Michelle & Riley

 

Just got these photos done from when the Weber's visited Christmas week.  We just took a few minutes of their visit to snap some headshots and cute couple photos in our front yard.  These people are pure gold.  They're the real deal, and it's been fun taking some of their photos over the years like these ones in 2019.  Michelle is such a babe, I mean look at her!

Riley is a foodie and so much fun too!

We visited them in New Mexico last year and can't wait to see them again.  Their kids just get along so well with our kids and Riley and Andrew get along so well, just like Michelle and me.  Besties all around. I made video of that trip here.

Maybe some day they'll live in Arizona again.

Valentine’s Day

These photos uploaded out of order since I’m writing from my phone (I usually post from the computer) and that’s ok.  We had a great Valentine’s Day this year! It was actually really fun having it on a Sunday. Andrew stayed home in bed most of the day (more about his hernia surgery on a future post) and I took the kids to church and had Relief Society on zoom and it was nice having Andrew home and not in church meetings half the day.

Avery’s  cookie and card from the photo above were

from Bishop Ashcroft. Elliot didn’t understand why he didn’t get one too. It is funny how girls are meant to be spoiled on Valentine’s Day even though it’s a day of love for everyone. Not complaining!

These are some Valentines that came in the mail from the Manning family. I love seeing the kids in all their red, pink, and white.

 Here are what I have the kids and Andrew. The kids got a valentine, conversation hearts, a mini box of chocolates, airheads, and a chocolate carmel. Andrew got his favorite Heinz baked beans, mushy peas, Mars bar, Aero chocolate, and Cadbury. Basically some English things he loves and misses.  We kept it really simple this year.

The heart shaped pizzas were a big hit for dinner. It’s something I don’t do every year but when we do it really makes dinner extra special.

Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day too!

Second Water trail

 

Rachel Willis invited us to hike with some of her family on Saturday so I invited dad and met up with them.  It really was the perfect day for a hike. Slightly chill at the start, but once you get going just perfect.  Also it was overcast most of the time so perfect for lighting and just nice temperature the whole way along.  This really is Arizona hiking season.  

This head trail is close to Hackberry Springs we hiked last week, and even has a trail that connects them at one point that part of our group went down part ways.  Such a beautiful trail, but there's spots of char along like many of the hikes in the Superstition mountain area since that big fire last year.

It was fun having Dad with is since this is a trail he's very familiar with.  He remembers hiking it as a boy scout, and taking his boys scouts on it as a leader.  I ended up going all the way to the end of the trail where it meets up with Boulder Canyon looking for Elliot and Rupert.  Thankfully they were somewhere else with part of our group.  We learned some lessons this day, like better communication before hand, and snacks and water on every person incase we split up.

Dad had his Run Keeper app going and he hiked about 6 1/2 miles.  Since I went to the end of the trail I got it over 8 miles.  Wasn't part of the plan but I'm glad to know what it's like.  I recognized the end of Second Water trail because I saw it when hiking Boulder Canyon, training for the Grand Canyon last year. We might hike it again later this year.

All in all the kids had great attitudes the whole way.  Not the case when we left the house. ;)  They think they don't like hiking but when we get going they're at the front of the group.  We planned on hiking 3 miles and they did over twice that so I'm proud of them and their hiking abilities.

Hackberry Springs trail

 On Saturday we hiked a trail I've been wanting to try since hearing about it a few months ago.  Before the Grand Canyon our group hiked it in training and I missed that day.  It's in the Superstition Mountain range and there are a bunch other trails in the area that are new to me that'll be great for future hikes.  

Since it rained, and even snowed on the mountains, a week or so ago there were some fun puddles along the way that made it extra fun for the kids.  Gary Hinton messaged Rachel Willis he was hiking on Saturday so we joined him.  Bea stayed home with Andrew and Rachel brought her mom and Morgan along.  Katie wanted to come but had karate.

It looked like the cactus was reaching it's arm out for a hug. :)

This is where the actual spring is, right up at the base of a cliff.  The kids caught minnows and brought three home against my recommendation.  One of them are still alive.  There's a pipe that is under the water and comes out from the mountain with fresh spring water.

There was a scout group ahead of us at the spring and one of them kindly took our group shot. :)

It was about 1 1/2 miles to the spring.  Then we took a different way back going down the wash where we could see all the puddles of water.  It brought us back to an empty horse corral and a trail that leads to the dirt road where the parking lot was.

It really was a beautiful hike we want to return to some time.  Dad hasn't ever done it because it's a new trail.  Gary said they put up the trail signs about a year ago, and the trail is well marked now.  Look forward to our return to this area.  Such a beautiful desert trail area with all those saguaro cactus.  Apart from Zara falling and getting a bit scraped up at the end we all had such a positive experience.

last year quarantine photos

 

Last June we had these photos taken and they need to be in this space.  Brittany Clark from Little Clark Creative did these front porch mini shoots last year since we were all in quarantine in the early months of covid and it was the best idea!  It was so good to not wear a dress and feel like we need to be fancy, but just wear everyday clothes and have fun in our front yard.  Way less stressful and it really captured us in the comfort of our home.  

Get ready for a lot of photos! :)

Everyone as already grown so much since then, especially Beatrix.  Elliot is taller than me now too!  This is why we try to take family photos every year.  It's something I think is worth the investment.  Andrew doesn't think it's as important but he's always a good sport about it. :)

Those bubbles were just magic.  I'll treasure these forever.  2020 was memorable after all.