday night and I picked him up after work. We went to dinner at this little sushi restaurant right next to my house and we even walked there it was so close! I was EXTREMELY surprised to find that this sushi was outstanding!! I did not expect to find any good sushi in the southwest, and this sushi was just as good as some of the really nice sushi restaurants in Chicago! And, to make it even better, it was affordable. I will definitely be going to this restaurant on a regular basis. Actually I am craving it right now...

Friday I went to work and Casey met me and some coworkers for lunch at in-n-out burger, a delicious gem of the southwest. Then after work, I gave Casey a tour of Intel and he seemed to really enjoy it! I really do work at a cool place! So family and friends...here is some incentive to come visit me. If you visit, you will get to have a tour of Intel. And it's pretty darn awesome.

Friday night I cooked a delicious celebratory meal for Casey and me and of course I forgot to take a picture but hopefully a description will be good enough to explain how yummy it was! I made roasted beef tenderloin stuffed with mushrooms and shallots and seasoned with soy sauce, butter, salt, and pepper. Then for sides, I made homemade mashed potatoes (with yukon gold potatoes which I really think are the best for creamy mashed potatoes) and balsamic glazed asparagus (a repeat). YUM it was so good! This of course is not a recipe I could make often because beef tenderloin is very expensive, but it was worth it for a reunion meal with my favorite man.

Here comes the most exciting part of our trip. On Saturday, Casey and I took a day trip to the Grand Canyon! It was absolutely amazing. I had never been and it literally took my breath away. First, we stopped in Sedona for lunch because it was right on the way and let me tell you, Sedona was gorgeous as well! The red rocks are beautiful! I really enjoyed it there and wish we could have stayed longer, but we didn't have enough time. Once we got to the Grand Canyon, we decided to splurge a little bit and take a helicopter tour. Being in a helicopter over and inside of the Grand Canyon is by far one of the most amazing things I have ever done. It was for sure a once in a lifetime experience. If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon, you should go because it it is truly incredible there. I can't believe it is natural. Here is a picture of me and Casey at the top of the canyon!

Yesterday for the fourth, Casey and I had a blast. First, we went to the driving range to brush up on our swings. Then, we spent the rest of the day out by the pool with some neighbors, drinking beer and relaxing. And of course for dinner, I had to cook some American food for the occasion so I made Chicago style chili cheese dogs and grilled corn on the cob. I forgot to take a picture of the corn, but here is the hot dog. It was yummmmmmy.:)

So today, Casey and I woke up SUPER early (I'm talking 5:30 am early) to beat the crazy Arizona heat so that we could play 18 holes of golf. I had SO much fun playing golf and I actually didn't suck. Okay, maybe I played off of the kid tees but I still hit the ball straight which is great! I have a lot of work to do but I am finally starting to enjoy the game and really want to learn!

Playing golf in Arizona is such an interesting experience because of the heat, but also because of the wild animals that are around. These animals are not afraid of humans, which is a little bit scary. You will be getting ready to hit a golf club and look out to see a fox running across the green. Or you will be making a putt and in the corner of your eye you will see a coyote running in the distance. Or you will see a jackrabbit. Or a baby ferret. The list goes on.

So in short, I had an amazing fourth of July weekend and am sad it is ending, but I am also excited to get back to work tomorrow and start working on exciting projects there. Hooray for Arizona being so much fun!