and we swam in the crystal clear waters.

I've had good intentions to blog but, you know, LIFE!  it gets in the way every now and then, forcing us to choose between the things we need to do, and the things we want, or would rather do.  and I have a hunch, albeit a slight one, that my kids would prefer to be fed, changed, and paid attention to, rather than feel like orphans as I hunt and peck on my computer.  so, please be patient with me.  while I may not have the time to write much, I'll definitely try my best to get some pictures posted, at the very least.

sound good?  awesome, I knew you'd understand.  

alright people.  I've said this before, and I'll say it again: if you live in Arizona and have never visited Fossil Creek, then you are seriously missing out.  I mean sure, the last eight miles of the trek are agonizingly long, bumpy and nail-biting.  BUT.  once you've arrived (in one piece, of course), there's really nothing quite like it.  the scenery is spectacular; the water, a gorgeous shade of turquoise.  it's *almost* like you've died and gone to heaven.  just trust me on this one, okay?

being the parking lot is rather small, holding oh, roughly a dozen cars or so, we decided we'd get an early start to secure a parking spot.  we left our house around 8:30, and when we arrived two hours later, the place was already teaming with people.  so much for that idea.  not like it's that big of a deal.  it's just that we first had to stop and unload all our belongings before parking a little ways down the road.  fortunately though, our spot along the creek was still available.

to be honest, it's kind of a challenging place to take pictures, the lighting not the least bit ideal.  the shade was almost too dark, therefore causing the background to be blown out.  and the sun was so intense, creating lots of shadows and contrast.  but, whatever.  guess you can't have the "perfect" lighting situation all the time.  plus, it's extremely hard to capture the beauty on camera, anyway.  obviously, it's always waaay more amazing in real life.

we spent almost nine hours there, and it was still hard to leave.  we'll definitely be paying another visit to Fossil Creek.

is this not the ultimate lounging spot, or what?

fish and chips?  or spicy shrimp and pasta?  hmmm, tough decision.

yes, that would be my weird husband wearing pink goggles.  what can I say?

rope swing fun.  check out the picture on the far right.  there's like, A LOT of stuff going on at the same time.

top right picture taken by my artsy niece, Meghan.  I have no idea if I edited it correctly.

beautiful.

 so.  who's going to check this place out?

guaranteed you'll fall in love.

-jessica