Weekend Warriors

These past few months we have been so focused on finding jobs and moving and moving and MOVING. We felt we needed a weekend to just relax and have some fun. Nona and Grumpy agreed, so we all packed up a picnic and some other essentials and headed to.....

THE GRAND CANYON!

I have lived a short distance (about 2 hours away) from the grand canyon ever since I was 16 and have NEVER seen it before. So better late than never right. :)

On our way we stopped at a historical settlement called Pipe Springs. This place was fascinating. It talked about how travelers, the Latter Day Saint settlers and the Indians all came together and worked as one to share and use the precious water source found there. We didn't actually tour the settlement because Mom said it took over an hour in the heat. But I pocketed the idea of coming back for the full experience tour and all.

 After our visit to Pipe Springs we were back on the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It wasn't as busy as I'd thought it would be which was nice. The kids were super excited to get out of the car again and check this place out. We walked down to where the North Rim trail started and took the short hike to the rim. It was quite an adventure with two little kids; Avery wanted a  picture every 5 feet and keeping Kilian on the trail was an adventure in its own right. Still we made it to the overlook and it was definitely worth it. The canyon is beautiful and HUGE, at times I couldn't even wrap my head around it. It was unbelievable.

On our way back down the trail we stopped in a shady spot to rest and that's when Kilian decided he had had enough and this was as good a place as any to just sit and play with his car. :p Getting him to follow and keep following was a bit of a chore after that. Finally I had to pick him up and put him on my shoulders. Usually this wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it was a vigorous workout because it encompassed the last of the trail, which was also a steep hill up. But we made it ok and headed to the visitors center. There we learned about a spunky donkey named Brightly who worked in the grand canyon a long time ago and who saved his owner. I cant remember the whole story, but I found a book about him in the gift shop and purchased it to learn more. After the visitors center and gift shop we headed back down the road to find a quiet picnic table to have lunch before heading back home. All in all it was a good and much needed day of fun.

Just Keep Swimming

Avery has been having swim lessons with Nona and Grumpy on Tuesdays. It's the one day a week that Kaitlin (our daycare lady) cant take her after school because she is already maxed out on her kid to adult ratio. So Mom and Dad Armstrong have kindly agreed to help out on Tuesdays and to have that officially Avery's Nona and Grumpy day. So we all thought this would be a good time for Avery to learn to swim. She has been so scared of learning to swim, but with the help of her Nona and Grumpy she is making huge strides forward. We are so proud of her and her determination and bravery to face her fear and learn something new. A great lesson to us all that even though we are scared we can still try and overcome that fear.

Daycare

James always asks me how Kilian reacts when I go to pick him up from daycare. So I decided to film myself picking him up so that he could get an idea...enjoy! :)

I cant believe how fast this boy is growing up. It's so fun to watch but at the same time sad to see my baby becoming a little boy. I know that's cheesy and unless your a parent you wont understand. But it is 100% true. I sure love my kiddo's. 💗

Everyday Joys

With my job at Lincare, I have the opportunity to travel around the St George area and visit patients in their homes. Its nice to be able to get out of the office, especially on beautiful sunny days. Which are quite frequent here 😁. But still there is something freeing about not being tied to a desk and to see the beauty the desert provides. Once again I am reminded of how much I missed it here.