Nothing like snow in the desert!

The kids had a half day on Wednesday and a friend said to me at school "Did you see the snow on 4 peaks?" Now 4 peaks doesn't get snow often but when you are in the desert and you can see snow off in the distance it is a thing of beauty! So we drove off to see how long it would take up to reach snow on the side of the road...we found it here, just past sunflower where my Dad worked on the Arizona Trail. Every new mountain that came into view had more snow than the last.

Max was amazed by the "icebergs" that were breaking off the melting snow...

Somedays you win somedays you....well you know...

I am glad to report today it was a win, even when it seems there are so many things that could be and are going on that are not in the "win" catagory!
I didn't have work today, and while that sounds great it is just a reminder that I need to get another job. I decided to take advantage of the time with Max while Tim and Abby were at school. He had a little bit of birthday money and I thought we would go to the mall and see where that took us. As I was getting ready Jim called from work and asked if I would bring him something he forgot. Max loves to go to Daddy's work because it means a trip to the airport and there are so many things that he loves there! On the way they we drove though Papago Buttes by the zoo, Max exclaimed Mommy mountain! I want to climb it! So we drove on to the airport and we saw the new light rail trains (very exciting) then a large crane, and of course plane after plane. It was a trip filled with ooohhhs and wows! On the way back I decided we would "take a hike" Max was VERY excited! So we pulled into Papago Park, I though hole in the rock would be the perfect "hike". We drove in at the zoo entrance and right away he knew where he was, I thought we might have to take a quick walk around the zoo, but he was focused he wanted to hike! We drove around found a parking place and started up the hill! I asked him to stop to take a picture and he was not going to have that! "No Mommy hiking" He raced up the back of the hill which is mostly stairs out of railroad ties. When he spotted "the hole" he asked' Who made that" I let him know that god and the wind did.
Here he is in his victorious moment!


Here he is with the zoo in the back ground
When we got to the bottom we checked out the pond near the car. He is waving at the ducks. Carefree skipping across the bridge...

We went to the mall and picked out a new "Cars" toy and had fun just wandering the mall. It is interesting to see where a almost 3 year old will take you!

Tomorrow we are celebrating Max's 3rd birthday! I enjoyed today so much, he is really putting his words together and becoming such a little man. I am going to take advantage of this time with him. Max gets the short end of the stick a lot catering to the older kids schedules and activities, it was nice to have a carefree day..... and all day all I could imagine was my Dad smiling from ear to ear to have another hiker in the family!

Max!

The Top Twenty dog names in the USA

1. MaxDerivative: Maxwell, MaximillianMeans: Large springInspired by: Max Mara - fashion designer label.Famous because of The German Shepherd dog of ‘The Bionic Woman’.

Top boy names in 2005 (the year our Max was born)

165. Max - according to the social security administration site...

It is no wonder that our "boy" Max has many "dog" traits...

My mom got Charlie (a little Terrier) when Max was about 3 months old as a puppy and the two of them are just a month apart and were babies together! Then Mom got Mariah a beautiful Black lab, again as a puppy. You would find Max is the dog cages and chewing on a bone, it was his start of his dog traits.

Now that Max is older (2.5) and mom just has Mariah (Charlie went to live with some friends) but Max calls her Charlie, he is still learning the ways of a dog. After watching the dog pee in the grass he has now decided that, that is a good thing to do! When I come home from work he barks at me right along with my Mariah. If a truck is in the alley you can find Max and Mariah barking along the fence. They are such vigilant watch dogs! Max has even tried to scratch behind his ears with his legs like the dog!

We have a friend whose name is Max, he has said he will teach him in the 'ways of being a Max" I guess we should start that soon! At least before he starts eating off the floor...oh wait too late...