Sedona

Robert and I took off for Sedona a couple weeks ago for our first vacation since Scott and Kristin's wedding in November 2019.  I also believe it was our first vacation without Izzy or Rachel since 2015.  Really!  Robert and I have had our share of struggles this past year and our Sedona trip was a good opportunity to have some much-needed together time without all the stuff that's been weighing us down recently.  In short, Izzy is doing well and we're giving her all our support and love.  But she's still very much in a transitional phase.  Rachel is trying to figure out who she is.  She's going through a what I hope is just a selfish phase.  I believe she has it in her to rise above it.  I know she has it in her, but it's been tough to watch.  And Robert's grandma was recently diagnosed with a medical issue.  2020 was really hard for us, and Robert and I survived it as both individuals and partners.  2021 has been hard too.  Sedona was a nice break.  It was balm for the soul.

I won't weigh y'all down with words though.  Instead, I'll share my favorite pictures from the trip. Joining Robert and I on this trip were Robert's sister, Jennifer, and her boyfriend, Lou. My mom, brother, Scott, his wife, Kristin, and my niece, Autumn also joined us.  So many people I love.  We've been back for a week, but I haven't sat down to blog yet because I've been busy, yes, but mostly because I knew I would cry my eyes out from missing everyone like heck.  And it's tough to get through a work week when you're all soggy and weepy.

Robert and I decided to drive the 20ish hours to Sedona.  And we did it slowly, listening to podcasts pretty much the whole way there and back.  

We stopped a few times, and even though it was the middle of the day, we couldn't resist a little bit of hiking at Red Rock Park in Gallup, NM.  

It was worth the heat!

Our first day in Sedona (Tuesday) we were joined by my mom, and we took off on 89A toward Flagstaff, which is quite possibly my favorite road to drive.  We stopped at Midgley Bridge for a few minutes, which turned into more than an hour once my mom and I realized we could walk down to the creek while Robert stayed behind to take a work call.  

My mom and I immediately took off our shoes and went wading.  It was the most peaceful part of the trip.

It was also the first time I went sorta hiking with a scarf.  Yep, that's how much I love scarves.  To be fair, we were planning on going to a bookstore.

Robert even found us after a while and did some wading too.

Lou and Jen flew in Tuesday night and we all hiked the Boynton Trail to the Subway Cave early the next morning.  It was an incredible hike.  

Lou and Jennifer climbed up first and made it look far too easy.  I couldn't fit through the small section they hiked on the left so I climbed up the right side with mostly my knees keeping me from sliding down.  But it was worth it!  It was so beautiful.

Jennifer was so brave, but there was no way I was getting any farther away from the wall.  

The climb back down was much easier.

On Thursday Jennifer, Lou, Robert, and I took the train to the Grand Canyon and it was another peaceful day filled with beauty, good music on the train, and lots of laughter.  

It was also Lou's first time at the Grand Canyon!

We did a little shopping and roaming on Friday before my brother, Scott, his wife, Kristin, and my niece arrived.  And we found popsicles!  I was very excited to find a lime popsicle.  

And then Scott arrived, and I've never been more excited to see him in my life.  It's no secret he's my favorite human on the planet. It was a very big deal to finally get to hug him after so long.  I'm so gosh darn proud of him.  Watching my brothers blossom in their jobs and families has been one of my greatest joys.  They were such stinkers growing up!  It was so so awesome seeing Scott, Kristin, and Autumn again.  I think I've mentioned this, but Scott and Kristin are also expecting in November!    

We spent Saturday tootling and goofing around.  Saturday night we played Telestrations, which was hilarious, and you can see what Scott thought about Robert whispering in his ear.  

Before we left, Autumn and I finished our current book we've been reading over FaceTime.  We were able to read together twice on this trip!

It's tough to pick just one favorite activity or day.  Each day was packed with so much love, laughter, peace, shenanigans, and beauty.  It was also the first trip where Robert and I invited both our families.  Not everyone could make it, but having so many people I love in one spot for just a moment was really special.  So that was my favorite part.

I was also enchanted by the weather.  It stormed every day, usually for just an hour or two, but one day it stormed and the electricity went out at the hotel!  Most of us were standing in in one of our hotel rooms and everything went dark.  We were standing there in our swimsuits because we had just come in from the pool, and what a laugh we had at how strange it was that the electricity went out while we were all standing there, dripping pool water and making plans.  

When we go back to Sedona, the first place I'll go is Midgley Bridge, which is funny because it wasn't on our itinerary this time around.  Spontaneity wins.  It's a good reminder to say yes to more things.  I balked a little on this trip because I like itineraries.  I do!  But I keep thinking about Midgley Bridge.  It's the place that's the loudest in my mind.

We also visited Robert's beloved Señor Bob's for the best veggie burger in the world.  It really is the best veggie burger in the world, so we'll be back.  

I also wouldn't mind hiking the Boynton Canyon trail again, especially since there were so many paths we didn't take.  

One thing I know for certain is that I'll invite everyone to join us next time and hope they can make it.  One of my favorite musicians, Sara Groves, says it best in her song, Every Minute: 

"And I wish all the people I love the most

Could gather in one place

And know each other and love each other well

And I wish we could all go camping

And lay beneath the stars

And have nothing to do and stories to tell..."

Favorite June Reads

June was a busy busy month for me so I didn't read as much as I normally do.  I tend to cycle between being behind in reading or life things and rarely ever find a balance between the two.  It's definitely not a bad problem to have.

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson (Picture Book)

While Milo and his sister take the subway to see their mom, who is incarcerated, Milo imagines and sketches where each passenger is going. At one point during his journey a boy wearing a suit gets on. "His hair is a perfect part, and there's not a single scuff on his bright white Nikes." Milo sketches an elaborate destination for this boy, but is completely surprised to find out he's going to the same place as Milo. When this happens Milo begins to wonder about the rest of the places he sketched for each passenger. It's an eye-opener for him and I think it also makes him feel a little less alone and connected to others. The illustrations of the passengers convey so much personality, movement, and individuality and the language is surprisingly poetic and complex for a picture book. The woman wearing a wedding dress has "a face made out of light" and, just like him, Milo's sister is "a shook-up soda." This is a special book, one for an audience that's surprisingly larger than I first imagined.

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor (Juvenille Fiction)

I most enjoyed the characters and their relationships with each other in A Home for Goddesses and Dogs. Lydia has just lost her mother and her Aunt Brat steps in to take care of her. Lydia soon discovers she has "three new adults and a greyhound." Aunt Brat, along with her wife, Eileen take care of an elderly man, Elloroy, and they have a dog named Soonie. So Lydia goes from living with her mom to a home full of adults who are all thrilled to have her. It's really special watching their relationships with each other blossom and grow. 

Shortly after moving to her new home, Lydia's family decides to adopt a dog who they name Guffer and he pees in their home and wiggles out of his collar every chance he gets. He's not a bad dog, just a dog who has lots to learn. Lydia isn't initially thrilled with Guffer, but he claims her and wins her over. Lydia also settles into her new school fairly easily and gets along splendidly with her classmates. At first she's not sure about the two girls who try mightily to befriend her, but they win her over as well. Though it sounds like there's not a lot of conflict going on, Lydia is grappling with her mother's death, her father's absence which is sprinkled with birthday and holiday cards, and trying to find where and how she belongs in this new world she is thrown into.

I love how Connor brings out Lydia's insightfulness with beautiful language - Elloroy's white hair is described as a "dusting of snow." When something is baking, "something is getting a beautiful crust." And when reflecting on Aunt Brat and Eileen's relationship, Lydia comes to the realization that "creatures in need were part of their glue as a couple." When Lydia arrives at her new home she carries a box of collages she made with her mom. Each collage is a different goddess created when they needed a little strength. It's really a wonderful idea. In her new home, Lydia is completely surrounded by strong women who exemplify different kinds of strength. It feels a little like the goddesses have come to life and Lydia discovers she's a part of all this strength and beauty.