Arizona

Arizona is all that we hoped and imagined that it would be, and more (and more and more and more).

I had a few fears and apprehensions as we planned this move. My parents have been empty nesters all summer, a luxury that they have been long awaiting. Before that, they hosted an array of visitors ranging in relation and reasons for coming and staying, but all of them over the age of 18. There is something different about hosting a 1 and 3 year old. They tend to "cramp your style" a little more. When we first arrived my parents were in Pennsylvania with my oldest brother and his family, so we had a couple days to organize all of our things, get settled in, and back on track with our schedules. The house was ready for us. A room for the kids decked out in Thomas the Train complete with the kids' names painted on the wall. Silas was delighted. A room for us with windows facing the rising sun and all the cozy, relaxed feelings that home provides. It didn't take long for us to embrace the gift God had given us.

Jordan quickly found the lawn mower and dusted off his yard keeping skills.

We started to get adjusted to the climate change. This picture doesn't show it well, but rosy red cheeks and sweaty brows are typical sights with the kids.

We were thrilled when my parents came back. My mom and I do things very similarly. I love that right around afternoon naps, we are both starting to wonder what we will do for dinner. I love that we can laugh about the creations we'll come up with from the fridge. I know we can share our plans, change our plans, include each other in our plans, and make our own plans as needed. She understands our need for independence and wants to help whenever she can. I understand their need for some quiet and space without toys strewn about. Some evenings we all wind up on the couch watching a movie or TV together. Other nights we gather on the front porch under the stars to catch up on our busy days. Sometimes we just do our own activities, enjoying the fact that we get to do them under the same roof. There is just a comfort and relaxation and peace here, so refreshing and calming...a huge need for us following the season of intensity we have been in for the last year.

The kids are feeling the same way...well, that's what I am guessing. They both really struggled to get into good sleeping habits when we got here. There have been many night time wakings, and very early morning rising. Jewel is getting back on track, Silas is still working out some kinks. Granted, we have been busy since we walked through the door. Not a bad busy, we have a lot of catching up to do with our family here, but still very busy.

Across the street my cousin Tasha and her family are living. She and her husband, Ryan, have two kids that are miraculously close in age to mine. Roderick is 5 and Avery almost 2. Many days start with Silas asking if Roderick can play. We spend many mornings listening to the boys play cars and airplanes, watching them build forts, and rolling our eyes at their wild and silly little boy humor at the table. Then at 10:50 Roderick has his farewell party at the end of the driveway as he heads off to kindergarten for the afternoon.

Silas loves his little cousin Avery, and sweetly says "Come on Avery-Girl, let's jump on the trampoline."
We are getting creative with water play...it is still summer time here!
The best part about this picture is that it will forever remind me of Jewel's first self tanning bust. The kids had been outside for a while, and I was all of sudden noticing pink shoulders and cheeks. It was our first week here, so I wasn't totally organized with my things nor did I totally know where all of my mom's things were. I did a quick search for some sunscreen, but I didn't find any and I didn't want to leave the kids outside alone. The only thing I could find was my Arbonne self tanner. It is SPF 15, so I figured that was better than burned babies. I gave everyone a quick spritz. Silas and Avery were fine, but not long after I gave Jewel her even coating, her big brother poured a cup of water on her head. It washed the self tanner off a portion of her back. She had a dark brown streak of tan across her back for a week. So, the moral of the story is, yes...Arbonne self tanning spray WORKS...but do not use it in wet conditions :)