"Our Mountain Range"

The San Fransisco peaks are visible from far away - almost 90 miles from home.

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead

The drive back from Las Vegas took us by the Hoover Dam,  and we did stop and marveled at the new bridge and the impressive dam. The low water level was evident on the side of the lake.

They are Back!

We traveled back to the Las Vegas last weekend to pick up the boys. We took advantage of the time and did a bit of home furnishing shopping and some food shopping at Trader Joes on our way. The boys arrived safe and sound, albeit a bit tired. They had lots of memories and stories to tell us of their first solo flight. They are growing up.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Lukas and Noah were given an opportunity to do a work project in Florida with the Order of the Arrow - the Boy Scouts National Honor Society. They had a few days to regroup after friends visiting and through hard work managed to complete all their school work and pack their bags for a week in the sun. 

Since the most fitting itinerary was out of Las Vegas, we packed up the car and headed west.  

The boys' plane departed at midnight giving us plenty of time for a swim in the pool, a quick nap, and a big Las Vegas-style buffet dinner before going to the airport. 

Noah is barely awake, not sad that he is leaving.

Taste Test

Look what we found at Walmart on Saturday morning? Inside, new tastes of Cokes and outside Girl Scout cookies - great travel food for our long car ride.

Snow = Skiing

The snow is finally arriving and we are enjoying it! On Wednesday, we got about 4-5 inches of snow. The boys hunkered down and completed their school work so that we could go and enjoy the snow on the slopes. Lukas and Noah completed their last ski lesson and we tackled some of the bigger, steeper slopes together. A fun way to spend a spring break Friday.

Never Too Old

This is how Lukas and Noah spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon.

More Explorations

Our friends have like us been through several years of foundations work and learned about the Anasazi and the dwellings they built in the Southwest. It seemed only fitting for us to explore these ruins especially since they are almost in our backyard. So, once again, we loaded up the car and headed out. We walked through the remains of houses built in the 1200s and tried to imagine what the landscape and the life would have been like for the inhabitants. We read that they would have to walk 10 miles to the Colorado River to collect water when there was not sufficient rain. On our way, we stopped at a lava field for a quick hike. It was a fun, educational, and enjoyable day exploring the local attractions.

A Test Flight

Lukas brought his drone with him as we explored Arizona. Unfortunately, we traveled mainly through National Forests and in National Parks, and drones are not welcome. When we stopped for a little souvenir shopping, Lukas realized it was ok to fly and out came the drone. Too bad it was a bit too windy... 

Grand Canyon

Our Michigan friends had never seen the big hole, so we loaded everyone up in the car and headed to Grand Canyon. Although it was only a week since we were last there, it was not the same. It was warmer, and most of the snow had melted. In addition to the hike rim, we drove up to the Desert View Point. I think I have found a new favorite spot in the canyon.

Surprise!

Monday morning started off like any other Monday morning, slow. Lukas, in his pajamas, worked on his math, Noah still lingering in bed, when the door bell rang. Good friends from Michigan 'just happened' to be in the area and stopped by.

After the boys recovered from the surprise, we enjoyed breakfast together before heading out to see the 'big hole' aka Grand Canyon.

Gifts

Bob opened up his gifts and cards on Saturday morning, after sleeping in a bit after a long week.