The Summer of Camping

At the beginning of summer, I had one intention - camp more. Last year our family didn't take any camping trips. I was busy most Sundays helping my mom clean out her home after the death of my dad. This year I am still helping my mom, but my help is not as vital. I am able to carve out time for our family to hike, camp and explore our state. This summer, I knew we needed to get outside more, both for our sanity and as a summer survival tactic! I declared this summer, "The Summer of Camping!"

I mentioned my plan to a friend, who immediately pulled out her calendar and pushed me to pick weekends for camping. We settled on one weekend each month to camp together. I penciled in a few other times to camp as a family. Our first trip was to Lockett Meadow near Flagstaff, Arizona. The weather was beautiful for June. We left a bit later than usual due to an issue with our vehicle. When we arrived the campground was full, fortunately our friends had already found a campsite with room to share. We quickly settled into the space erecting our tent and pulling out our gear. Aine brought her small tent (a gift for her fourth birthday!) and promptly set it up with her friends. She decided she wanted to sleep for the first time in her tent with her friend.

Lockett Meadow is a gorgeous field surrounded by cinder cones. We set up chairs and a blanket in the meadow while the kiddos and dogs ran around the grass. Flowers, scattered throughout the meadow, caught their attention. The kids collected handfuls and quickly covered the blanket. With a little help, they crafted daisy chains - elaborate necklaces and crowns - for each other and the moms. A nearby tree swayed and bent under their weight as they climbed, looking like a group of orangutans. It was a fantastic moment.

After a bit of relaxation, our group set off for a hike along the Inner Basin Trail. The other dad had hiked it the previous day and promised snow at the top. The kids were ecstatic to see snow. They ran ahead and took mind pictures of the scenery. We wove our way to the top through tall stands of aspen. Their majestic canopies seemed to touch the sky. When we reached the snow, the kiddos were tired and done. After a bit of running in search of snow, they quickly regained their energy as they slid down the small patches of snow and built a snow mouse complete with baby carrot nose! When they had tired of the snow play, our friends suggested we hike a bit further. With promise of a view over the treeline only a few yards ahead, they persevered. The view was reward enough for all of us. We could see for miles. A few photos were snapped of our group and then we began the trek downward. Everyone did really well on the hike which ended up being a bit over six miles!

The kiddos continued to explore the campground throughout our stay. Eamon and Benton attempted to climb one of the nearby cones by themselves (under the watchful eye of mama and daddy on the ground). They made it partway up before turning back after concerns over possible poison ivy. Aine played with her friends and everyone hiked through the wooded areas. They found fallen logs and practiced their balancing. A hammock also occupied a lot of their time.

It was really a great camping spot, and we plan to return soon. We left renewed and eagerly planning our next camping outing.

Just like Last Year

 

Heather's house

Eamon's house

Aine's house

Benton's house

Our annual gingerbread house decorating went off without a hitch. This year we assembled all sorts of candies and returned to using graham crackers. The kiddos really prefer the open-ended quality of graham crackers. They each requested that we skip the kit this year. Each of us decorated our own house. I went with the traditional look, while each of the kiddos did their own thing. The houses lasted a few more days than last time. This year each of the kiddos ate their own house and they split mine. No more Benton-zilla this time.

The Best Gift Ever

Yesterday morning when checking the mail slot to see if their wishlists had disappeared, Eamon and Aine discovered a sealed envelope. There was no writing on the front. With a bit of parental prodding, they decided to open it. Inside was a letter from Santa. The letter mentioned the gift last year and how it was a bit late (a cabin weekend in the snow after New Year's). Santa apologized for the crazy schedule and said this year their gift would be early. He provided GPS coordinates, a meeting time and instructions to ask for Jasmine. They would receive their Santa gift today!

With a new afternoon plan, the kiddos and I set out for our scheduled field trip and park day. Theories abounded throughout the morning and early afternoon. They had no idea what the gift could be, but they were excited. Dave arranged to leave work early and meet us at the designated spot. Eamon was concerned that we may not be there right at 4pm due to traffic. He worried about what would happen if we were a minute too late or too early. His worries were not realized, since we pulled up exactly on time with Dave right behind us. Immediately Eamon shouted that we were getting a dog after reading the sign along the street. Aine began jumping with excitement about a dog named "Jasmine." Only Benton was worried, because he has been wanting a yellow dog (lab or golden retriever), which he would call Butterscotch. I finally convinced him to get out of the car, so we could even see what Santa had in store. Dave and I were still not convinced a dog was in the cards for our family!

When we entered the shelter, there was quite a line. As we stood waiting, a tech brought out a puppy with red leash and collar, adorned with a bow and candy cane bandana. She asked if anyone was waiting for this puppy. Aine hurriedly asked what the dog's name was, only to be bowled over when the tech replied, "Jasmine." The rest of the visit was a blur of snuggles and love. Jasmine was quite subdued, still a bit sedated from her earlier spaying. She snuggled up with each of the kiddos enjoying the attention. We signed a few forms, thanked the staff and gave a nod to Santa before heading out the door. All of us were still a bit shocked as we headed home. The kiddos could not believe WE had a dog. They declared her the best Santa gift ever.

Once home, we discovered that Santa had visited again bringing a crate, dog food and bowls. Jasmine was set. Friends came over to meet our new family member. She snuggled with everyone. Each of the kiddos keep holding her proclaiming her the best dog or the cutest. I think I even heard one of them call her "adorbs."

The love fest has continued into today. I think our whole family is glad Santa decided we were ready for a dog. This little 12 week old lab mix puppy is perfect for us.

Tiny Stitches

The mornings have been gorgeous and cool. After my walk in the brisk morning air, I have been picking up my needles to either knit or embroider for a bit. Recently I pulled out the Winterwoods sampler I bought last year from Alicia. I hesitated when she first released the pattern. I live in the southwest, and our winter is so very different from most of the United States. After our time in Virginia I changed my mind, I still love the feel of fall and the memories of my childhood spent in colder climates. With cooler weather here, it seemed the perfect time to begin the cross-stitch sampler.

Clad in jeans, a long sleeved shirt and flip flops, I took up residence on the front porch this weekend. The kiddos rode bikes and played in the driveway. Intermittently they would come over to check out my progress. Aine commented on how much she liked my shirt, a rare comment from the eight year old fashionista, who thinks her mom is rather pedestrian in her dress. Then she counted the figures on the sampler to help me figure out how much to finish each day. Eamon recounted to make sure she was correct, and because we forgot how many she had. We made a plan. So far I have two rows complete and the beginnings of a third. This meditative stitching is really perfect for me right now. My current knitting pattern requires too much concentration. The kiddos continue to race around our park and climb trees, while I marvel at the beauty of our world. With weather like this, I am sure the sampler should be done this week. It is too hard not to spend this time on the porch. 

Hiking Adventures

This weekend was full of hiking. Although the temperatures are in the nineties, there is still a bit of hiking to be done around town. On Saturday, Dave suggested a quick daytrip to Mount Ord. This peak is the second highest mountain in the Mazatzal Range of central Arizona. After a quick trip from home, we reached our goal. The road from the bottom takes you from the plants of the Sonoran desert to a deciduous forest of oaks. It is a rough dirt road that jostled us along the way. The ascent was a bit scary since the road is narrow, and the edge drops precipitously into the valley floor. I must admit I was a bit white knuckled during parts of it, but Dave handled it like a pro. When the road ended, we still had a bit of trail to go before the top. We walked the remaining 3/4 mile and were rewarded by an amazing view. We could see Four Peaks and Roosevelt Lake. There were many radio towers on the top as well as a fire tower. The kiddos were disappointed that we couldn't climb to the top of the tower. They are hoping we can return sometime when a ranger is present who will take us to the top. The temperatures at the top of the peak were much cooler than home in the Phoenix valley. The temperature dropped over 25 degrees. As we walked down to our car, the kiddos all wished they had jackets. Not a normal occurrence at the end of May in central Arizona.

On Sunday, Dave and I woke up early to take a more arduous hike by ourselves. We set out before anyone else was awake to hike to Tom's Thumb in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. With the kiddos safe under grandma's watchful eye, we enjoyed a 5.5 mile hike. The initial mile and a half was a bit tough as we made our ascent. The trail eventually leveled out a bit, so our huffing and puffing eased. The views were gorgeous. We stopped at the end of the Lookout Trail for apples, water and some conversation. We watched a few hummingbirds stop among the cacti as well as a plane flying low between the hills. Our trip down went much more quickly. Dave spotted a snake curled up near the path among the rock crevices. We didn't stick around to determine what type of snake it was. After only a few hours we were back home to enjoy the end of breakfast with the family.