Arizona Trip--Day 6

We slept in a bit this morning and packed up to leave our "$29 motel room. "Free breakfast" was included in the price, so I went to the lobby to scope it out. Slim pickings, and we only had fifteen minutes to grab and growl. We quickly ate our toast and cereal, loaded the car and set off to find the Lowell Observatory. I had purchased a membership card to a science museum in Virginia, which allows us to get into science centers all over the country. Lowell gave us a great history lesson and allowed us to see an amazing telescope that has been used for decades to explore space. Of course, it also offered a gift shop full of amazing learning toys! I wish I could have bought one of everything! Instead, I told the boys I'd try to find some of the items online later, for a better price! Tight wad? You bet!

We left Lowell and found a local Mexican restaurant, Cafe Ole. We devoured chips and salsa, nachos, tacos, rice and beans. After lunch, we set out for Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki. The boys were extra goofy and sang their hearts out, making up new songs and drastically changing old ones. Tim Hawkins would be proud! While my body was screaming for a little "down time," my heart was overwhelmed with joy. My sons are happy, we are together and experiencing on of the biggest adventures of our lives!

At Sunset Crater, I gazed upon the ash and black remains of the volcano and reflected. "Guys, that is what sin does to our lives. It kills everything, makes us dead, black and lifeless inside." I love visual pictures of spiritual truths. I'm not so sure the boys got it, they were making up another song about something inappropriate...sigh!

At Wupatki, we walked to the ruins of an Indian home. The boys enjoyed exploring and if we had more time, they would have played there for hours! I was able to get some more great shots of my handsome men, which I will post later!

We drove over three and a half hours back to Phoenix. I decided to try the backseat to give my boys a break from sitting so close to each other. I drank in the landscape again, this time the reverse of Wednesday's travels. I stand amazed at how big God is and how creative He is in creation! We were greeted by two squirming pups and our gracious hosts. We ate dinner together, played a few rounds of Dutch Blitz and settled in with "Cars 2." A good day.