I Heart Flagstaff

For Spring Break, we went to Arizona.  We got to spend the week in Flagstaff, but first we stopped in for a few nights with Jeremy's sister, brother-in-law, parents, dogs, and multiple scorpions in Phoenix.

Easter service..."There's no childcare for your children, but there WILL be an Easter  egg hunt on the lawn afterwards!"   (Thanks, friendly welcoming committee, now my children not only have to wiggle and squirm next to me during church but I have the added pleasure of telling them "Not Yet!" in my fierce mother-whisper over and over as they pester me about the impending Egg Hunt.)

Easter dinner, where my children always excel in the area of manners and Special Holiday Meal Appropriateness.

Oh well, the guys were watching Mythbusters the whole time so whatever!

We had a wonderful visit and got to swim in a pool with rock waterfalls and a sandy beach.  And there were scorpions.  Then it was on to Flagstaff.  

Here are some reasons that I Heart Flagstaff: 

Dinners with friends who don't mind my crazy kids because theirs are just as crazy...

Heartfelt (and sometimes irreverant) conversations with good friends who can pick right up where we left off 10 months ago...

Playing at my college roommate's house in the woods

...and sleeping in a trailer they borrowed just for us to stay in!

I heart Flagstaff because my kids get to hang out with people who have real "toys" to play with...

...and there are animal pelts and taxidermized animals in the kitchen.  (And sometimes we get to eat the animals who formerly lived in those skins!)

It was good to spend time at a house where character is more important than safety (and where the owners have been known to surprise their late night guests with a singing bass attached to a plaque on the wall of the guest room)...

(but having good character means following the rules and loving one another so no one gets hurt, mostly)

My former roommate and kindred spirit, Amanda.  Where did all these kids come from?  Oh, us!

There were so many sweet moments, like my friend Lori reading to and caring for my kids (and opening her home to us even though her husband was out of town all week)...

Evan being reunited with his special girl, Wylie.

She's a keeper (but unfortunately she now lives in West Virginia.  Suddenly, Evan has taken a strong interest in visiting West Virginia.  Uncanny).

Flagstaff has some of the best views...like standing back and seeing a park full of my old MOPS friends and their kids.

If you are my friend on Facebook, you might remember my lament at the lack of open, bumpy dirt for my kids to ride their bikes on without having to pay an arm and a leg and sign a thick packet of waivers.  We got our dirt fix in Flagstaff.  This girl can ride big jumps (across the street from the grocery store...they rode while I shopped...excellent setup)!

A long, full day at our favorite park (just ignore the newspaper reports of gunfire and stabbings--it's really okay during the day, I promise) with friends friends and more special friends.

Sam was reunited with the Fantastic Four.  They really like each other, can you tell?

Look at Sam's smile!  He was so happy!

It's a good day at the park when your friend shows up with his special gloves on (awesome rad time, August)... 

...when you end the day with dirt and snot caked all over your face

...and when you are so played out that you fall asleep in the swing.

Annie had some of her own special reunions, especially our last night when my friend Sarah hosted a sweet party for us and whoever we wanted to invite (well, we couldn't invite everyone we wanted to, that would have been slightly overwhelming).

Another wonderful Flagstaff view...

Sonoran style hot dogs (or as they say in Mexico "Hot Dog Con Todo")...the hot dogs are wrapped in bacon and smothered in every topping you can imagine...sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, onions, beans, lettuce (you get the picture)

My kids love coming to this house (that was completely fixed up by our friends after they bought it), can you see why?

Not a great picture, but the conversation out back around the fire was so wonderful....and this time it was the guys who stayed late talking instead of the women.  It made my heart happy for my husband, who has spent most of the last 10 months finding holes and corners to hide in and study.

I had some pretty good conversations, too :)

And I think the kids did not have one bored moment the entire week...a week of sleepovers and playdates!

I guess kids in Flagstaff love gloves?

Amidst the fun and happiness of the trip was catching up with friends who have experienced many trials and heartaches over the last year.  There were stories of babies who died too soon, losses of dreams, relationship struggles, and serious illnesses.  And yet, there was a deep sense of joy in hearing what God is doing and how he is using these trials to do truly beautiful things in people's lives.  I left with tears on my cheeks but deep, deep joy in my heart...and even though I was EXHAUSTED, I felt refreshed and renewed.  And I could go on about the joyful weeks I have had immediately following this trip back here in CA, where God is showing me many different and equally good things...but my post has been long enough already.

My cup runneth over.