A day to play...

So, with the economy being what it is, we're under all the same (some less, some more) stress as everyone else. The heat does not help to bring about the relaxed happy feeling that we're used to in our home, but have been missing a bit lately. So, last weekend when I found myself starting off my day cleaning, beginning to stress about what all I "really should" do, while trying to let Ryan continue sleeping (because he's been working EXTREMELY hard and really needed it) without resenting him for sleeping while I tried to catch up on things that NEVER get caught up on..... *breath*
A light went on in my head.
I jogged upstairs and told Ryan that he could continue to sleep, but he should be aware that I could use his help packing up lunch and fishing gear, because we were heading to cooler weather for the day!
He was SO excited.
He lives for this stuff.
And, that was it. We drove up to Oak Creek Canyon, though Sedona, to our favorite fishing hole from college. There are two great places on big rocks, right at this one spot. And the spot itself is great for nature walks (great when you have littles that can only sit and stare at water for so long before they wanna move).
Anyway, it was a wonderful wonderful day.
One of those ordinary but terrific trips that I just hopes help to define the childhood we're working to create for our children.
Oak Creek was a part of my childhood and Ryan's. It was a part of our moms' childhoods. It's something we're excited to pass along - and it was so relaxing and comfortable being there as a family.
We are SO the type of people to invite others along on everything. I mean, we love each others' company, but we're both just so social and enjoy sharing each other with others - if that makes sense to you...
But this was a nice break from that. It was just us, and it was just wonderful. We laughed so hard and played and acted in all the ways that make us, us.

The creek was pretty busy, so we did a bit of nature-walkin' before ending up where we started, at our favorite spot (where a family was just leaving).












At various times during the day I asked B what her favorite part so far was. More than once her answer was sticking her feet in the water. She loved all the guppies swimming around her ankles.


Ryan suggested we stop at the Junipine Resort where we were married and take our picture in front of the site with our family. (Mickey had JUST fallen asleep.)
I love this.


B, looking back at the balcony where we were married. She kept asking if she could go to our wedding. I tried over and over to explain that it had happened years ago, before she was born, but she wasn't really getting it. Time's a confusing thing to a three year old.


We ended the day with lunch at a tavern in Sedona. We chose it for the fabulous view.