Hawaii!

Its a long story to explain why we went to Hawaii... so we won't! Though the weather had forecast rain, we were blessed and surprised to bask in sunshine throughout our trip. We went back to Kauai where we had honeymooned two years prior so we visited favorite beaches and explored new trails (though for general knowledge, the Kukui Trail was NOT worth hiking).

Mom and Dad Y's Visit

Back in September we enjoyed a marvelous long weekend with my parents. They coordinated the timing of this trip to coincide with their 34th wedding anniverary, so the first day they were in the Southwest they shared together down in romantic Sedona. We hiked (some bouldering on Bell Rock, go Mom!), watched beautiful sunsets, rode bikes, played games, and had a fantastic time. Dad and Stephen attempted to capture some of an incredible lightning storm.
Biking along Lake Mary (where we also saw our first tarantula! Ahh!).

Sisters Weekend!

Labor Day Weekend Sisters Weekend:

This one requires an entire post for this one... my sisters came to town for 5 amazing days. Have you experienced all the J-girls together? We really should NOT live in three different states. We had a blast hiking in Flagstaff, Sedona, and up in Utah. Throughout the weekend we hiked 26 miles, danced at a beautiful wedding late into the night, laid out watching shooting stars under the brilliant Flagstaff sky, hitch-hiked and played games downtown at the Wine-Loft and in our home. Poor Samuel (who was still living with us at the time) got an overdose of estrogen.

Stephen shot his first full wedding that weekend; he did great, I'm so proud of my amazing husband!

Every Other Weekend (Part 1)

Much has transpired since our last post... and with good reason. As a nurse I am required to work every other weekend. That means we have been making the most of the weekends when I'm not working. Ever since mid-August we have been filling the non-work weekends with amazing adventures... so here are the highlights which shall be elaborated on in following blogs.

Mid-August: Lake Powell House Boat Trip
Labor Day Weekend: Sister/Family Weekend
Mid-September: Mom and Dad Yaholkovsky Visit Flagstaff
Early October: 2nd Anniversary Celebration in Hawaii
Mid-October: The Mitchells visit from Colorado

There are a couple more events in the coming weeks but I'll leave those for a later post. Here are some pictures from our weekend trip to Powell. We accompanied a great couple we know through FMC. I work with Jill on the Stepdown Unit and Casey was my preceptor when I cross-trained in ICU (now he's in CVICU).

Had a great time getting to know new people, playing in the warm water, hiding from a sand storm, and playing games.

Patio and Party-time

We built a patio! The last couple weekends have been spent shoveling loads of our ever abundant pink xeroscaping so that we could create an outdoor living space. Stephen and Sam took half days on Friday in order to complete the patio before we left for Stephen's birthday weekend camping trip (we pack things in tight).

Sunday was Stephen's 26th birthday so we grilled out on patio with a handful of dear friends, played bocci ball and frisbee at the park, and enjoyed strawberry shortcake.

We've been loving the patio! Each evening the sun tucks behind some trees and the neighbor's house allowing us a shady area to dine. We've also enjoyed breakfasts with the San Fransisco Peaks glorious in the distance, or watching the stars at night from the comfy chairs.

More Probert's in Flagstaff

Two weeks ago we had the pleasure of having Joan Probert stay with us for a week. For those of you who are priviledged to know her, you know that she is a refreshment and blessing to all around her. Of course nothing was different during her time with us in Flagstaff. Both of my moms have green thumbs and annually put together the most beautiful arrangement of potted plants for their porches and decks. Joan helped me put together a few of my own pots to brighten up our xeroscaped yard.

In addition to a BBQ with the Toms family (whom the Proberts have known since their Santa Barbara days) and a lively game of croquette, Joan was able to go with Millie out to the Hopi reservation to visit some of the people the Toms have been ministering to.

A couple days into her visit marked the arrival of another Probert family member: Samuel. He acquired an internship at Gore for the summer and will be living with us for the next three months.

With two guests in tow, we tried to show them some of the most spectacular sites in the area (so we could entice Joan into making many more trips to visit us).

We marvelled at the majesty of the Grand Canyon.

Hiked through the red-rock desert of Sedona and the bizarrely shaped rocks.

Played Bocci ball in a neighboring park.

Enjoyed card games and Master Labyrinth (which Stephen has been trying to get me to play forEVER).

Walked by Lake Mary at dusk and watched elk run across a meadow.

We explored the cliff dwellings of the Sinagua Native Americans at Walnut Canyon National Park.

It was amazing to have a mom in town. Samuel's presence has been a bright part of the summer too. While I am at work in the evenings, the boys are at home practicing card tricks, playing hands and feet (cards), or watching u-tube videos.

Night Shift

I'm officially noctural again.
About a month ago I returned to working the night shift.
That is why you may receive an e-mail at 3 in the morning. Or why I may not answer my phone when you call at 1 in the afternoon. Or why I seem frequently disoriented. But I love my job!