When it's Cold in Nebraska, head for Arizona

My nephew graduated from high school in Tucson last week, but our family had numerous conflicts with schedules, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it or not. But I did! (Blessing #1153). My parents planned to drive to Arizona, and they had room for Jillian and I to tag along for the 18-hr drive. (#1154)

The first thing Jillian did was jump in the pool to cool off and wear off some energy from the long ride. The weather in Arizona was nice and hot.

 

My nephew graduated with honors in his class of 300, and it was a blessing to be there, showing him our support. An interesting fact about his class: 56 different nations were represented in his class of 300. That's amazing to me!

One thing about Arizona, the sun rises and sets really early while the rest of us observe daylight savings time. The graduation ceremony was outside on their football field, at 7:30 pm. (9:30 our time) Even though temps reached 100+ degrees that afternoon, humidity was only 4% (a welcome change from what we're used to), and it was a beautiful evening to sit outside as the sun began to set. (#1155)

I asked Chad, "Wouldn't this be an awesome setting for a HS football game?!" If you look really close, you can see the white chairs on the field for the graduates. Here's my brother and his two little ones.

 

Jillian loves playing with her cousins! The little guy looks just like my brother at his age.

We spent four days in AZ with my brother and his sweet family (#1156). Jillian was really interested in all the cacti since she had recently learned about them in school.

Close-up of Teddybear Cholla

The saguaro cactus is an icon for the southwest, and we learned a lot about them at the National Park. They can live up to 150 years or more, and they don't produce "arms" until they're about 75 years old. So the one we stood by for the picture had to be really old.

I wanted a photo with all of us while we were in Cameron, just before we headed home, so I set the camera on the pavement, set it's timer, and quickly jumped in line, not quite sure how it would turn out. And it worked! (#1157). Looks a little like an ad for Diet Coke. Between my mom and I, we had plenty on hand.

Diet Coke & Ice Cream Break

 

Jillian did a lot of swimming while we were gone, but it'll be a while before our weather warms up enough for her to jump in the pool again here. After being in AZ, I am really ready for summer.