Jimmy and Mo go on an adventure! Part Two

 You can do a tour from Williams, AZ on  a train

 There's a very pretty bird in this tree, that was a Western something or other, but I can't remember what the nice lady who told us said.

 I am not going to lie.  It took us about fifteen minutes to find the outlook from the Visitor's Center.  Jimmy said, "it's a big hole in the ground; it shouldn't be this hard."  It was pretty funny.

 Don't fall in!

 It's really hard to show how majestic and breathtaking the canyon really is.

 SQUIRREL!  I wanted to pet him, but I refrained.

 I am not so good at taking selfies!

 This toursit was playing a harmonica and doing it very nicely I might add!

 Jimmy got a bit of selfie stick envy after we struggled with taking selfies.  THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!

And now the helicopter pictures:

 Getting ready for takeoff!

 Pines

 Grand Fing Canyon!

 Colorado River

 We were about a mile above

 Jimmy would like me to note that my motion sickness did get the best of me.  He thought it was super funny since we were told only 2% of people got sick.  I wasn't going to mention it, but Jimmy insisted it was funny.

This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.  45 minutes over the Grand Canyon was absolutely breathtaking.   I am so glad I got to experience this with my brother.  And the endorsement from Jimmy, "You know how to do an adventure!" 
And we even made it back in time for the first game of the NBA Finals.

Mo and Jimmy go on an adventure! Part One

Summer vacation has been very good to me so far.  I came up to Flagstaff to spend a week with my family, so I could attend my niece's third birthday party.  How did she get to be three already!?!  On Tuesday I was getting a little stir crazy, which for those of you that know me is no surprise. 
The following conversation is what happened between my brother and I:
Me: I NEED TO DO SOMETHING!
Jimmy: You are doing something.  Mo, you are relaxing and recharging.
Me: But I am just sitting.  Maybe I should go to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, or someplace equally touristy.
Jimmy:  I'll take Thursday off and go with you to the Grand Canyon.

Neither of us have been to the Grand Canyon since elementary school field trips and when you're an hour and a half away that is a bit silly.  Thursday morning arrived and Jimmy said, "Did you research it?"  To which I responded, "I know how to get there.  We'll be fine." As I laughed in glee and rubbed my hands together like an evil genius.  He's never done an adventure with me.
My plan is:
1.) decide where you are going- this time the Grand Canyon
2.) figure out how to get there- picked the route of the three that seemed to feel right
3.) decide what time to leave and get home- NBA finals at 6pm, so we needed to be home to watch

And off we went...hitting the road.  As we drove through the pines surrounding Flagstaff while looking at the San Francisco Peaks I was reminded how beautiful this place really is.

As we approached the Grand Canyon there was an airport to the left with a helicopter lifting off.  Jimmy said,  "I'm really going to have to do a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon one day."
Me, "Let's check it out!" as I made a sharp left into the parking lot with no blinker and that's how we made a 2:00pm reservation for a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon.

(Part two will have all the pictures from the trip)

Citizenship Ceremony

Today I was lucky enough to be invited to the United States citizenship ceremony of my next door neighbor/friend.  I think that I take for granted how lucky I was to be born in this country and I was completely humbled by the forty-four people from thirteen countries denouncing their citizenship from their home countries.  Some of these countries included: Ukraine, South Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Mexico, Nigeria, and the Philippines. 
I got a little teary eyed at a few different points:
1.) listening to a room full of people sing The Star Spangled Banner in so many different accents
2.) being led in The Pledge of Allegiance by elementary school students
3.) knowing that some of these people worked for years for something I was given at birth
Sometimes I get a little cynical about the country I live in and this adventure today was exactly what I needed to remind me not to take certain things for granted.
I can vote.
I can speak my mind.
I can...I just can.
If you ever get the chance to attend one of these ceremonies, do it, and remember how blessed you really are if you are a United States citizen.  I forget sometimes for sure and I was glad for the reminder.  It's not perfect, but it is good.

Fall Break Flagstaff Fun

Alliteration totally intentional for the title!
It's been awhile since I posted to this blog, but school started and being a high school English teacher is an adventure that does not leave much time for adventures outside of the classroom or blog posts.  The first nine weeks flew by and I am enjoying a glorious week off from the teaching gig/adventure that I love so much, but do need an occasional break from to keep my sanity.

I decided to head up to Flagstaff for a few days of fun (sorry the F alliteration is not out of my system yet).  It's hard to explain, but somewhere between Camp Verde and Munds Park the air changes.  I think if I was blindfolded and told to say when the car moved from southern AZ to northern AZ I would be able to know based just on smell.  I promise if I was blindfolded I would let someone else do the driving!  Maybe it's the pine trees, the lack of pollution, or just a bit of magic that can only be found when headed home.  When I was younger, think elementary school, we would smell the pine trees.  We said that some smelled like chocolate, some like vanilla, or the extra special ones were strawberry.  It was a neapolitan treat for the nose.  Pine trees, or certain ice cream flavors, will always smell like home

See number one from the list below...the balloon man at the restaurant made us made us heart shaped flower balloons

Flagstaff Fall

Quick top ten list of the four days in Flagstaff (in no particular order):
1. getting to spend an evening with a good friend in Phoenix on the way up to Flagstaff
2. getting a haircut and manicure with my mom
3. seeing Gone Girl with my favorite sister-in-law
4. Scrabble with my brother
5. holding my nephew while playing tag with my niece
6. a family dinner at Mama Luisa's for my sister-in-law's birthday
7. the leaves changing and the crisp weather that comes with October
8. getting some much needed time with loved ones
9. and getting some much needed time sitting (read vegging out) in front of a television since I don't own a TV
10. finishing Run by Ann Patchett- a great book if anyone needs a book recommendation