Northrup Canyon Hike

After our first week of social distancing, we went on a hike with the Allstot grands. They led us on one of their favorite jaunts, up Northrup Canyon. It was lovely!

 This is the only natural forest in Grant County and we traipsed through a sunshine-y morning, admiring views and enjoying the company.

 There was still ice and a few patches of snow in the shade, but it was warm and an easy trail.

There were more people on the trail than Mom and Dad had ever seen previously - we were clearly not the only folks needing an escape!

 The kids scampered up this rock and managed not to slip!

 Then they climbed down the edge to check out the bubbling brook - and didn't slip there, either.

 When we reached the homestead, the view from the house was expansive.

 The original homestead dates back to the late 1800s and we perused as much as we could.

 The outbuildings were interesting and melancholy. It's always strange to see how something was once loved and is now collapsing. Dust to dust, I suppose.

The path runs past old dumping grounds from the building of Grand Coulee Dam, with rusted out cans, stoves, and interesting glass bottles.

To cap off the hike, we went to Steamboat Rock for a picnic. The weather was lovely and we enjoyed the time eating and playing Frisbee. It didn't totally erase the heaviness in our hearts, but it was a lovely outing!

Art Project

Time has a weird way of stretching when you don't know how to fill it. Friday afternoon stretched out before us and our tanks were empty. Until, art!

 I saw the idea on facebook and Mitch was game. We started by taping out our design in painter's tape.

 Then we chalked! Mitch was the color master, choosing which colors to put in which spaces. We had chalk spread out all over the grass.

 Just as we were nearly finished we discovered that blending the chalk with fingers made the color fill in more spaces and became more vibrant. It was very satisfying!

 Then we peeled off the tape to reveal the clean lines. Ta da!

A happy afternoon art project done together!

Corona Winter

On Friday, March 13th our lives changed. We learned that our schools would be closed for at least 6 weeks as a means of slowing the spread of COVID-19, or Coronavirus. It was a heavy day - unprecedented in our lifetimes and difficult to manage emotionally. Students were a mixture of excited and uneasy. Trips were cancelled, fears surfaced, and grocery stores were overrun with people stocking up as though a blizzard were on its way. And then it snowed.

 We went to bed with snow falling on Friday and awoke on Saturday to 3+ inches of the white stuff. It felt like a further gut punch. You want spring? Forget it! Stay inside and watch your flowers die!

 Well, Mother Nature did not ruin the day. On the contrary, the side by side was a new toy and Bryan pulled dual sleds full of kids through the park.

 They had a ball!

 Even Bella and Lucy were part of the fun. So the snow was useful as a distraction.

The public library was closing on Monday night, so we went on Saturday and signed up for mail service, as well as checked out several books to help tide us over.
On Sunday, teachers met at the schools and planned for our students. We made packets of work with our teams and prepared to send kids off with something to keep their minds engaged. The copier was pushed to its limits, but it survived!

Attendance on Monday was spotty, but the sun was out and the snow melted. That evening, the neighborhood was buzzing with smiles and games. It was a late night. We wonder about social distancing, and how long this playtime will last. For now, we let it happen cautiously, and only outdoors.

All the world is abuzz with "homeschool" ideas. Some work for hours and have regimented recess times, while others are more flexible. No doubt some children are providing childcare in cold houses without adults home to supervise. It's hard to imagine the struggles people are facing. We are supposed to "work from home" and no one is quite sure what that looks like. The economy is in a dive, and the news keeps changing. We wonder if we will be quarantined soon. For now, we read, spend time together, play outside (without touching), pray, and try to keep our minds free from fear. This is not a "Corona Blizzard"; it won't be here today and gone tomorrow. It's a Corona Winter and we must wait it out together - but 6 feet apart!

Mid-Winter Break in Arizona - Day 3

Friday morning we went north and started with a visit with the Boruffs.

Randy is recovering from a lung transplant so we stopped by to say hello.

  Then it was off to Peoria to meet up with the Fronsmans!

 We arrived toward the end of practice, but still enjoyed the chance to walk around the complex and revel in Mariner mania.

The kids got autographs on their "new" balls from a pitching hopeful, Chen.

 Then we watched some practice. Ichiro was inside the hitting area, but we didn't get to see him up close.

 Big League dreams... 

 We had great seats along the third baseline! They got to see Seager, eat cotton candy, and enjoy each other's company.

Shan rocked her braids from Michelle.

 It was a very warm game, but the facility is prepared to entertain small fans with a pirate ship waterpark. Shan and her dad did a scouting mission and then brought the other kids.

The big kids met at the ship, too! 

Back at Dianne's we enjoyed another family night and more play time for the kids. It was so kind of everyone to come over and spend time together!

We left early morning on Sunday and returned north. A lovely break!

Mid-Winter Break in Arizona - Day 2

Friday morning we drove out to Glendale to see some practice.

Upon arrival we figured out that the Dodgers had a night game so they weren't practicing. Still, we managed a photo with the sign.

  Fortunately the White Sox were practicing on the other side of the facility so we got to enjoy watching them. 

 Shan played catch with her dad and Mitch and I watched some infield practice. At one point the coach stopped and tossed Mitch a ball! Then, Shannon got one that was tossed over the fence and pointed out to us by a kind security guard. They were delighted!

After practice, we drove back to Scottsdale to collect the fam. These two tried to rest up.

 With Dianne and Ivan, we collected Toby from school and met up with Alecia and Michelle at Salt River Fields.

We had center field grass seats! It was HOT and we enjoyed ice cream, laughing, and trying to stay hydrated.

  Poor Mitch had some heat exhaustion, but after some Tylenol from the first aid folks, lots of water, and an inning in the shade, he rebounded.

 Keeping Corona fears in check...

Check out the happy photo bomber! The D'backs ended up tying the game with the Rockies and we had a fun afternoon. 

Back at the house there was a water fight!

 Sarah got some flying lessons

 and found a playmate with Shannon.

Alecia rocked the games with the kids, too. It was fun to have the family all over for dinner and kind of Janice to prepare the meal for us all. Another great day!

Mid-Winter Break in Arizona - Day 1

After a short 3 days of school (2 of which were half days), we flew south to enjoy some sunshine for our mid-winter break. Happily we got to stay with Dianne. Ivan and Janice were in town as well, so it was a fun family gathering for several days. We were very busy and had a wonderful time!

Shannon was immediately smitten with the citrus trees. She spotted them everywhere. Sadly, we did not get to pick any fruit to sample. Next time!

    Thursday morning we went to the zoo. We love the Phoenix Zoo and this was our third visit. For the first time, the kids got to ride a camel. 

 They were impressed!

The camel was not.

 We saw the big cats, and rhinos, monkeys, orangutans, komodo dragon, bear, flamingos and more. I was delighted with the bougainvillea!

 There were several alligators sunning themselves and we watched one seemingly stalk a bird. Mitch found the water repulsive!

 Again, blooming trees for the win!

Shan posed with the elephant for Lorry.

We watched her play and earn peanuts in her upgraded enclosure.

 The little monkey enclosure is always a hit as they scramble within feet of us.

We enjoyed our morning at the zoo very much and left nothing out! Then it was off to baseball...

 Our first game was a Scottsdale Stadium where we watched the Giants host Cleveland. It was a beautiful afternoon for a game!

 Mitch learned to keep score and was very focused throughout the game.

 We had good seats and were pleased to have the shade midway though the game.

 When we returned to Dianne's, it was pool time!

The water was cold, but spirits were high. It was a great first day.