Djavad has been gone for work and in NJ handling his father's estate for...I forget how long...maybe a month (?). It took a minute to remember what it's like to have a Skype daddy and husband, but we figured it out and are getting by okay. It's a little reminiscent of before we moved to Phoenix and would only see him for short spurts here and there.

Anyway, so Raina has been joining Darius and I on our hikes. She has totally been rocking it! She definitely complains for the first half mile or so, but she motors those little muscles up the trails and the scrambles and the loose rocks and I am so proud of her hard work. 

Here are some photos from our recent hikes.

Treasure Loop (just Darius, Marvel, and I): This trail might be my new favorite. I freaking love the Superstition Mountains and this hike brings you really close to the incredible rock formations and provides stunning views. Darius and I left this hike feeling so awesome. Marv needed a nap. What a fun day we had. 

Praying Hands: I didn't have much of a plan on this day, other than to revisit Treasure Loop and try to get to a cave-like place that Darius and I had noticed on our previous hike. It was a rough one for Raina (this was before I got her hiking boots) but she powered through amidst a bunch of falls and little bit of blood. It was only when we finished that I looked it up and realized what hike we had done. 

Stargazer Trail: On this day we decided to venture south the San Tans. It was only after I paid the entrance fee that I realized it was a Maricopa County park and that my annual pass would work there. The nice dude at the entrance gate gave me a refund when I told him that I hadn't realized. The trail was short and easy and we saw lots of people on horses and a different kind of landscape. Keeping it real...the kids bickered the whole time and Darius sang, "My sister got peeeeed on by a cowwwww" (where does he get this stuff?) like the whole time and I was ready to chuck him off the hill. 

EJ Peak (Lone Mountain): Another awesome one! Parking for this trail is free which was great...and we went on President's Day which is apparently a big day for hiking. We only encountered 3 other groups on the trail though. The views were beyond amazing. The trail was tough and a little slippery (loose gravel), especially for Raina on the way down. There were some wildflowers already which was a nice treat and a good excuse for Raina to stop every few minutes (so she could smell them...haha!). The kids did not like that the gun range was so loud and frequent but they did like watching the ATVs and Jeeps navigate the trail to Bulldog Canyon below us. 

I should probably start lugging a tripod along on the hikes so that I don't have to find a spot with a rock to set the camera on. ;) Perhaps next time.