#22 HOME IS ALSO WHERE THE HEART IS

Friday
March 31st, 2017
Flagstaff to Prescott, Arizona

Above picture: Alex snoozing after a tasty meal from Biff's Bagels/Macy's, Sierra and I having some Mommy-Daughter time while the boys ran a couple errands in Flag, snow on the hills, Alex writing emails to Uncle Jon, and our bikes in ice and snow!

Ever since Sierra showed interest in Legos she has always popped off the people's heads. Drives me nuts. Perhaps it's my borderline OCD, or maybe it's because we have lost so many of the yellow heads and Lego Friends hair tops. And today, I finally understand why she does it. She informed me that she takes off their heads so she can have a variety of 'outfits' for the people. They are clothing sets vs. headless people. 

There are so many different ways to interpret the world. Here I was, annoyed at the deconstruction of the precious figures and wondering if she enjoyed chopping heads off people (joking), while she was simply making outfits. Sierra is a sweet, loving, independent girl... and we sure had some laughs today. And, she was happy because her 'Minecraft' looking pants were replaced x 2. She scored capris and leggings.

After picking up a few other supplies, we headed south towards Prescott. Snow was falling and sticking in Flag, so we were wondering how the roads were going to be along I-17. All was clear and the open land and familiar sights brought me down memory lane BIG time. 

Oh, and on a side note, I am in love with Spotify. I downloaded it to my phone and signed up for the free trial. We can search for and listen to any song and I've created a playlist that does not have any Kidz Bop songs on it! I am not a big technology person, so this is exciting for me!

When the kids start to complain about a song, I will switch to someone the kids are requesting (notice I took a pause to play Kidz Bop). And, that SING movie they watched- great music, but I'm about to limit the times we can hear it per week.

Before heading to Granite Dells in Prescott, where we are camping, we headed to Granite Basin to check out a campsite we have reserved for next week. It took me a bit to get my bearings in town, since I haven't been back here to visit since at least 2006. When we began to head out of town, I remembered the numerous times I have hiked, played, and studied out at Granite Mountain. We could not see the mountain, since the snow was falling. But I did see some PC vans in one of the parking areas. Brought me right back to studying Adventure Ed. Out at Granite Mountain is where I did my first multi-pitch climb. (This is what Granite Mountain looks like in clear weather) And I wondered what course was out there today. AE, Wilderness Leadership, Photography, Climbing?

The forest today was so quiet, and the smell of the pines was intoxicating. I was also moved to tears. Much like the tears I shed along the banks of the Colorado River this week, but even deeper. I stood there in the forest, with tears streaming down my face... thinking of all the memories, hard times, incredible adventures, friends, peace, and healing I found in the desert southwest. 

Sierra thought I was upset and Alex told her I was "crying just like people do at weddings." She got it. Sometimes she cries when she is happy and tells me that her eyes are "watering". ♡

After our short visit at the base parking lots, we drove back up the road and came to a closed gate. Luckily there was a way out, over the 'you'd better not back up' spikes. We then drove through the town of Prescott, stopping at 220 Grove Avenue... the location of Prescott College, to snap a few pictures. 

If any of you PC friends are reading this, thank you for the awesome memories ♡ And thank you to my Mom, for encouraging me to take the leap and move from the Seattle area to Prescott back in 1996, after my various colleges I attended. And, thank you to Steve for paying off the last of my student loans ♡ Prescott College was the perfect fit for me. I found my heart, myself, and my passion ♡