July off with a bang :)

Well as of now I have 3 more I can cross off the list. Try as I might to be clever and cute about it, I think the pure exhaustion of coming home after being gone for so long and so much to catch up on and do upon our return has hit me hard. Never mind the blasted heat.....which is funny in itself considering I've been vacationing in Arizona for the past 11 or so days. The thing is I had no idea that you could visit a slice of 'heaven' in the middle of the dessert of Arizona.

Last week the kids and I traveled up to Pine, Arizona and rented a cabin (thus crossing off #88). I knew the place would be pretty fun since it had a tennis court in walking distance and it was in a locked community needing a key to get into. The place however, was more then I expected. No, not the cabin. It was sweet, and fit our family perfect but where it was was more then I could have hoped for. The kids got to experience so much this trip. From learning to catch crawdads (thanks to Dennis), having a bat nestled one evening in the rafters outside on the huge porch, the taranchula that crossed the suburbans path one late afternoon, the deer walking through the backyard (until Jessica yelled "deer mommy deer!" that is), the snake that Jessica and Taylor (Dennis's daughter) caught, the fishing in the lakes and the fabulous firework show God provided just about each evening in the sky (lightening storms).

While there we did rent a boat and that then crosses off number 90. We traveled down to Rosevelt Lake (about an hour outside of Payson) me, Dennis and our combined 8 children. Talk about an adventure. The boat was a huge highlight to all the kids ....well I think honestly being towed behind the boat in the intertube was what they will remember the most.

Finally, the streets outside near Dennis's home had 'cherry' trees or 'Plerry' (because they insist they taste like plums) as my kids have labeled them and so I figured I could cross off yet one more since the kids had their fair share of picking off the trees. That then crosses off number 62.

July....off to a huge start, and Im sure many more to cross off in the very near future :)