Our oldest son is in fourth grade and he qualifies for the Every Kid Outdoors pass this year. This means that he and the family get free access to hundreds of parks, lands, and waters for an entire year. It is an amazing program for all fourth grade students in the United States. We have previously purchased the America the Beautiful pass which is the Interagency Pass that provides access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas across the United States. Our family didn't purchase an America the Beautiful pass this year because we knew Caden would qualify for the Every Kid Outdoors pass. With this in mind we want to create really special memories for him and our family this year using his pass. Our family packed up and headed to Utah last week to visit Zion and Bryce National Park. Along the way we stopped at the Hoover Dam and also took a drive through Las Vegas. We stayed in Saint George which ended up being a great starting point for our adventures to the … [Read more...]
Every Kid Outdoors Pass: Visiting Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park
My 8 Year Old Son’s Favorite Book Series
I am fortunate that my son Caden enjoys reading but it can be tricky sometimes finding the right books for your kid. Which is why I am always excited when I come across a book series that we both truly enjoy. These book series are mom approved and don't have much bathroom humor in them. I am looking at you Captain Underpants. Without anymore chitchat, that will be at the end of the post, here is what my 8 year old says are his favorite book series. Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol Each book contains ten mysteries, and not only does Encyclopedia have a chance to solve them, but the reader is given all the clues as well. Caden read a few of these to me and they were challenging. Not going to lie, there was a few that I couldn't figure out right away. I think he is currently on book 5 in this series and still enjoying them. The Secret of The Hidden Scrolls by M.J Thomas The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series follows siblings Peter and Mary and their dog, Hank, … [Read more...]
Using Our America The Beautiful Pass In The Tonto National Forest
Last week we ordered our America the Beautiful Pass from the Tonto National Forest. Right now because of COVID you can't buy your pass in person but you can order over the phone. I spoke with Kyle who was super helpful from the Mesa Ranger District. I ordered our pass and he had it in the mail to us that day and it arrived the next morning. If you are unfamiliar with the America The Beautiful Pass it is a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands pass that allows the public to access some fee areas without additional charge. This is a very cost effective way to see multiple sites across the United States. We purchased our pass mainly for use in the Tonto National Forest when we go paddle boarding. In hindsight we should have bought a yearly pass over the summer because we spent $8 on a day pass each time we went to the river and lake. Had we bought one at that time it would have well over already paid for itself. Tonto National Forest only allows you to use this … [Read more...]
Highlights From The First Days Of 2021
Happy 2021! Here are a few of our highlights from the first days of 2021. I hope you had yours have had a nice ease in to the new year also. Fireworks Our neighbors did not disappoint. We didn't even have to go outside to see fireworks and could stay warm and cozy inside the house and enjoy the show. Bible Reading Plan I started my new Bible reading plan this weekend. While I enjoyed the one I did last year I didn't finish it as it was written. So I decided this year I needed to go with something not as structured. I am doing The Legacy Plan this year. This plan allows you to read at your own pace and each month lists what books of the Bible to read. For January I am reading Genesis and Exodus, 1 chapter of Proverbs daily, and 3 chapters of Psalms a week. PS...I am loving these nail polish strips from Dashing Diva. I have had these on since before Christmas and they are still going strong. Walks and Talks Josh worked on New Years Eve and had a super … [Read more...]
What Was Good In 2020
2020. So much could be said about you. What a year. Ugh. Getting to Christmas this year felt like a victory to me. We made it to Christmas. Everyone was healthy and even though it was just the six of us at home it was perfect. I actually loved not running around to multiple houses and just being home all day with Josh and kids. While there is so much that could be said about how awful 2020 was I am going to focus my last post of the year on what was good. My Anxiety My anxiety crippled me after Maisie was born and I am just so thankful I put the work in when I did at that time. Because I honestly don't know how I would have coped this year. I still had cry in the shower moments and I am sure I will have more going forward, so please don't take this as everything was great. But mentally I am so much better. Thank you Jesus for your goodness and grace. Please know it is ok to not be ok and there is nothing wrong with you if you need counseling or medication for … [Read more...]
Halloween 2020
This year we celebrated Halloween at home. And we had a pretty great time. The kids declared it their best Halloween ever. And I took that as a huge win. We had several costumes this year in the house: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Aurora which later became Elsa (costume we already had), Mickey Skeleton which later became Baby Yoda which later became Thomas the Train (costume we already had), Prince Philip which later became Bumblebee (costume we already had). If you are keeping track 3 out of 4 kids decided last minute to wear a costume we already had. And honestly I was fine with it. They all got to wear their costumes multiple times because that is the beauty of doing homeschool. It was fun to teach a variety of characters in October. On Halloween Eve we ventured out to Downtown Mesa for the Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt. On Main Street multiple businesses and empty store fronts had different themed pumpkin displays. In addition to these we were on the look out for the tiny mice that were dressed … [Read more...]
