Hiking - Payson Arizona

We have taken a couple day trips this summer up to Payson Arizona to escape the heat and enjoy the beautiful mountains.  Our first trip was to Tonto Natural Bridge earlier in August  and then on Labor Day some friends from our ward took us to Water Wheel to swim.

TONTO NATURAL BRIDGE

My picture do not do this place justice.  It is hard to tell how huge it is, so look for the people and the bridge in some of the pictures so you can get a sense just how large it is.

WATER WHEEL

For me, Arizona is full of surprises.  Some of the places we have been to have really made me stop and say, "Are we really still in Arizona?" I guess I have always thought of Arizona as the Grand Canyon/Sonoran Desert State until we moved here.  Now I know there is a lot more to Arizona than  just cactus and one really big canyon.  Tonto Natural Bridge and Water Wheel both definitely fall into the surprise category for me.

San Diego - August 2013

In August we spent a long weekend in San Diego visiting Matt's sister Liz's family and Matt's parents.  We camped at a local campground, went to Balboa Park, played at the beach, and visited the Mormom Battalion Historic Site in Old Town.  I think it is safe to say A. enjoyed every minute of it but the sand at the beach was his favorite part.

The fountain almost became a wading pool.  

This little lady sparkles with life!

It's always a good idea to let toddlers play with sharp objects in the fire.  Right?

Our very own little sandman.

Best trip ever -minus the sunburns!

Family Visit - July 2013

My mom and sister Jodi came to visit us in July for a few days and we tried to go on a few adventures while they were here. We spent our time shopping, going to Goldfield Ghost Town near the Superstition Mountains, swimming, relaxing, and going on driving tours of the area because it was too hot and humid to get out of the car.

After spending most of my time trying to keep A. out of  trouble, we found this piece of machinery he could explore to his hearts content.

The "leaky water tank" was a welcome relief from the heat.

I loved having my mom and sister visit.  It is hard to say who was saddest between A. and me when they went home.