Rain, Rain, Rain

This spring, we have had an incredible amount of rain! I am so glad that I know a wonderful general contractor with some serious skills! Why, you might ask? Because I think me might need an ark, and he could build one for us.

We have been joking all spring about how we feel like we live in the Pacific Northwest not the desert. If you were to be dropped off in the middle of the valley and no one told you where you were, you would never guess that you were in the second driest state in the nation.

There has been so much rain today that the pump on our pool cover could not keep up. Generally the water pump can easily keep up with the rain, so there is rarely standing water on the pool cover, but not today! In fact we had a duck couple swimming around on top of the cover. This isn't the first time we've had ducks on the pool cover.  Sometimes when the ducks visit our yard they do go on the pool cover and walk around eating bugs or worms, but this was the first time we have seen them going for a swim!

A Respite In Winter,

What would be worth driving for two days, one way, to Tucson, Arizona? . . . Coat Free Days and an exceptional entertainment! We left for the land of sun in the afternoon of Thursday, January, 13th and drove to Las Vegas, where we spent the night with Adam, Lisa, Tanner and Kylie.  As always, they showed us the utmost level of hospitality. We headed out the next morning, at 10:00, to Ginni and Nathan's place in Arizona's San Tan Valley.  The map said it was a mere 392 miles away. Then why did it take us 8 hours?  You might say, "you must have stopped in every town along the way".  But I would have to answer, "nay, nay"! (that's for you Jay, thank you John Pinette) We stopped once for gas and a potty break and that was all.  When the map said 392 miles, it forgot to mention that the average speed limit was posted at "snail".  A bright spot was that we did get to finish our audio book.  I guess it is a good policy to look for any happy thought when enduring 9 hours (the day after a 6 hour drive) couped up in a car with 7 people...and a dog!  It's a good thing she had a bath the day before we left. Needless to say, we were relieved to pull up to Ginni's house, just as the sun was setting.


Ginni, always the consummate hostess, made us all feel at home.  Visiting her and Nathan's house is like going to a five star hotel. The accommodations are always beautifully appointed, and the food...fabulous! Not to mention the great company. Grandma Sherry and Ken also live in the San Tan Valley and it was so wonderful to see them and spend some time with them.  Bobi, Kendra and Alyssa all came too.  It was like a mini family reunion.


Saturday morning, January 15, we were treated to crepes, thank you Ginni, before we left for Tuscon to see Wicked, the musical.  We were all so excited!  Nearly every school morning, for a couple of years now, our 3 youngest children have been awakened to the day by a long, yet never tiresome, list of Broadway Musical hits. Every thing from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dream Coat, Phantom of the Oprah and the ever cheerful, Les Mis.  But their all time favorite would have to be the music from Wicked. Our 3 Broadway Music aficionados, Keira (7), Elise (3 days shy of 9) and Rob (13 going on 42) were so excited that they were actually going to see the play in person.  They have been begging us to see Wicked for so long, and now their "dream" was coming true.  I say "dream" because when they would ask me to go to New York or San Francisco to see the play, my answer was generally along the lines of "dream on!".  I suppose it is good that they know that sometimes dreams do come true.


The play was Fabulous!  We all had a grand time.  After a stop by Red Robin - Yum!, we started the hour plus drive back from Tucson to the San Tan Valley.  When we arrived back at Ginni and Nathans's home, a tragedy had occurred.  

Roxi, our white, fluffy, cuddly and not to mention beloved dog had escaped her backyard prison, for the wide open Arizona frontier.  It was after 9:00 at night and pitch dark.  Our kids, were beside themselves with grief!  How could such a wonderful day end with such a painful experience?  Even Dad, although he would never admit it, was upset by this terrible turn of events.  Fortunately for us, Juan, the good Samaritan from around the corner, had rescued Roxi from her wanderlust ways.  When he was bringing in his groceries, just one hour after we had left for the play, Roxi ran into his house and made herself right at home for the next 10 hours.  Roxi always has been a little mooch!  Dear Juan and his wife did all they could to help this dog who had gone on a walk-about in a foreign land.  They called the long distance phone number on her tag (I should have put my cell number on it, instead of our home number...since we weren't home!) They made posters and hung them up on the stop signs on every corner in the neighborhood. They even fed her...dog food...from a can!  Oh, will she ever go back to the old hard and taste-less fodder she has always gotten from us? Yeah, she will!  She doesn't have a choice.  That is what is going to happen, dry dog food is the only thing on the menu at our place. And since she doesn't have a job to pay for the canned delight she had while on vacation, she gets what we feed her.    Needless to say, there was much joyful celebration that night, when our wayward child was welcomed home with open arms.  We would have killed the fatted calf to have a feast...if we weren't so tired.


The next morning, we left for home.  Yes, if you are counting, we were in Southern Arizona for a grand total of one full day.  We had a great time, but it was time to head back to the deep freeze of Northern Utah in January. We ate a delicious breakfast, (Ginni, you are wonderful! Thanks again!) and headed north.  

When we were just about 20 minutes north of Phoenix, and a little more than 2 hours on the road, I had a fabulous idea. Ok, fabulous to me, no one else seemed to think it was that great of an idea, but being the dutiful family that they are, they complied. 


There were so many swarrow cacti along the side of the road, I thought, it would be fun to stop and take some pictures next to them. Since we spent only one full day and 2 half days in Arizona, it occurred to me it would be a great memory maker to stop and take a picture so we could recall our fast foray to warm temperatures.  So, we pulled off the highway, jumped out of the car and started trudging through the brush to the closest swarrow cactus.  

We were amazed at the size of them!  From the road they looked as though they were about 5 or 6 feet tall.  Oh no, they had to have reached a good 20 feet or more, into the sky.  Once we got close to one of these majestic prickly monsters, everyone was glad we stopped, and the fun began.

Mylee couldn't resist giving Mr. Right a peck on the cheeck...Hmm, I think there might be someone who was wishing they were that cactus.

Mylee, Seriously? Ouch! Proof that big sisters do sometimes torture their little sisters.

Hanging under the shade of a cactus tree.  Let the good times roll!

Time well spent...being silly!


Since we had already blown our, get home with as few stops as possible, policy.  We stopped again at Montezuma's Castle, the Native American ruins an hour north of Phoenix.

In 1993, when Jay was going to flight school in Phoenix, the family visited Montezuma's castle and thought it would be fun to see it again.  At the time, our family consisted of three souls, Jay, Julie and Mylee. Oh, how times have changed.  Now there are seven of us! Plus a dog. 

We had a lot of fun strolling along the walking path, enjoying the warm weather and each others company.  

Mylee does not remember the last time we were there.  I guess she has a good excuse, she was not quite 2 years old.  We have pictures of her sitting on the wall by the parking lot, so we decided to recreate that event. 

Then we had everyone else sit on the wall to show how much our family has changed in the last 17 years. I can not believe it has been so long. The old adage of "time flies" is absolutely based in reality.  It seems like yesterday we lived in Phoenix and only had one little girl. I don't feel any older, just wiser.