an interesting turn of events

 

I have to admit, I don't think Avery would call it interesting.  Coming home from the lake on Saturday Avery was complaining about how all we have for lunch food is sandwiches and sandwiches are boring and could we please at out?  I didn't appreciate her attitude but after 3-4 hours at the lake with just snacks and it being around noon, a restaurant sounded like a good idea.

We pulled into the parking lot at Serranos and Avery was pulling her overalls on over her swimsuit when the fishhook she forgot about stuck through the jeans and in her leg.  She found it at the lake and put it in her jeans for later.  She's our little magpie and loves to collect things.  This was a lesson she learned the hard way - not to collect fishhooks.

Andrew tried to cut the hook with a utility knife but then it got stuck and broke.  Thankfully an urgent care shared the same parking lot so we decided I would take the kids unto the restaurant and start on chips and salsa while Andrew to Avery to urgent care to get the hook out.

Urgent care couldn't get it out so Andrew had to take Avery to the hospital and I called my parents to pick us up.  At the hospital the nurses told Andrew and Avery that she needed a tetanus shot and might need to be sedated if they need to cut the hook out so she couldn't eat anything.  That scared Avery and she was shivering from nerves and being a little cold so they gave her a blanket.

Eventually Avery got a room and later on a doctor came and was able to cut the hook and pull it through.  No tetanus shot needed because she's up to date with her immunizations, and no sedation but they did use a shot to numb the area.

Avery was a trooper and was so glad to have the fish hook out.  Her leg is red and bruised, and was swolen for a day but on the mend!

Glad to see Avery back to her normal smiley self.   It was ironic that she was the one that wanted to eat out the most but didn't get to.  Daddy did grab her some McDonalds on the way home after.  She deserved it. ;)

Butcher Jones

It's been a long time since we went to the lake!  We skipped last year with covid so I think it's been two years.  I gave Andrew a kayak for Christmas, very off season, so he's waited this long to give it a go.

He had one before but this one is inflatable and ended up being pretty quick getting it ready.  It was on the water the whole time as we all took turns taking it out on the water.  It's a two man but we squeezed three on for a couple trips. :)

The temperatures where just right.  Butcher Jones is a popular area so it got pretty busy by the time we left but there was plenty of space, especially in the water.  The water was on the cold side, just what to expect in April, but we still got in the water.  Maybe not all the way but it felt nice.

I gained some stress weight last year with quarantine/covid and made some bad eating habits so I'm getting used to this body.  I definitely feel better thinner but running regularly has helped.  Also loving my new swimsuit.  I've had several Jcrew swimsuits and they never disappoint.  Good fit, good quality.  This is the swimsuit I have now.

Above is right before we left, all those people.  Elliot and Rupert were working on a fortress made from rocks and sand right up until we left.

We look forward to taking the kayak out again!  We really could do with a couple more so our whole family could go out at the same time, or we could go down the river.  We'll see!

Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium

 

Last month on Wednesday of spring break the Weber family was in town and we went to the Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium with them.  This is our first time and it was amazing seeing different animals from the PHX zoo.  It felt like some of the larger animals were more up close.

Below there are monkeys that we watched climb those palm trees.  There's a boat ride that would have been fun to go around those trees, it was closed when we were there.

love how those birds coordinate with the paint

It seemed there were more birds than anything, but feeding the giraffe was really cool.  Their necks are so long so we got to stand on a raised deck to feed them.

The last photo Michelle took at a lego store we went to have the Zoo and lunch.  The kids probably played with and looked at legos for an hour. :)

Glad the Webers came in town so we could spend part of spring break with them.

Mesa Temple walks

 

My parents go on walks around the Mesa Temple nearly every day and sometimes Beatrix and I join them.  There are still fences around the perimeter of the grounds but the weather is nice in the morning and we get to see people working.  There's scaffolding up by the entrance in the photo above. 

We love seeing all the progress and comparing it to what we remember before all this.

We borrow Ruth's wagon to take Beatrix around and she always has a snack and a book.  Somehow she still ends up walking or wanting to be held part of the time. :)

Above is the new visitor center.  Not opened yet but Deseret Book next door is open now!  That whole area has gone through such a transformation the past few years, we can't wait for the temple to be open.  We look forward to the Easter Pageant next year too.  It'll feel so different.

Meteor Crater

 

After our snow lunch break in Flagstaff we headed to our day trip destination - Meteor Crater.  It's actually the largest intact meteor in the world.  Can't believe this was all our first time.  Such a cool place.

There's a visitor center there where you can see a 4D video, there's a museum where you can learn more about the history of Meteor Crater with a piece of meteor you can touch, and a gift shop at the end, of course.  The coolest part was going outside and walking around.  There are telescopes all around.  Some point to specific spots where it explains things to look for.

Do you see the little astronaut and US flag?

The wind was pretty crazy!

Such a cool place to visit!  It's always a pleasure to get to see more of Arizona.  We live in a beautiful state.