Since we attempted to do ALL THE THINGS over the last two days while in Arizona, today we sought comfort in staying in for much of the day. We didn’t wake up to any crazy alarms and had nothing to rush throughout the day. It was a nice day at a slower pace.
Tyler and Ashton were up earlier than Addi and I. Ashton has been so excited about his new scooter and the skate park that he convinced his dad to get up with the birds so he could be dropped off at the park a little over a mile away. By going in the morning, it would allow for fewer people and cooler temperatures. When I say cooler, I mean in the 90’s. Tyler also needed to get up and start his preparation for dinner!
Ashton’s interest in the scooter has been fun to watch. He is getting more and more comfortable, with just enough fear to help this mama from having a panic attack. I watch some of the other kids in the park who throw caution to the wind, but Ashton is always mindful of ways he could hurt himself. It takes a lot for him to muster the courage to do anything too dangerous and for that I am thankful! I will say, his legs would appear we have beat him, but really he has just fallen too many times to count. I will try to take an updated photo tomorrow if I remember!
I think at least 10 times per day since we have arrived I ask myself how in the heck people live here with the extreme temperatures. At one point today, the thermostat read 114 degrees. I thought I liked being warm, but this is unbearable. I think I would basically have to be in my house all day, or shopping…and we all know how Tyler, my financial advisor, would feel about that!
I spent the early parts of the day ransacking the trailer. I feel like that is how I always clean. Within the first 30 minutes to an hour, I will look around and it’s as if a bomb went off. It looks much worse than when I started but always comes around to near perfection. I knew we would be picking back up and leaving soon and I always like to start us off with the cleanest slate possible.
Sometimes it’s still hard to believe we are all four staying in a space about the size of our bathroom. I joked with the kids that when we get home we are all moving into the bathroom to stay close! We have definitely adapted to this style of living and I am loving a less is more approach more than ever. Today, while cleaning, I took out all of our clothes from our bins and refolded them before returning them to the bins. As I revisited the clothes I packed for our “2ish week adventure” I thought, I packed WAY TOO MUCH. Even so, I only have one small crate and a few hanging clothes. Each of us has a crate for clothes and a bin for our undergarments. I was satisfied with the progress I made in a couple of hours this morning.
I also was able to get our laundry done today thanks to Angie! It’s always nice to have a place aside from a laundry mat to play catch up. Tomorrow I will put everything away and put the finishing touches on what I started today. I washed Addison’s bedding and have to remake her bed which I have been avoiding. Making a trailer bunk bed on the top is like wrestling an alligator. Wish me luck!
The rest of the day, Tyler spent being bored and prepping dinner while I helped Angie pack up her house for her upcoming move. Once we got started, I think we could have packed the whole house! We took a break for dinner and Tyler did it again. He made the BEST Pulled Pork EVER! Ladies, get your man a Traeger. I promise this was the best gift I ever got Tyler as that gift just keeps on giving!
We continued our packing after dinner and stayed with it until the kids convinced us to play Sequence with them. Tyler had retreated to bed since he has work in the morning, but Angie and I went head to head with Addison and Mason. Mason was a total newbie and with a lot of beginners luck, and the secret weapon…ADDI, they WON! We only played one game as it was getting late and we were all tired.
Tomorrow, Tyler will be back to work after a long 3 day weekend. He has 3 meetings in the morning and we will stay put until he finishes his meetings. Then we will pack up and start making our trek towards Lake Tahoe! He will continue to work remotely in the car while I drive. It’s definitely easier for his calendar meetings to be stopped and stationary, but it surprises me how much he can do while we are on the road!
Since day one in this adventure, Tyler has wanted to revisit Lake Tahoe. We last went for our 10th wedding anniversary and my 30th birthday. It was a big celebration week with family and friends. Now, nearing our 15th wedding anniversary, we figure this is a great way to bring our travels to a slow close. My mom, sister, and nieces will be meeting us there and we plan to stay for 4 nights! I am looking forward to some good ole rest and relaxation with family. I am also looking forward to some cooler temperatures and a few good workouts!
We will say goodbye to Angie, Mason, and Arizona tomorrow, but I hope to return when it’s cooler and once Covid settles down. I think AZ has a lot for us to explore, I just can’t see it outside of the 114 degree temperatures!
The Church Hideout 