Day 16 & 17 Colorado

We made it to Delmara's early evening and unpacked all our things, showered, got situated for the evening, the kids ran around playing and had a sleepover. We woke up to a fresh cooked oatmeal breakfast and more time for the kiddos to play.  This was my main goal of summer, get the kids out back to nature and real life, real friends and human connection.  Everything about Spring makes me emotionally sick.  The damage to our kiddos from ripping away the last quarter of school without giving them a chance to get a proper farewell before or after spring break, well it was soul crushing for my mama heart.  I planned so hard and saved for this trip to give them that childhood they deserved.  I know it's controversial but I do not think quarantining healthy people long term is beneficial to society or community.  I know there's a lot of fear of the unknown with Covid, but I'm more concerned with the real observable impacts on mental health and I refuse to let my kids suffer because other people are scared of them and their healthy immune system.  Thankfully, I have like minded friends and family who agree and are willing to take the risk to live their best life possible with the time they have and not cower in fear.  We had so much fun interacting with our friends in real life. 

bed head.

recently found out I'm sensitive to oats, but I couldn't resist a fresh made bowl with fruit and ginger honey from the Montana Bee Company, also forever obsessed with handmade mugs of coffee. 

board games or bored games

due to some tire concerns we opted to drive back a couple days early with the husband in case of an emergency.  It meant making the most of our time together with friends, and look at that more water!

picnics at the park near the river for maximum fun! and don't worry we took our trash with us, that plastic bag didn't end up in the water. 

Thankful to Delmara fellow photographer for capturing a few images of me on this trip.

and yay for big kids who I can trust to hold my phone over the water to capture us together.

friends!

Delmara recharging in the water. 

joy.

and for the photo album; some instax souviners.

And after our outdoor adventures; Taco night! 

followed by grilled peaches and homemade fresh vanilla ice cream.

you know that concept where everyone in your life crosses your path to teach you something; here's what Delmara has taught me in no particular order;

1. life is better with friends

2. kids are wild and their messes are rampant, but there's joy in the chaos

3. grocery shopping with kids sucks but is doable with friends

4. cooking from scratch is easy and a service of love

5. we are empowered when we take care of ourselves and our homes

6. people you didn't know in high school are worth connecting with

7. basil is the gateway herb

8. gardening doesn't have to be hard and plants are our friends

9. it's easy to get what you want if you know what you want

10. big changes take big sacrifices 

11. DO NOT FUCKING SETTLE

I hennaed her in gratitude for opening her home and as thanks for feeding us.  I might not be big on funds, but I'll always say thank you in the best language I have; creativity.  Thanks for being an amazing friend Delmara.  I love you and your sweet fam.

  Next stop, an overnight stay in Santa Fe, New Mexico as a layover to our drive home to Phoenix.

Day 15 Wyoming

After traveling lots of hours in the car, we arrived at a campsite in Wyoming (only to be disclosed on my patreon).  Husband found this location hoping there would be a spot, which there was but only by luck, lots of the nearby sites were full and we got in late maybe 7 or 8 pm.  I'd requested all our camping spots be near water and this one might have been the best one we found.  Our campsite literally backed up to a short path to this stream, and we got there just in time for an evening la croix directly on the river.  The water was moving pretty fast and there were a lot of rocks so we didn't really swim in it, but just the sensation of our feet in the water was energizing and cleansing.  The girls had fun setting up the site with their dad and our poor dog Iris didn't have her longer leash so she was sort of stuck at the table.   She's a great camping dog, but she does not like other dogs (except for our other pup who stayed in Phoenix with fam), anyway we had to keep her tied up pretty securely on this portion of the trip because so many other campers had their dogs with them, and lots of those were off their leash just free roaming. We're working on training her, but pit bulls do have a tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs (not towards people though that's heavily rumored).  So while she's a great listener, her instincts are to protect herself from other dogs.  She's a rescue who we adopted at about 2 years old, so we don't know what kind of life she had before and it's part of knowing her breed and knowing what to expect with this breed.  Anyway, she didn't mind being tied up too much and loved sleeping in the Jeep with the girls.  This area does have bears, so I was more comfortable with them sleeping in the car than a tent alone.  We were only here for one night, but I wanted to share it because it was the perfect spot to stop in between Montana and Colorado which is where we went next!

still sunny and bright at 8pm at night.

these girls always impress me with their ability to entertain themselves in the middle of no where and their desire to help while camping.

V. rocking daddy's dirty camping hat.

Iris, a.k.a. the Mush.

Jeep bed.

Husband needed a rinse so dunked in the icey cold water. 

I'm not a cold shower type but to each their own.

Mush, ready for our drive to Colorado.

Day 9 + 10 Spokane Snacks + Cherry Picking

Waking up at my sister's house was fan freakin tastic.  The weather was perfect, she always had a pot of coffee ready to go and her friends brought cinnamon rolls, so like yeah, living my best life here for sure.  The kids loved being with her, her pups and her kiddos.  They ran outside, we went on walks and played at parks (all the parks were still closed in phoenix because it's one million degrees and covid).  I am so so proud of myself for pushing through all the obstacles to get these girls the summer they deserved.  We actually all deserve the best and time with family and in nature.  My sister's friend Leah hooked us up with the best cherry picking spot in Spokane or near spokane and it had the most adorable farm stand inside packed with goodness and treats.  We also went to Manito park for their gorgeous rose garden and acres of blooming walkways. Anyway I share my favorite mustard, flowers and dessert below... enjoy.

back patio breakfasts are life. 

thisle!

Ice Cream date. 

The fam.

This is the best mustard I've ever had in my life. get some.

cracker, cheddar, raspberry (from garden) top with honey mustard.

Farm animals.

piggy!

playground.

and onto the cherries!

teamwork.

oh yes, we picked buckets.

and sonja found a feather.

market.

Hidden Acres

Then, we drove downtown to Manito Park and passed all the adorable houses.

so.

many.

roses.

globe thistle.

yarrow.

the greenhouse was closed, but I snuck a photo through the window, so much tropcial green!

after the park we had to use up all those cherries, so we made phyllo dough cherry tarts, some with nutella.

layered and ready for the oven.

yup.  that's what I wanted. 

v. proud of myself.

Tomorrow, more Spokane! we were there for a week and we had so much fun every single day.