Tucson

Addy and I recently had the opportunity to travel to Tucson to visit Jamey. I was a bit apprehensive to make the 6+ hour trip with a newly potty-trained kiddo, but she did great. We only had about 1 1/2 days actually to spend with Jamey, and we had a lot packed into those days. We had a lot of fun and can't wait until we get to see him again next month!

This picture is from the scenic view point along highway 89. The Vermillion Cliffs are so pretty with snow on them, so I had to stop. I also loved the clouds that day. This is the beginning of the Grand Canyon.
We went to the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum. It's part zoo and part hands-on museum. We had so much fun exploring all the exhibits. Here Addy is trying on the bat-ears to see what it would be like.
There was a whole area with gems and other stones found in Arizona and the Sonoran Desert. Addy loved looking through the microscope (future biologist? I think so!) She also got to dig through a rock quarry to find her own gems.
The zoo part is filled with animals from the area in pretty naturalistic environments.
I was a little worried how Ad would react to Jamey (sometimes she's not so nice.... I think she's a little angry that he's gone so much). She was so excited to see him. She actually jumped out of the car and ran to him! They had so much fun together, and she wanted almost nothing to do with Mama.

Addy has always LOVED pigs, so it was no surprise that her new desert favorite was the pig-like Javelina.

They have an amazing humminbird habitat. It was even cooler that they're nesting. I was excited to use the new lens that I got for my camera for Christmas. I got some pretty great photos of the hummingbirds.
Next, we went to Saguaro National Park (where Jamey works). We went to the visitor center, and then he took us on a few hikes. This is on the desert discovery trail.
Jamey and Addy had a great time running away from me.
She was such a ham with him. Here, she's pretending to eat his face.
Just outside of the park, there is a BLM Monument. This sign is just inside the monument. I hear stories from our BLM Ranger friend about catching illegals, but for some reason the sign made it so much more real to me. Tucson is a pretty scary place!
To finish out our day, we took Addy to Chuck E. Cheese. It's her favorite place in the world thanks to our good friend Matt who started taking her there when she wasn't even two. She had so much fun riding the rides and playing the games.

That was our full day. On the day that we left, we did tons of shopping and running around. We played with the puppies in the mall and absolutely fell in love with a little german shepherd. We had a great time in Tucson, but can't wait for Jamey to come visit us so we can have a more relaxing visit!

Work

I will start from the beginning by saying that this post is for my benefit and will be full of rambling, so I apologize to those of you who choose to read it. I'm not very good at journaling in a notebook, so I like to put my thoughts down here to be able to look back and reflect on later.

At Church, I have a calling as a primary teacher. I love spending time with my kiddos, but today was a rare day in which none of my kiddos were there, and I had the opportunity to attend Relief Society (which I never seem to appreciate until it's been awhile since I've attended).

For those of you who don't know, Jamey has been working for about the past month in Tucson (which is a 6 hour drive from us). I am grateful that he is employed and able to do what he loves, but lately I've been down. He will be there for about 4 months, and then will come back for a couple of weeks and head back up to his duty station at Dangling Rope. I am used to living apart, but the two months that he was in the same house as us spoiled me. I know there are lots of people out there who don't have spouses, or are further away and for longer duration, but I'm selfish and I am ready for him to be home for good.

I have also been feeling a little guilty, I guess, about working outside of our home. I love Addy and all the time we spend together, but I also love my job. Recently, I have been feeling judged by those around me because I "choose" to work. It's not a financial necessity, Jamey makes plenty of money to support us, but I still choose to work. Again, I'm selfish. I do it because it makes me feel good. I work as a 911 dispatcher for the National Park Service and enjoy being to help people in their time of need. I like the excitement of being in the middle of chaos and trying to bring order.

Okay, so back to Relief Society ( I warned you about the rambling). Today, the lesson was on work. Our teacher told us that "work helps to take our minds off of our own problems" and she wanted us to think of examples in our own lives. As soon as she said it, I knew this was the reason I didn't have a class to teach today.

Yesterday, I was working the 2-10 pm shift, which in the winter is generally quiet and uneventful, so I was alone. All of my rangers had gone home, so I was relaxing for the last couple of hours of my shift, thinking about how much I want my husband home and counting down the days until I get to see him again (8 by the way).

My emergency line rang, and all chaos ensued. The caller stated that he had just watched his friend fly an aircraft into a cliff and they believed he was deceased. I called out my rangers, county deputies, and flight for life, and then I waited, and waited,and waited. The victims father-in-law called to ask if I had further details, but I just had to wait until everyone got to the scene (about 40 minutes from the park). Finally, the first units arrived and I heard them asking someone to contact the Medical Examiner and needing help with the body transport.

My mind immediately went to this man's wife and family. This man, had gone out for the day with friends to scout for an upcoming deer hunt. He was in a paraglider-type aircraft, coming in for landing after flying all day when a down-draft hit him, causing him to lose control and hitting the side of the cliff. He was killed on impact. In a few minutes, the lives of his wife and family were changed forever.

I thought about this woman all night and most of today. I don't know if she and her family are members. I don't know if she has children or how old she is. All I know, is that her tragedy changed my life. Although it might seem horrible for Jamey to be living 6 hours away, I still have him with me. I am grateful for the gospel in my life, for my eternal family, and for the knowledge that no matter what happens in this life, we will be together for eternity.

My work took my mind off of myself and what I thought were my problems. It made me think of others and how I might help those who need me.

I LOVE the gospel and the little things that I learn every day. I'm so grateful for those who were willing to open their hearts and teach me about the thing that was so important to them 7 years ago.