Arizona

I flagged about fifty of the few hundred photos we have from our trip to Arizona as favorites, and am still trying to narrow them down to share.  The red rocks make for a pretty stunning backdrop.  In real life we did not lose track of him, but looking back at pictures it's easy to see how much Tolliver blended in with the landscape - his coloring gave him natural camouflage.  See?

The boys didn’t walk along the rocks as much as careen.  We spent the whole week in Sedona with zero obligations, our sole responsibility to keep the boys away from cliffs.  And to keep them hydrated.  And to keep them from finding a pet rattlesnake.

It’s always an adventure to learn about parenting in a different climate (similar math problems, different variables) and always a treat to feel more available, to really listen to the questions, to read aloud another chapter, to let them help with dinner and leave the mess for later.  Another vacation bonus: there's always time to let them find their own freaking shoes.

You know how you feel when you find yourself in a situation that feels both lucky and kind of perfect?  We were able to make this trip mostly due to Aunt Cherie's generosity - she let us stay at her house and drive her vehicle all week, and we felt especially fortunate to have lists of what to see and what to do, what to avoid on the weekend and in general, where to eat, where to cool off.  A top notch photographer, we realized that several of her very best pictures could have been taken right off her back deck, where we had morning coffee and afternoon naps and evening drinks.

Our trip was a good reminder that the earth overflows with miracles that require only our attention, that entire ecosystems thrive with each species taking just enough.  That our best response to the generosity of the world might just be to pay attention.

From Instagram:

all four at Oak Creek Canyon
trout fishing (I don't want to embarrass any #betzboys, but only one of us caught any fish)
Sunday morning at Chapel of the Holy Cross
Red Rock Crossing
Submarine Rock, Broken Arrow tour
Slide Rock State Park
#gingercamo
Cathedral Rock

And, one more post, with photos and details about our adventures, to come.