tales from a far-land

One weekend mid-June, we decided to go camping with Josh's parents.  With the virus still affecting Arizona, we felt this was a very low risk activity for all of us to enjoy.  We selected a dispersed camping spot near Knoll Lake.  It was a very remote camping spot.  We had to travel for about an hour on some pretty rocky, dirt roads.  And that was after traveling for about three hours already.  But the weather and the lake were well worth it.  The weekend was spent playing Skip-Bo, canoeing and swimming in Knoll Lake, whittling sticks, long walks with the dogs, and lively conversations.  The kids even created some fun carnival-like games for us to enjoy.  Loved that we were able to make some fun family memories even during a pandemic. Our little camping spot My little campers Whittling Madi helping with dinner Camping selfies Aiden with Petey and Harley Madi with Sadie Group Photo Family Selfie

To celebrate the start of summer vacation, we decided to take a family day trip to explore Arizona.  We realized there are so many beautiful destinations that we have never even traversed or visited.  This time, we decided to undertake a hike near Happy Jack called Point Trail and West Clear Creek.  Getting to the trail head was an adventure in itself.  From the highway turnoff, it was about a forty-five minute drive on a very bumpy, dirt road.  The kids and dogs were definitely ready to get out of the car by the time we arrived to the starting point.  The hike was challenging and gorgeous.  The first mile of the hike was a very steep and rugged downward trek.  At several points on our way down, we had to assist the dogs and kids through tree branches and boulders.  It made it an adventure!  The kids quickly learned how to scale the mountain so as not to fall.   After you complete the downward portion of the hike, we were rewar...

Yesterday, I took Sadie to the veterinarian for her next round of puppy shots.  Since her last visit three weeks ago, she has really grown.  She weighed 11.6 pounds yesterday.  This is a four pound gain over the last visit.  That is more than a pound a week.  Wow!  She has been a pretty good puppy so far.  She loves playing with Harley.  They cuddle together.  They wrestle together.  They chase each other all around.  They dig in the backyard together.  They are truly best friends.  She uses the doggy door, but still messes in the house at times.  She loves to chew on anything and everything that she can.  We have been trying to have a bully stick available for her to chew on so that she doesn't eat all of our shoes and the kids' toys.  The kids adore her, especially Madilyn.  We are really happy to have her as part of the family. Sadie ~ May 2018  So happy!  Loving her brother ...

On April 8th, our family welcomed a new puppy into the family.  We named her Sadie and she is a mini sheepadoodle.   A sheepadoodle is a designer breed crossing an Old English sheepdog with a standard poodle.  We decided on this breed for a couple of reasons: Harley is a Old English sheepdog/husky mix and he has the best temperament.  We hoped this would the same for our new puppy. This breed does not shed, thus, tends to be good for those with dog allergies. This breed tends to be very gentle, playful and kind.  Also, they are supposed to be good with children and other dog. We couldn't imagine having two dogs the size of Harley living under one roof, so we are hoping the "mini" will work perfectly. Sadie was born on February 25, 2018; one day after Madilyn's birth date, which she loves to point out to everyone.  We purchased her from a local breeder out in Gilbert.  The entire family drove out to the breeder's home to get her.  The k...