Our Family Summer Get Away's

Fossil Creek, Az. ~ between Camp Verde and Strawberry

June picnic

Natural Spring creek

Nolan, Jack, Britton and Mona Claire
Perfect shady spot for a picnic.

Daddy and brave little baby Mona enjoying the cool rushing waters

Britton saving Jack from sliding down a little water fall..... again.

Flagstaff, Arizona

just me and my sweetie

APS annual Softball Tourny

We took a hike on a gorgeous trail to Bismark Lake

Pine Trees and Beautiful Aspens and the ground was covered in Ferns and wild flowers.

Wild Flowers. Humphrey's Peak in the background.

I could have stayed here all day long listening to the wind blow through the Aspens



APS softball tourny

Yeah, I actually hit it.

Show Low, Az.

Grandma and Grandpa Wilson's Home

4th of July


Thanks again for having us Grandpa and Grandma! We had so much fun!!

xoxo

I loved sitting on the porch sipping my coffee in the cool morning air while watching

 the cattle and horses.

Riding the ATV's in Granpa and Grandma's back yard.

Riding in Grandpa's boat on Fool's Hollow Lake is the highlight of the trip for the boys.

Captain Jack

Captain Nolan

Hiking

If you take your eyes of Jack he finds his way up the nearest rock as quick as a mountain goat.

Trying to give mommy a heart attack.

Daddy 'rescuing' Jack once again much to his dismay.

S'more Time!

Chocolate Baby Kisses.

Feeding the donkey and miniature horses next to Grandpa's house.

Playing horse shoes.

Until Mona stole the stake......

my chauffeur

Outdoor Family Expo at Ben Avery

A couple of weeks ago we loaded every one up and drove out to Ben Avery Shooting Range for

a huge Outdoor Family Expo. {This is what you do on a Sunday when you have 4 boys in the house}

There were several shooting 'booths' for practicing {more like playing} and camping gear galore, outdoor toys and vehicles and a big fishing tank for the kids to do a little catch and release. Don't get me started on my feelings about that. The things I'll turn a blind eye to so the kids can have fun.

Nolan got a chance to catch TWO fish. He was pretty proud of himself.

Of course at first he was "pretty nervous" about the whole idea.

When he caught his first fish however, he was thrilled.

Jack's Fish.

Mona thought the fish were pretty interesting as they did her. Look at them staring at her.

Baby has shades!

Britton shot this old fashioned sniper rifle at 440 Yards and hit the target {a tin javelina} in the butt.

Next up Dad. Looking very cute  armed and dangerous, he unfortunatly missed the target. Oh well, I'd rather they not get to excited about this 'hobby'.

 I love it!  Look at that sweet baby. I love how Nolan is 4 1/2 years old but still has cute baby features.

V-Day Fun with Chocolate Dipped Marshmellows and Home Made Valentine grams

Happy Valentines Day!  Jim and I don't really 'celebrate' Valentines Day per say. I think it's a silly 'holliday'.  Yup, I'm one of those. I did get a new wedding ring coincidentally to replace my original one that I accidentally threw out in my scrubs when on call a couple of years ago. In my defense, it was late at night, I was 12 weeks pregnant with Mona and sick. It's so pretty, I love it! It's a LeVian 'chocolate' diamond... also coincidentally, totally nothing to do with Valentines Day. ;)

Valentines Day is however a pretty big deal when your in Kindergarten. Do you remember how fun it was to decorate a shoe box with tissue paper and glitter and big red construction paper hearts? Then wait in anticipation over getting Valentine cards and candy. Later, in like 3rd grade, maybe agonizing over how many V-Day heart shaped Lolli Pop 'Grams' you would or wouldn't get. The Drama. So glad I have 3 boys, less drama right? ;)

I was a little late in finding these super cute Valentine's cards at Picnic. I love this site. I use it for all of my food photography for my food blog and make cute cards for holidays like these. Again, I just made these today, so none got sent out to Grandparents or cousins this year. I'm a slacker.

But what a cute idea to send personalized cards to the fam and friends!

How cute are these little cards? You can totally personalize them and print them out,
cut them out and hand out to all your peeps!

The kids and I also made Chocolate dipped marshmallow's with Pink sprinkles, cuz everythings better with chocolate and sprinkles right?. Fun!

Using a pen, poke holes in a box top

Find some chocolate for dipping that is everywhere this time of year.
Microwave, stir, dip.

Chocolate is too healthy.

Using cookie sticks found at the craft store, have your little helpers poke, dip and sprinkle
their marshmallows. Do this over a plate so you can 're-use' the sprinkles and for easy clean up.

Save this idea for next year! ;) 

The Arizona Desert Through My Eyes. A Family Hike.



It's New Years Day. January 1st. A New Year. A fresh start. I can't say I'm all that excited as my life was  pretty darn good last year, the last several years as a matter of fact.

 Life is good, if you'll excuse the cliche'.

We went for a hike today in the White Mountain's, close by our home. All kids in tow.

Despite the rough start, my own attitude to blame mostly, we ended up having a marvelous day.

The Arizona desert was breathtaking. Beautiful. Perfect.

Please excuse, or don't, my emotional attachment to my home.

I am feeling very Artistic and so these pictures are from my heart.

In fact, I not only did not appreciate, but hated the desert until only recently.

Embarrassingly, I thought it ugly. Boring. Dry. Dead.

So not true. Forgive me.

These are pictures depicting the absolute beauty of the Arizona desert in the Winter,

 through my eyes.

Beautiful.

Enjoy.

Snow caping the mountins, a rarity here in Arizona.

The End of hike. Water Fall Trail. A trickle to tease us. We'll take what we can get here in the desert.

My sweet boys. Nolan and Jack.

If only a picture could capture feelings forever. I love my sweet family. And such a perfect day.

Rugged. Beautiful. Arizona.

Again, feeling Artistic. Work with me. Love Arizona.

Sweet, sweet Baby Mona Claire. Perfect baby through the whole hike. Look at those eyes.

Petroglyphs. Our heritage.  Enough to think about for a bit.

Only here can you find the comfort of home, of centuries of memories cut into stone. Forever depicting what was and what will be. Nature only can bring that to ones heart so steadily.

~Gwen

As if from a dream. Only close your eyes and you are home.

Yes, it is from my eyes only. My heart belongs to the Arizona desert. What I see.

Through my eyes. Rugged. Beautiful. Perfect.