Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Joe's school has a festival each year, Tigerfest. They always have a lot of baskets in a silent auction, and this year, we decided to bid on a couple that had fun things to do around Arizona, like the Renaissance Festival, the Phoenix Zoo, Fiddlesticks, etc. Well, one of the things to do was the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Surprise and Globe. So, admittedly, I wasn't that thrilled about visiting the arboretum. I just didn't see the point in perusing a botanical garden having lived in Arizona practically my whole life. I guess I figured a cactus is a cactus is a cactus. I am very happy to say, though, that I was so pleasantly surprised. It was absolutely beautiful. Tucked away in a little canyon the arboretum was a place that I would love to go, by myself. I feel a little selfish writing this, as I did enjoy sharing the experience with my family and my Dad. But, for me, I would love to go back and take a whole day to wonder around and almost meditate within the gardens there. It was beautiful and peaceful and soul-enriching. I hope that I brought some of that to the pictures that I took. If you ever have a chance, or you win the Tigerfest silent auction next year, definitely take advantage and go to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, you will be glad you did.

They had an amazing assortment of plants and cactus for sale.

A cactus fountain that the kids liked.

I loved these little cactus. And, had we been staying and not moving to England I so would have bought one. They were so intriguing looking, like little rocks, but not...

By this point Jocelyn was NOT digging the Arboretum. They had ants, big ones, in fact, and she kept feeling 'ghost ants' on her legs. Here, she was not happy about the BIG needles on this cactus.

I loved the way these barrel cactus looked, all snuggled together.

This was a BOO JUM tree. Amazing, and the tallest thing in the Arboretum. You could see it from so far away.

Grandpa checking the map to see which direction we want to go in next.

April 02, 2011

Vote for CFR to receive $250,000 from Pepsi!

You've Got to Watch This!

I just watched this on Just a Girl...WOW.
It IS so good. Please watch it.

On my Nightstand

This is on my nightstand right now. Well, this book and about 50 glasses of half empty water.

If you've ever been in 'that' place where you lose all hope and zest for life, read this book.

The Shack

I’ve started to read a new book that I recently heard about on my favorite morning radio show here in AZ. After listening to Kurt Warner rave about the book, ‘The Shack’, I really wanted to read it, also. So thanks to Amazon.com I got the book and started reading right away.

I’ve only gotten a few chapters in, but already I’ve cried several times. Not only that, but because I read at night before bed, I’ve had a hard time sleeping and often have to go in and hold my sleeping children for awhile to help heal the pain I feel for the people in the book.

I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

Lush Cosmetics

If you have never heard of Lush Cosmetics before, now is the time. I am in love with their products. We have a store in Scottsdale that my sweet husband will treck to for me on special occasions…like Christmas! One of the products that I’ve been wanting for awhile is called Angels on Bare Skin. Well, Jon got that for me and I LOVE IT! It is a very odd texture, but it is, by far, the best cleanser I’ve ever used. I kind of have oily skin, but using a harsh cleanser often makes my skin too dry at first. But the AOBS is so great that it really cleans without being overly abrasive and doesn’t dry out your skin. Yeah!
Here’s a picture of the Angels on Bare Skin.

I also want to try some of their solid shampoos like Hybrid or Godiva

My favorite bath bomb is the Youki-Hi. The smell is absolutely Heavenly.

You can find their products online, too, at http://www.lush.com/.