Hiking and the Observatory

We started off by hiking around Sunset Crater Volcano. Since Benton is a 4th grader this year, we get into the National Parks for free. It was about a mile long hike and very beautiful. There were lots of volcanic rock that the kids found fascinating. They loved to find caves and crevices, and stick of course. We were sprinkled on for a bit, but still enjoyed the walk. Emerson had the best seat in the house. He was just happy to be along for the ride.

Our second stop was Wuptaki National Monument. Daddy and Emerson stayed in the car and napped while the rest of us hiked the monument and learned about the people who once lived here. The kids thought the ruins were amazing and loved seeing the blowhole at the base where air escapes from the earth. They enjoyed learning and were eager to hear what our trail guide pamphlet had to say next.

This tree was right outside our hotel room and was covered in beautiful yellow and red leaves. The kids enjoyed climbing eat each time we passed.

We stopped by a local favorite, the Sweet Shoppe, for some gelato and handmade chocolates. A man asked if I had a camera and wanted to take a picture of us girls enjoying our treat because apparently it was adorable. Adam was poised, ready to run after him if he took off with our camera. Turns out he was honest and snapped a cute picture of us sitting and crowd watching.

We played at a local park and loved it. There were three or more separate play areas and large grassy areas to run. All of those munchkins love to run and climb. There was no shortage of things to do. Emerson even did the Mommy/Baby swing together with each of us as we took turns. The highlight was going down the slide and teasing each other. The weather was crisp and cool and perfect for playing.

Mae was "stuck" in this tree and claimed she needed help, but was merely playing the damsel in distress. She is a firecracker.

We went to Lowell Observatory and enjoyed seeing the telescopes and watching a presentation about our Solar System. In the middle of the presentation Lyndie let out the loudest, the longest fart I have ever heard. It was loud. And she was sitting on my lap. Giggles filled the room as we were in awe at how long that fart lasted. Cracking up. Lyndie got a little embarrassed about it though. We did not get to use the giant telescopes as it was a cloudy night and hope to return later to enjoy it! We had a very late dinner at Cracker Barrel. Emerson woke up halfway through dinner and ate a bit, but was mostly sleepy. Amazingly, by the time we returned to the hotel everyone was hyper and ready to run! We finally fell asleep after a long, fun day.