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The kids are now back in school after being on a nearly three-week fall break. It was fun-filled and we had a lot going on during this time. It started with my parents visiting and then Kayla’s mom visiting right afterwards. There was no shortage of fun for the kids, Kayla, and I. The kids got to go see Disney Toy Story on Ice in Tucson which they enjoyed.

It sure seems like when you’re having fun, there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get all the planned activities worked out! We had a lot of things that we did not get to do. Those plans will just have to wait for the next break. There certainly is no disappointment and in fact there’s a little bit of excitement because we actually are enjoying having some downtime now.

It was long overdue and a much welcomed visit from my parents. We were all really excited to have my parents come stay with us for a while and get preferential treatment while they were here! The kids absolutely enjoyed having them here and of course what all grandparents do is from time to time is spoil the heck out of their grandchildren! There was no shortage of that for sure!!

Having my parents here was very memorable and there was a lot of laughter, love, and good eating! We sure had a hard time seeing them leave and we are fully committed to having them come back very soon! There’s nothing stronger than the bond of love you get from family.

Now that the hot summer months here in Arizona have finally gone away, we were able to take a short family outing and hike the nearby mountains. The kids had such a great time and thought that it would be fun to stop along the way and pick up a few rocks! Ha ha Ha!!! There is no doubt that we are looking forward to our first winter here in Arizona. This will be the first winter that we won’t have to go into hibernation and stay indoors! Not only that, but we won’t have to shovel the dreaded snow It will be nice to be able to just enjoy the snow from the pictures that are friends post on Facebook!

After enjoying a short summer, the kids are back in school. The kids were really excited to start their new schools so they could meet lots of new friends. It is hard to believe three weeks have passed by since they started at their new schools. It is safe to say that the school year is off to a great start!

Bailey has been doing really well and has met lots of great new friends. He was just telling Kayla and I that he is anxious for the weather to cool down so he can be outside with his friends.

Jayden has also met some friends which she was excited to tell Kayla and I about. Jayden is also a comedian just like her dad! Jayden was walking outside the other morning and told Kayla; “It sure is cold out here this morning!”

Kayla laughed because she looked at the temperature on her phone and it was 89 degrees. Now if that isn’t a sign that our blood is already thinning out and we have adjusted to the climate here in Arizona already!

We experienced our first “Haboob” which is the term natives use to call a dust storm which hit here yesterday evening in the Phoenix Area. We spoke to several neighbors and friends that have lived here for a really long time and they all said that the dust storm that swept through the valley was the worst they have seen it.

It was interesting but as Kayla and I said….we will take the occasional dust storms over the Midwest tornadoes and large hail any day! The dust storm sure did leave a lot of cleanup both outdoors and indoors. The wind and dust/dirt from the storm was so bad that it actually made it through the doorway cracks and window seals that have been warped over the years from all the high desert heat. The most interesting part of it all was actually sitting by the windows watching the storm roll through and as it did, you could actually smell and taste the dust/dirt in your mouth (remember, we were inside)!.

According to some news and weather people, this storm that rolled through was the worst on history. I personally didn’t think it was really THAT bad…but hey, I probably think that because I am use to much more extreme (severe) weather from the Midwest.

After months of waiting to get a little pet, Jayden finally gets one! The picture below is her new pet. She is so excited and has been talking about “Lilly” non-stop for the last couple of days. This little tortoise is now in good hands with Jayden!

This past weekend, a friend of mine came to visit and wanted to go for a mountain hike. We ended up hiking the Flatiron Mountain which is approximately 5.52 miles total round-trip. This mountain is very popular because of the challenge it presents. If I am reading the output right on my GPS, the climb for elevation is near 2,800 foot gain. The top of the mountain stands at a whopping 4861 feet of elevation. Once you take the Siphon Trail to the base of Flatiron, you begin your very steep climb. The hardest part of the climb is when you get almost to the top and you hit a 12 foot vertical wall that is straight up! You have to wedge yourself between rocks and shimmy up the crack in the walls. It is very tough but doable. Most people make it to this point and turn back because of the sheer complexity! If you can make the climb, once you get to the top you will be in awe! The views are spectacular.

I talked with a girl who was hiking this mountain and she told me that I was nuts for picking this mountain for my first hike EVER! She said that a lot of people start out with the Camelback Mountian. In fact, she joked and said, this mountain length wise would be liking hiking Camelback twice! But even then, the Flatiron was much more harder just because of all the upward climbing and scrambling you have to do. If you are up for a strenuous hike and want lots of challenges, this hike would be a perfect fit. Click the picture below to view the picture album from the hike.

This morning, I was taking out the trash and I had noticed one of the cactus in the yard had bloomed. The landscape here in Arizona is much different than the Midwest but it sure does amaze me when you see things like this!

We are not in Kansas any more Toto! With that being said, it is time to explore what the trails are like here in Arizona. The trails in Kansas are one thing but I am looking forward to exploring the trails here in Arizona! It was time for an bike upgrade because the terrain is much different here. So I decided to buy a Giant Trance X3, full suspension mountain bike. I will be taking a little adventure this weekend to see what the nearby trails have to offer!

Well, it has been an interesting day! Kayla and the kids tried to fly back to Kansas early this morning but instead were greeted with a canceled flight. Kayla and the kids were there at the airport for just a little over 2 hours before learning that their flight had been canceled. Luckily, I was able to drive back out to the airport and pick Kayla and the kids up so they didn’t have to sit at the airport all day. The next flight they would have been able to make would have been nearly 8 hours of waiting so I knew that the kids and Kayla could not wait that long!

After spending several more hours with Kayla and the kids at home, they have finally have boarded their plane and headed back to KS! I guess it was just a sign that the family wasn’t quite ready to leave Arizona! It was great having Kayla and the kids here for 5 days but I am sad to see them leave! They sure will be missed and I can’t wait for June to hurry up and get here!