august 2009 - an august for the ages

I must say that this August turned out to be the busiest time in our lives, ever. It started innocently enough, a couple months ago. But, as the weeks went on, August became a monster. It's easiest to look at it as weekends, as our weeks simply consisted of preparing for/recovering from the weekends.

August started with Shannon returning from spending time with family back in MN. She returned to Phoenix the first weekend in August. The next weekend brought a trip to a familiar location, Aravaipa Canyon. The education department at the Garden planned a "working vacation" to this refuge in the desert. The weekend was filled with good conversation, great food, and amazing scenery. Two notable "firsts" took place this weekend:

The first sweat ceremony for Gabe

The first ever River Ladder Golf

The weekend after our second trip to Aravaipa we headed north to the Mogollon Rim for some camping and backpacking. Shannon took part in an "all girls" backpacking trip but didn't have to show up until Saturday morning. So, we decided to head up to the Rim to camp on Friday night. Although it was a short stay, our spot was very much enjoyed. There were all sorts of flowers, bugs and sights!

The weekend following our adventures on the Rim brought two of our best friends, Lindsay and Jared, and our trip to the Pinalenos. This was our first visit to the small mountain range south of Safford and was well worth the 4 hr. drive. My passengers can attest to the curvy, roller-coaster of a road that gets you there, but truth be told, I enjoyed the drive!

We came in on the 366 and stayed at Shannon Campground

After this dream of a weekend, we were scheduled to have a weekend at home. Not that it was void of plans, but a weekend at home nonetheless. Plans changed as Shannon was asked to host a weekend trip offered by the Garden. The weekend experience was held at Hart Prairie, northwest of Flagstaff. I was invited along as a volunteer and very much enjoyed the setting and environment. Their was plenty of fresh air, birds, and talk of aspen trees and elk.

In a single word, August was amazing. It not only brought us to parts of Arizona that we had never been to, put us in situations not yet encountered, and tested our abilities to keep our lives in order, but it helped to increase our appreciation for our life, our friends, and our love.