A DAY IN DEWEY

The Friday before school started, I decided to take the kids on one last adventure up north. We ended up at Mortimer Farms in Dewey, AZ, just outside of Prescott Valley. For $6 per person, we were able to play on their various attractions, pet and feed their farm animals, and pick our own fruits (vegetables and flowers were also available). Because it was a bit warmer on the day that we went, we basically had the place to ourselves. The kids were able to swing, climb, slide, play, race, jump, ride, and zip to their hearts' content. The farm had chickens, goats, sheep, and a donkey (plus the kids found about a million tiny toads in the grass throughout the day). We played for hours before taking a break for lunch. After we had finished eating, we filled four containers with strawberries and blackberries fresh from the patch. We may have even sampled some as we picked. Absolutely delicious. Five seconds after I snapped the last shot of the kids with their haul, someone decided to throw up the strawberries and blackberries she had eaten (methinks the heat and hard play had something to do with that). All in all, it was a fun adventure to wrap up our summer.

BACK TO SCHOOL

And they're off, leaving me with one little left at home. Less than five years ago, I had ONE kid in school and five at home with me. Now, I have FIVE kids in school and one at home with me. Guess which one I prefer... ;)

SPONTANEOUSLY IN SEDONA

It's the end of summer. I can FEEL it. We are basically at the finish line, so every last second seems to drag on. I'm done. OVER. IT. So, in an effort to not totally lose my mind and destroy everything in my path, we took a spontaneous day-trip this last Friday to get out of the house. My kids haven't spent much time in Sedona, so I decided a trip was in order. First, Chapel of the Holy Cross - a quaint little church built into the surrounding red rocks. It was hot. It was muggy. But it was fascinating. After visiting the chapel, we had lunch at a nearby park before traveling on to the Palatki Ruins. The Palate Ruins are several miles northwest of Sedona, off an unpaved forest road. As such, they are really a little-known gem. The park ranger directed us to the short path for the petroglyph site (unfortunately the cliff dwellings were closed for the day due to the impending storm). We got to see pictographs left by four different tribes who lived there over a number of decades. It was awesome. I love any excuse to explore this state where I live.