Playing Catch-Up

Well, as you know, I just finished documenting over the past 2 weeks a trip that we took 3 weeks ago. Believe it or not, that is not all I have been doing. That's right, we have been living it up down here in Southern AZ! Let me show you a peek into our life at the end of March:

It has been HOT. Record breaking hot. I made a goal for us to not turn on the AC until April, and it was a real struggle for some days. However, once April 1 came around, it cooled down a bit and has been windier, so the AC remains off and the windows are open. I found that painting my toenails hot pink helps me get in that summertime mood. Anyway, we haven't stopped going outside (having a puppy helps with this) and are trying to embrace it. We were able to go walking/running at Sabino Canyon once since returning home.

I'm really going to miss coming here every other week or so...If there's any place that motivates me to run, it's this canyon. But maybe jogging on the beach will be fun. Tune in later (like in a year) and I'll give an answer to that one. ;)

When it's in the upper 90's and the AC isn't on, we can get real lazy. I've been trying to stay motivated and keep trying new things in the kitchen. Charlotte was especially appreciative of one new creation: homemade dog biscuits! We have not gotten into buying her treats yet, but these things made her week better. My initial inspiration for making dog treats was for a hike we were going on with Charlotte and another puppy, but this might have to be a more regular occurrence. Charlotte approves.

On the Saturday after vacation, we hiked Mt. Wrightson together with some friends - it was Curtis' 7th time, my 3rd, and Charlotte's 2nd. This was actually Charlotte's first hike ever last October. Back then, she was only 13 weeks old and was able to hike 6.5 out of the 10 miles. This time, at 8 months old, she walked the entire time! She's come such a long way, and we are so proud of our baby. :)

This time, we hiked with our friend Mitchell and 3 new friends - Julianna, Russ, and Vanessa. We had a great time getting to know everyone and sharing our favorite hike in the Tucson area. 

Oh, and Charlotte made a new friend too - Max, the 9 month old labradoodle! It was Max's first hike, and he did a great job and somehow still had so much energy afterwords! Charlotte and Max both loved the puppy treats, and they even figured out how to steal them from my backpack. They made the hike so much more entertaining!

It was interesting doing this for a 3rd time. I started to remember more than just the main landmarks. All the views around us looked familiar...but also different. It was rather hazy that day. Curtis brought his eyeglass, of course, and with it he was able to see the Aerostat in Sierra Vista. That may have been the highlight for him on this hike!

Facing North toward Tucson

Facing Northwest, with the mines in the distance

Facing West 

Family picture - we're all here at the top again!

Charlotte finds a shady nook to rest in at the top.

On the downside, it was a little too hot for comfort, and there were way too many gnats at the peak! Instead of having lunch there, we hiked down a mile to a campsite and sat in the shade. We found out that Russ and Vanessa also like dehydrating things and exchanged ideas. 

Charlotte may have gotten a little jealous of Max...or maybe she was possessive of her treats and didn't want to share? Anyway, she went and sat on the other side of the clearing from us and pouted. Silly child.

After the hike, we all went back to Mitch's for a barbecue, and even though they had just hiked 10 miles, Charlotte and Max proceeded to run in circles, chasing each other all over the house. They were so cute together! Charlotte may have been exhausted, but she didn't want to slow down until we were driving home. She finally passed out and slept like a baby all night long...cuddled next to us in bed. :)

This week, we also started and completed a 2000 piece puzzle. Charlotte was a great help, as you can see, though we are 99% certain that she stole a piece. Thanks a lot, Charlotte. You stinker.

Charlotte also likes to get into the action when we eat. Here she is, hamming it up for Curtis to score some sorbet. It really doesn't matter what we're eating though, as long as it isn't too hot she's all over it. And yes, we give in to her sweet puppy dog eyes...we are well trained humans.

You know what they say, "Happy dog, happy life!" Wait, maybe that isn't it...Oh well, we are all smiles over here. We hope you had a great week!