FAIRAZONA!

Finally back home (after a few detours) so I can finish this post of the last leg of our G'kids to G'kids Tour with our visit with Cindi & the Midgets in "Fairazona."  (When Cori found out they were moving to Arizona from Florida she had just turned 5 & "Fairzona" is how she pronounced Arizona...it stuck.)

We spent a lot of time outside enjoying the spring like weather.  In the summer, it is just too hot to sit out in their triple-digit temperatures.  It was beautiful!  We watched the kids ride bikes & scooters & we decorated their driveway with a little chalk art...

We've got some great artists!  Cindi's Fairazona sunset was smudged by Lucie's cute behind.  Cori's Nativity was just precious, I had to preserve it for her personal portfolio...

One thing I really wanted to do while we were there was hike to the Wind Caves.  Cindi keeps posting pix of all these great hikes she takes on Instagram & I wanted to experience one of them - so after the kids went to school Friday morning, we went for a hike in the "Tonto National Forest"...Go Kemo Sabe!

Lucie is quite the little hiker AND tour guide!  Evidently she learned all about the different cacti from her Discovery Club field trip.  She was very informative!  Who knew the desert has such beautiful flowering blooms in the springtime?  She identified the following on our hike...

Several variety of Prickly Pears with different colored blossoms...

Ocotillo & Barrel Cactus...

Lucie referred to these Cholla cacti as "Earring" cacti because they grow little tiny shoots on their tips that fall off & create new cacti.  It is recommended not to step on them along the trail because their sharp needles can go right through the soles of your shoes!  OUCH!

I learned that the Saguaro Cacti are protected by law - it is illegal to harm or destroy them & require special permits to remove them in order to build something.  A "spear" grows to about 15 feet before it will grow "arms" - this can take as long as 75 years!  When mature, they can grow to be 40-60 feet tall.  Native birds create holes as nests & actually live inside the holes.  Whenever it rains, Saguaros soak up the rainwater.  The cactus will visibly expand, holding in the rainwater.  It conserves the water and slowly consumes it.  I have a new respect this cactus!

Here we are at the trail head & I put a little "red X" where the Wind Cave is located in the distance.  It doesn't look intimidating from here, but the trail consists of several steep switch-backs up the mountain to the cave...

Lucie is a little mountain goat!  She just scurried up the trail like a champ!

Looking for shade, taking a break...

Enjoying the view...of this cute little midget AND the scenery!

Getting a little help from Mom & G'pa on a couple of steeper sections...

We made it!  It was so cool & peaceful!

...and the view was pretty incredible!  I loved this experience - the desert is so beautiful!

As soon as we got back, we grabbed our lunch & took it over to the elementary school to eat with the other midgets...

On Saturday, we went for donuts & "monkeyed" around in the front yard...

...then we went to the boys' flag football game...

I'm not sure if they like to play football or just play with their mouth guard...

Jakey had a great run into the end zone, but it was called back because he stepped on the line right after I snapped this shot...

Although his touchdown was called back, he was a good sport about it & just kept grinning because he had a great run & they didn't pull his flag!

What kid doesn't love the post game victory tunnel?  Priceless grins!

Cutest boys on the team!

We cooled off in the pool when we got home...

...then played one last game of Apples to Apples before heading to the airport...

We love our "Fairazona" kids & are happy to see them adjusting so well.  Cindi, you are doing a great job in these tough times.  Hang in there...

"When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile."