Our Just Desert: Trip to Mesa

Hush's family had a wedding and a family reunion scheduled for Memorial Day weekend so we hit the road for a 12 hour drive to Mesa, AZ.  

One of the best lessons I learned from my mother was the traveling bank game.  Before we leave on big trips I stock up on play money and little treats and activities and whatever else I think will be desirable trinkets from the dollar store.  Then every half hour the children are rewarded with dollars for good behavior and welcome to use their money to buy things from the store.  Electronics can be rented for $2 for a half hour.  They quickly learn to barter and team up to buy the good stuff. I enjoy listening to them negotiate.  

The road between Southern Utah and Phoenix is windy and not nearly as polygamy laden as I was hoping.  I had grand expectations for Colorado City and was sorely disappointed.  I wanted to see some braids and gunne sax dresses with tennis shoes, dammit. None to be found (and not even a McDonalds?!) 

The kids were thrilled to travel through the Wild Wild West with real live Native Americans and Cowboys.  In that Arizona does not disappoint.  And cacti! 

Somewhere along the never ending highway with no food and no gas there was this cool cliff dwelling place that we climbed around.  Fun and right on the side of the road.

Once in AZ we went to a dude ranch on the outskirts of Scottsdale replete with ponies and snake warning signs.  It was as hot as ummmmm hot as the Sonoran Desert (because it IS the Sonoran desert) so the place was nearly abandoned which made it even more old Westy. All it was missing was tumbleweed. The place is called MacDonald's Ranch and all the activities are free, except the trail rides.  We didn't do a trail ride this time bc I was too pregnant and Silas was too little.  If you're in Az and want some classic old west experiences, I recommend this place, provided it's below 90.

Petting zoo

Evaluating the pokeyness of a Saguaro cactus. 

Panning for gold.  This activity was beyond thrilling for the children because they thought they were becoming instant millionaires.  

The kids each took a pony ride around the ranch, led by a cow woman. I felt really sorry for her bc it was so hot so I tipped her handsomely.  Jude's face in this picture cracks me up.

Roped some steer.

My wiped out little pretties, all snuggled up in a full size bed.  They really are great sleepers and I love having them so close in age that they are friends by necessity.  I need to do a post on their relationship because it is truly unique.

Oh, a week ago Mimi did this number on her hair:

I would have gotten very angry with her, but for the completely legit explanation that she offered.  Mimi fell asleep with (albeit contraband) gum in her mouth.  The gum, naturally, wound up in her hair. She woke in the middle of the night and came to find me for help but seeing me sleeping she remembered that you only wake mama in the case of a fire or other emergency.  Evaluating this to not be an emergency, Mimi handled the problem herself and went back to sleep.  I applaud her independent problem solving.  I took her to a salon in Phoenix and now she has adorable Audrey Hepburn bangs. 

The real reason I was so agreeable about visiting Mesa is Bahama Bucks.  As you know by now, I live for Shave Ice.  12 years ago Bahama Bucks was my first experience with manna from heaven -- before it was even on my radar in it's native Hawaii.  I've missed the Sun Devil (tangerine and cinnamon) and Wedding Cake flavor combination for years.  Reunited and it feels so good.

And the main event: Hush's cousin's wedding.  It was lovely and fun, so fun that I hardly took any pictures.  

Pre reception pose.

Family picture, best out of 50 attempts.  Want to know who was moving in almost all of them? Hush.  But look at my three boys! Aren't they coordinating delightfully?

Hush and his elder brother. Hush is middle of five siblings.

The rest of the pictures are on Hush's phone so they'll come in a later post.  Other highlights of this trip so far include: - Lazing by the pool chatting

- Finally getting to spend some time with Hush's siblings and parents.  Turns out I like them all quite a lot because they are all funny and smart.  I think large families that value verbal acrobatics tend to develop very acute senses of humor.  I'm also constantly surprised at the similarities of cultural interests and references made by this new inlaw family of mine.  

- Watching my children assume this new group of people is their family and that they therefore love them.  They are the perfect age to be assimilated and I am so grateful they are welcomed.

- The candy costco.  Hush's mother took us to the biggest candy store I've ever seen and we stocked up on rare and delicious treats.  It's a must visit. 

This desert is a pretty great place to visit, made greater by the wonderful people with whom we're visiting.  But holy crap it's hot here. 

Don't Tell Anybody But ...

I am addicted to Nashville. It's like if Britney Spears had a reality show.  On hulu. 

Which we watch while I binge eat cookie butter.  Why? Because I can.  Imma get so fat it's going to be rad. 

Also, you probably should see this: http://m.imgur.com/gallery/pYwYw

Oh, and I found this too late for that other post about the illiterate GF...

Instagram Reblog, Week 1

Dear Instagram,

You're kind of ruining blogging and it's making me frustrated.

Love,

NOR

 This blog is a seven year history of my family and ever since Instagram became the easy way out the blog has suffered.  I used to blog a few times a week but often fall into the "I'm too busy and I have a husband to pay attention to now so I'll just throw something on Instagram to record my children's lives" temptation.  It's a long winded temptation, but it's real and it needs a name. Copout record keeping maybe.  Also, I figure blogging has become the Wall Street Journal to Instagram's People Magazine and Facebook's Local News.  This blog at least. Because it's clearly written by a genius who uses SAT words and small print.

Anyway, my issue is that I understand that one could conceivably print Instagram pictures, but c'mon I'm not going to actually do that. Also, I want the captions.  So I think I'm going to try just taking a screenshot of our Instagrams of the week and putting them on the blog to have a coherent record in the space/time continuum.  That way it'll have pictures, dates and captions.  

And this is my solution. I still don't know what to do with my hours of video I have sitting on my phone.  When I remember I upload to YouTube, but it would be nice to have everything in one place.

I expect a big reward for years of family record keeping.  It can be in the currency of shave ice.

Return of the Hippie Summer

Summer in Salt Lake City is blissful.  Fall is exciting, Winter is snuggly, Spring is just flat out awful, but Summer is rad.

Salt Lake provides an interesting cross section of middle class people who love the outdoors.  San Francisco generates rich foodies turned green/vegan/fad diet afficinados who love snobby Napa wine.  Portland is exactly like Portlandia -- obnoxious self righteous hippies.  Seattle is subject to it's horrible weather, but Salt Lake is the perfect blend.  

People really do spend weekend mornings going hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and all those other relaxed free sports.  This contributes to the laid back slow pace you find in Utah.  The afternoons are nap heavy and evenings mean outside barbecues and frisbang (Jude calls frisbee frisbang and I will not allow him to be corrected.)  The common thread with the weekend activities is free.  

On Sunday afternoon in Liberty park the hippies gather with their hippie toys: slack lines, frisbangs, hula hoops and our family favorite: the drum circle.  The atmosphere is what I imagine Golden Gate park was in the 60's: come one, come all, share all the toys, chat with whomever.  It's friendly and kid friendly, if you ignore the casual marijuana use that lingers in the background.

I can't think of any place in the Bay Area that operates at this lazy low cost pace and I think the mountain environment begets the friendly malaise.  The only comparable place I've experienced is either Ashland, Oregon or the Athenian School.  Who knew that being the only Mormon kid at the afternoon Grateful Dead dance parties at Athenian would find it's natural development into drum circles with my children in Salt Lake City?  Who could have predicted that the rock climbing class I loved in high school and the underground rock concerts I would go to in SF would translate to marrying a climber who spends all his down time playing the guitar?  

It's a pretty good life out here.  And I'm sure there are plenty of musical barbecues in my near future.

The Only Recipe I Need This Summer

Hush's Recipe for Perfect Coke

1. Buy coke in the bottle.

2. Drink some of it.

3. Put it in the freezer while you clean your kitchen.

4. Drink perfectly icy coke.

You're welcome.

(Step 5. Forget about it in the freezer and be sad when it's totally frozen.)