Arizona... part one...

That hot Arizona sun was fabulous this last weekend. It was in the low 90's each day and actually not as "HOT" as I thought it would be... I loved feeling the sun beat down on me after our long cold winter. But arriving home and looking at the beautiful green which surrounds our valley in the spring was a major contrast to the barren Arizona backdrop. We had fun looking at all the different cacti species (which we both, just HAD to touch... word to those wiser than us... yes they are prickly!) and "zeroscaping". But I have decided I am a grass girl... I love being "barefoot in the grass" and thinking about it, I just don't think it would give me the same rush if I was "barefoot in the gravel" or "barefoot on the 220 degree cement". So I'm happy to be back to the cooler spring temperatures, even if I do have to check outside each morning to decide what I should wear for the day... thermals and a sweater... or shorts and a T-shirt!

The view from my backyard... It's definitely worth coming home too!

While we were off enjoying ourselves, our kids were home bawling all day because they missed us so much... NOT! They were being very well cared for by our awesome neighbors and friends Jimmy and Rachel. I wanted the girls to not be sad of course, but I wasn't sure that I wanted Kenna my 4 year old getting quite so excited when we jokingly asked her if she wanted us to leave again this weekend. There was FAR to much enthusiasm in her hopeful "REALLY". Truth be told it was very reassuring to leave our precious girls in such loving arms, we feel very blessed to know people like them. (They spoiled my little Jadyn though - she wanted me to read her books ALL DAY LONG today! That's how I know that they will make the best parents ever! I'm going to have to take some lessons from them!)

Being away from my girls is a very odd experience for me. I find when I leave them that I can actually forget about them for an hour at a time... and I don't like that! They mean everything too me and every moment in my daily life is filled with where they are, what they are doing and where I need to get them to next. When they aren't around me and I don't have that responsibility on me I feel a little lost... lonely... and guilty while at the same time I am enjoying the peace I am experiencing. (I'm sure that this may remind my parents and Andy of the little breakdown I had in a Burger King in Cairns Australia - in my defense I had left my then two little girls for 19 days and we were only half way through the trip - Most mothers might have had the same reaction , I mean would they even remember me after that long?? But the beautiful Great Barrier Reef was admittedly a strange place for me to freak out at!) All in all taking some time off was a good experience for all of us. It helps us to realize where our greatest treasures lie. For me it is wherever my family is all together!

More about Arizona tomorrow... my girls are hungry...