We went on a road trip through New Mexico and Arizona. We started out Thursday night July 1, and drove to Las Cruces, NM. We drove all along the border and even had a border check the next day just outside of Las Cruces. Instead of a prayer walk we did a prayer drive, and as we drove by prayed for our border security, border patrol and protection for those that live on the border. I wanted to go to make our vacation in Arizona to show our support for the people and state of Arizona to make a law to protect themselves from what the Constitution says is the role of the government...to protect its CITIZENS from all invasion both domestic and foreign. So we prayed about our trip being used for whatever purpose that God would also have it to be. I tried to contact some mission organizations, but either none for families or could not make contact. After much prayer, I ran across this website of a children's farm for abandoned children and orphans. It was right on the way too, and they had a list of things they needed. I had earned some extra money from the garage sale that I knew we could use to help buy some of the items they needed. So from Las Cruces we went to Benton, Arizona. Before we left Las Cruces we stopped at a Barnes and Noble to get season 3 of Leave it To Beaver and had a "Beaver" marathon on the way. We then stopped at Walmart in Benson, and we divided up into teams with list to help collect the items needed for the farm, and had a certain amount of time and money to do it. Whoever won got to pick what we were doing the next day. It was Ken and Chloe that won the time part, but Caleb and Nathan won the amount. We stuffed all the items in the car on top of the kids as best as we could, and luckily only had a few miles to drive to "All the King's Horses Children's Farm". We met Ana the director that God called back to the United States from Africa to start this farm. We brought in the items, took a tour, sat down and talked and prayed with Ana. She was so excited and grateful She gave me a book she wrote that chronicles all God has done so far to bring about this vision. We then went to the church where the house parents were teaching VBS as well as the pastor of the church to meet them and encourage them in the Lord. When we got there down another dirt road, we were greeted by some goats that loved Chloe and tried to follow her into the church. It was great to meet them, and just know better how to pray for them. We then had a picnic lunch in Tucson by a dog park and kids park, where the kids got to play and run around before we set back out for Phoenix.
We arrived in Phoenix pretty late, but the next day we were up and going because the kids had chosen to go in the lazy river they had at the hotel. Ken and I did get to go running that day. We mostly just hung out at the hotel all day swimming, and then ate at the hotel restaraunt called the "Hole in the Wall", where they had a little fire pit they brought out for us to cook smore's. I began reading the book that Ana gave me called "From Invisible", and it was a very intriguing story that I had a hard time putting down.
The next day was the 4th of July so we got up a little later, had breakfast, and then headed out to Sun City to visit my sister-in-laws parents and then Ken's aunts that both live there. They literally live only minutes from each other. We took Watermelon and root beer to the Sullivan's house, and just got a short visit with them, but they are just the sweetest people. We took bar-b-que over to his aunts and some snicker cheesecake. We had a great time visiting with them, and they had not seen the boys since they were babies and had never met Chloe. It was a blessed time. Then, we went to go see the fireworks near Phoenix. The back seat of the van flips and we can just sit on the back and watch the fireworks. It was a great show, while we listened to a patriot CD of Odessey.
The next day we just layed around most of the day, had left-overs from the bar-b-que, and then just went swimming that night at the pool near our room. The kids really had a great time swimming. I finished reading the book that Ana gave me, which really moved me. Ken and I got to run again with the most beautiful scenery, it was so hot but a dry heat that we barely sweated.
The next day we went to Mesa, Arizona where we got to visit the Sunshine acres children ranch. Ana had suggested we visit it because it was so close to the vision that she has for her farm, and she said it was an amazing site to see how nice the facilities were all from donations. We definitely were amazed at the facilites, and a lady greeted us to take us around on a golf cart for a tour. We saw a short video, then she gave us water, and explained how everything we were going to see was donated without any solicitation. That so amazed me right there, and made me feel right at home. These facilities literally looked like Extreme Makeover had come to do this. They were so nice. When we went to the girls facility, there was a play house in front and she told of a story how a little girl had prayed for a play house and by the time she was home from school there was a play house there that Home Depot had just called that day to donate. This story so touched Nathan's heart that he has told several people that story already. Then we saw where Kurt Warner has donated and comes to see the kids every Christmas, which so touched Noah's heart as he loves football and Kurt Warner. It was so amazing to see what God had done, and just to hear the stories of God's goodness and faithfulness!! Then we went to a Western wear store and bought Caleb some boots, and Chloe pink boots of course. Then we went to Peter Piper's Pizza where the kids got to play games....and Chloe played on the playground. We then went back to the hotel and enjoyed the lazy river some more, went down the slide together and just swam. So fun!! We then ate once again at the hole in the wall. We then went on a walk where we went running to show the kids the trail we found (we told them we were going snipe hunting, but Caleb knew they weren't real from the movie "Up"), but did see some real Coyote's on the way. That was a fun adventure!
Then on Wednesday we headed out for Flagstaff. We stopped at an outlet mall first, where I really helped the Arizona economy...while buying stuff the boys needed for camp in 2 weeks. That is where we discovered a bit of Heaven in the chocolate store!! I did not know that a smell could make me so happy. We had some chocolate covered apples, chocolate pizza, chocolate covered strawberries, and Chloe had a chocolate covered pretzel (of course it was pink). We stopped at the Montezuma Castle where pioneers had built a castle looking cave in the side of the rock. We saw a cute chipmonk, and beautiful trees. We headed out to Sedona where we just made it in time for our pink jeep tour. We went offroading where the ride was so bumpy, but beautiful and well worth it!!! Chloe just loved that pink Jeep, and now has announced that she wants Ken to buy her a pink jeep with sparkles. He told the guy to let him know when they were ready to retire any of their jeeps...so when it comes to cars I don't ever know, but I think he is serious. We then ate at the Cowboy restaraunt across the street, which they said was the oldest restaraunt in Sedona. We left there and headed for Flagstaff, on a very dark and windy road...but Ken still pulled over to look at the stars.
We found our way to Flagstaff, and settled in pretty late on Wednesday night, but we were so excited to get up the next day and get going to see the Grand Canyon. We did sleep in quite a bit, I went shopping at Walmart right across the street, we went running, ate lunch, and then headed out for the Grand Canyon. We got there a the perfect time, all the animals were coming out on the drive there in the cool of the day. We got there just about sunset, and it was so amazing. I cannot believe how big and beautiful the grand canyon is, but there is just trees and then all of a sudden is this huge canyon that expands miles and miles across and wide. It just makes you realize what an big God I serve. We took some great pictures, got to the edge of the cliffs where Ken about had a heart attack. The boys loved to throw rocks off the cliff, and spit over the edge...of course Chloe had to join in like her brothers. That girl is not afraid of heights at all....and was walking to the edge looking over. I did not let go of her hand after that. What an awesome sight it was!!! We left there and headed back to see the Observatory where they had night observation of the stars. We saw so many Elk and huge deer out next to the road and some running across the road. We just got there in time before the observatory closed, but there were too many clouds to see anything. We then went to the lookout point over the city of Flagstaff, and just looked up at the stars as well as over the veiw of the whole city. That was a beautiful site!! We went back to the hotel and walked on the trail, and just had another family adventure.
We went running the next morning, ate breakfast and fixed sandwiches for the road....where we headed back toward Texas. We went down Route 66, stopped at a cool place in the woods to have a picnic where we found lots of deer hoof prints, and bear prints. We then stopped at the meteor crater in Winslow, Arizona, where they had observation decks to view this crater where a meteor hit the earth. We made our final attempt to help the Arizona economy at that gift shop for soveneirs, where I got a Route 66 root beer. That was a great stop for the kids. We then got to New Mexico where we stopped at the famous El Rancho Restaraunt where we had the hottest hot sauce, beef fajitas, and the one thing we wanted in New Mexico was green chili. It was such a fun place to stop and eat where it had all the pictures of famous people that stayed there on the walls, and had all the rooms of the hotel named after many old famous actors. We then made our way to Albuquerque, NM and stayed the night.
We got a great night sleep, had a great free breakfast at Embassy suite and headed back home. We were going to have left over sandwiches for lunch, but saw a Red Robin in Amarillo where we told Chloe if we found one we would stop (that is her favorite commercial and says it all the time...actually she will sing after every meal I fix to the tune of Red Robin "Thank you Mommy, Yum"). We stopped at Red Robin and believe they do not have false advertisement because we had a very yummy meal, and the kids ate free to boot!! Then we went to see the cars that stick up from the ground in Amarillo, where everyone goes to spray paint them. We spray painted our names, took pictures and headed back on the road, only to stop at another Walmart to look for some shoes for Caleb for camp in his size. We officially hit most of the Walmarts on the right side of the road on Route 66. We ate the sandwiches in the car on the way home and some fruit we got from Walmart while enjoying Leave it to Beaver on the way home. We also officially hit every Starbucks from here to Las Cruces, Tucson, Phoenix, Flagstaff, and all along route 66. We had a great vacation!! I feel so encouraged about the path that God has our family on, and so inspired to do more for the Lord through our family!
We had a crazy busy summer. But it was so good. We did a vow renewal ceremony for our 17th Anniversary and it was incredible. My (April) brother's and sister came with their wives and husband. There was my niece Amanda, her daughter Sarah, my cousin Todd and his new wife. It was great to get to know her. We had Wayne Watson that came and sang, he was awesome. Chloe looked adorable, she wore a dress very similar to mine (white with a brown sash). The boys and Ken wore black tux's with brown ties and vest. So cute. 
