It’s hard to remember that nearly two weeks ago, we took our first family trip down south, where the temperatures were over forty degrees celsius everyday! Fall is in full swing now in Saskatoon, with frost warnings and the need to don at least a sweater, if not a winter jacket in the morning… so a big contrast to the abnormal October heat wave that was happening in Arizona that week.
This was the first of many for our family – the first time our kids had travelled out of Canada; the first time we visited Matt’s sister Sara‘s home since she and her husband first built it seventeen years ago; the first time we’d visited Matt’s other sister Suzy’s home; the first time she’d met Brighton, and that we all met her dog, Luka; the first time that Brighton had missed school to go on vacation, etc.
The kids were beyond excited to go somewhere new and to also miss some school. When we first arrived, both Blythe and Brighton said they didn’t want to leave!
While I was looking forward to a change of scenery, travelling and all the planning and doing leading up to it is always a bit stressful. I am a homebody through and through and was worried about leaving our furry loved ones behind. They were in good hands with my sister and brother-in-law, though, the latter who spent many hours hanging out with the kittens while we were away. We were also so generously flown down by Matt’s sister and her husband who had accrued many air miles over the years, and Matt’s parents were there visiting as well.
We packed a lot into the time that we were there, as we only had six days really to enjoy activities. Some of the trip highlights included going to the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, where we got to feed a variety of animals.
Cooling off by swimming in Sara and Curtis’ backyard pool almost every afternoon, with the kids getting some great swimming tips from their aunt. None of them are master swimmers yet. Mostly they loved and enjoyed the pool floaties that Sara had bought for our visit.
If we slept in too late, temperatures would be too hot to tolerate for too long outside. Even by 9:30-10 a.m. it was unbearably hot. So, despite being on a vacation – and blog hiatus for a few weeks – I went to bed early and got up before sunrise a few times just to be able to enjoy cooler temperatures and stay outside longer.
Once the sun set around 6ish, it was extremely dark and you had to be careful when walking around outside. There were scorpions and rattlesnakes, one of which Matt stepped on, and you didn’t want to wander too far from any light source.
One morning, Matt and I went on a hike with Sara to Picacho Peak, where surprisingly no one else but the park rangers were. Most likely this was due to the heat.
But although it may have seemed like no one else was there, the desert is likely teeming with life underground. We also saw signs of animals, in the form of their excrement and the food they had eaten. And right after walking by a sign warning of bee swarms, which Sara said was quite rare to see, of course a lone bee started following us on our hike. When Matt flew his drone, which sounds very similar to buzzing bees, the bee came and landed right on the bag. Luckily, no one was hurt!
Sadly, it was much too hot for us to go to this museum near the end of our trip. But we briefly checked out the nearby visitors centre and watched a very enlightening short film that talked about the wonders of the desert, how to respect it, and that saguoros were once people.
Later that night, we were invited to the home of Sara and Curtis’ fellow skydivers for the most delicious steak and lobster dinner, just so they could meet Matt, the final sibling of the Bennett clan! In their life after skydiving, they hope to open a restaurant and if they serve food like they served that night, I’m sure it will do very well!
They also made sure to provide some kid-friendly fare (nuggets and mini pizzas, plus macarons and popsicles) as well and let them set off a whole table full of firecrackers on their driveway!
Whitney had said that she wanted to try flying in the wind tunnel, which is one way you prepare for skydiving. Matt and I both tried this the one other time we were in Arizona, seventeen years earlier… and both absolutely vowed never to do it again. He is terrified of heights and I cannot even handle going over dips and valleys in the road. After Whitney saw this demo that Brockton and Olivia put on for us, she changed her mind about giving it a try.
I think it was a good call, given that we were going to see this movie premiere that night and then flying out the next morning. Both Sara and Curtis are in the film, which is the reason why we went to see it. Some people enjoy jumping out of planes – Joe Jennings almost makes it seem like something I’d consider – but really, I prefer keeping my feet on the ground.
The Fox Theatre was revamped over a six-year period and reopened in 2006 and was a super cool place to get to visit before we headed home the next day. I loved the art deco design and details…
… and the wide loveseats in the upper balcony from where we watched the film.
We were also originally planning on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. But after several attempts to coordinate accommodations and timelines and further thought about whether or not the kids would actually appreciate it, we decided against going. Ironically, on our flight home, which we almost were not allowed on due to an airline mixup, the captain made an announcement as we were flying over the Grand Canyon, so we got to see it from above.
Truly, it was a memorable first family trip to the States, but what we really discovered upon our return is just how much we love Canada. The airport was not crowded, the staff was friendly and helpful and it just felt good to be back.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family the day after our return and are getting back into our routines here. I’ll be catching up on blog posting before the month is over.
For now, have a lovely weekend, wherever you may be!
