July in Arizona is some of our most intolerable weather. Until monsoon storms slowly roll in behind a wall of dust, we’re trapped in an oven, with daytime temperatures hovering around 110 degrees. It’s a sunny summer, where adding water is the only way to survive. Pools, water parks, splash pads. It’s why the population here decreases noticeably, as summer break makes way for out-of-state travel. We took advantage of the opportunity to get out just like everyone else.
Our first stop was Florida. No, not much of a difference when it came to the heat, but the water can’t be beat and when you’re used to 110, 80 even with humidity feels like a breeze! We started our summer in Orlando, enjoying the Disney parks for two days, meeting up with our friends and their three boys, and then we spent a day at Epic Universe, the new theme park that includes a land replicating all things How to Train Your Dragon. The boys could’ve spent the entire day in that one section of the park. At this age, they were up for all the rides, and we went on them two or three times! We played all of the games at Nintendo World, walked through Harry Potter land, and returned to the Isle of Burke to re-ride their favorites. I’m so glad we made the trip while they’re still the perfect ages to get immersed in their imaginations and discover excitement at every turn.
From Orlando, we drove to the place where it all started- the Gulf Coast, Panama City Beach where Drew and I met and got married. We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary at the same beach, watching our boys play in the water for six hours straight, until we finally dragged them out at dusk because we had to eat dinner. Both kids tried new things, Little Bro spent our life savings in platters of shrimp and scallops, and we soaked in the salt and sea.
From the beach to the mountains, we took a July trip to Denver where we saw a concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, met up with old friends, and hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park. The boys added badges to their Junior Ranger collection, spotted bighorn sheep and elk, and Big B took a risky scramble up and down a waterfall that almost gave mom a heart attack, but he made it just fine without a second thought.
I love taking a break from the rigor of school and work and getting to check off another state, visiting friends and spending quality time with family. Summer is one of the hardest seasons in the desert, but there are still parts of it that I can appreciate. There’s a pride to not sweating 100-degree heat. There’s a serenity to watching evening storms roll in. There’s a nonchalance when chatting with neighbors we run into at the pool anytime we need to cool off while burning some energy for the kids.
School starts back next week, and I can’t believe another summer is already coming to an end. While I’m not ready for the homework, sports practices, and busy schedules, I am ready for the weather that comes with it.
Our Life in A-Z 