Tucson, Arizona

First stop Tucson Arizona ! The weather was beautiful, the trips were fun, the work was good, and we met some super awesome people who’ve become part of our tribe! – Tucson was good to us.

We ate lots of street tacos! Tanner’s favorite is Carne Asada street tacos! Practically a taco cart on every corner around here !

Tried Sonoran hot dogs ! – decided we are okay only trying them once.

I always try to find a local bakery when we visit so I can bring the nurses a treat on my first day. So we tested out some local bakeries of course.

Tanner and Anthony got to try some local horchata! Anthony says- it tastes like the milk left over from a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Got some fry bread or “popover” when we visited the Mission San Xavier del Bac. Which is a beautiful mission situated on the San Xavier Indian Reservation, that is part of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Beautiful area ! We even got to meet the famous – Joe Begay!! Who played in little house on the prairie and dancing with wolves! He named a few others my dad was able to recognize. But what a life. He now sells his “storytelling jewelry” near the mission.

Of course they were restoring the front of the mission while we visited. But it was still beautiful. Check out the construction tarp too!!

Tanner calls the mountains on the east coast “tree mountains” here he calls them “cactus mountains” rightfully so. Saguaro cacti are enormous! We like to try and find the funkiest looking cactus when we go on trips and pose like them.

This is what the inside of the cactus looks like. “Cacti ribs”- To me they look like dying souls frozen right where they stood when they died. Some of them were scary looking when they start to decompose! Can’t imagine what the natives made of them…- fun fact – saguaro cacti can live to be over 200 years old. The oldest known cactus was in the Sonoran desert! They grow 50-80 feet tall sprouting their first arm ONLY after 50-70 years old.

Stamping Saguaro national park for the passport

We tried prickly pear cactus candy!- by we …I mean my dad, tanner and Anthony. Prickly pear makes my mouth get bumps and go numb. No thanks.

Didn’t come across much wildlife- THANK HEAVENS! it was too cold for the snakes and other creepy crawlers. The most I saw was a javelina outside my work getting in the trash!

I told one of patients family members- who also happened to be a senior staff nurse- about the Javelina and she got Tanner two awesome new books!

He’s been doing so well at his homeschool preschool as well.

We enrolled him in some creative art classes. He enjoyed that very much. Attempted karate again – still a no for him. He’s such a smart boy and enjoys working with his hands- he’s creating lego sets meant for 7/8 year olds.

One of my favorite parts of Tucson – was the Beasley’s! Tanners newest bestest friend was Audrey!

We got to do some fun little trips with them, Pima air space museum, Patagonia lake, even had easter dinner together.

My new ride!!!!

Isn’t she a beaut ?! We have named her V.V.

We can now start making those longer distance short trips we’ve been wanting to take. A lot more comfortably too!

There were so many fun trips and swimming adventures, gem stone finds. Activities Tanner was involved in. So here are some of the favorite photos. I’ve decided I need to start these posts as we are doing things so I can make sure I remember it all. Unfortunately, a huge part of our stay in Tucson was spent being sick. We all got sick- whatever awful flu or bug was going around we caught it and were sick for the last month or so of our stay. But that was alright the weather in Tucson got a blistering hot of 100 degrees or more a day. Almost a little TOO hot to function in.