Yay for Friday!

Happy Friday! I'm excited to be back to blogging and sharing some highlights of my week!

1. So anyone with a long-haired cat knows that occasionally they will get some matted hair. Usually we jut cut out the matted piece with scissors. Somehow Pantera managed to get the biggest clump of matted fur EVER. Mike had to get it out with hair clippers!! As you can see from the picture, Pantera is now sporting a lovely bald spot. Hopefully it grows back quickly!

2. Halo became very studious this week and decided a nice hat and glasses was a good look for her.

3. Spring is on the way!! There's signs of color returning to these parts! This picture is of apple blossoms in the apple tree in our backyard.

4. I crocheted a sponge! I love not only getting to use my creativity, but to use it to make something purposeful.

5. I've really tried to focus more on eating a bit healthier and working out regularly. I've worked out everyday this week!! Hopefully I can keep it up!

 Hope you have a great weekend! I should be back here on Monday with a post about the rest of my travels!

Spring Break - Petrified Forest & Grand Canyon Trip

Hello!!!! I know, I know, I haven't posted in FOREVER! I've spent the past month doing quite a bit of traveling. It began mid-March with Mike's spring break. We packed up and headed to Arizona!

Our first stop was the Petrified Forest National Park. We arrived an hour before the park was closing, so we drove through and stopped at the pull-offs that looked most appealing.

My favorite was the Painted Desert, pictured above.

 Of course we had to find a petrified tree!

After leaving the park we continued on to Flagstaff, Arizona. We arrived at our hotel around 8 p.m. and then ventured out to find some dinner. We ate at a great brewery called Lumberyard Brewing Company. It had good food and a great atmosphere.

The next morning we explored Flagstaff a bit and then drove on the Grand Canyon National Park. Let me start by saying, this place is HUGE! There's many hotels, buses, cars, museums, visitor centers, a grocery store, etc. It's like a small town. Once inside the park we followed the signs to the campground and got our campsite all set up. We then went to explore the visitor center and got our first glimpse of the canyon! That first look is something I think I'll never forget.

Over the next few days we took our time walking trails, taking in gorgeous views, eating good food, and just enjoying ourselves.

Our second day at the Grand Canyon was our third wedding anniversary! We celebrated by eating dinner at the famous El Tovar Dining Room. It was fancy and lovely!

We saw elk various times during our trip, which I thought was really exciting!

Mike made a habit of daringly standing on many ledges. A few times it made me a little nervous.

This one is my favorite!

Below are a few more pictures I just couldn't go without sharing...

On our way home we made a pit-stop in Winslow, Arizona. This should ring a bell from the Eagles song "Take It Easy", which starts with, "Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona..." We met some really nice people while taking pictures there and had a great chat.

We had an AMAZING time on our trip!! I'll continue with the rest of my travels in another post shortly.