Havasupai

This place is INCREDIBLE.  I've been wanting to go here for YEARS and we finally made it happen!  A group of 20 of us all went together for 3 days, mixed between Utah and California peeps.  If you don't know much about Havasapai, it's an area on an Indian reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with incredibly clear water and lots of waterfalls, gorgeous to say the least.

We started our hike down Wednesday night around 3 am and made it in record time.  We had to wait at the village for at least an hour for the rest of our gang to come straggling in.  Then we hiked another mile or so to the campsite, set up camp, then spent the rest of the day at and around Lil Navajo Falls.

That night Stephen and I BOTH got stung by baby scorpions.  That was first time in ALL of my time growing up in Arizona actually seeing a scorpion, let alone getting stung by one.  I felt something sting me, Stephen thought I was imagining things then a few minutes later found the little guy in my sleeping bag!  Then 15 minutes later same thing happened to Stephen.  The next night a giant tarantula almost got us!

Day 2 was spent at Havasu Falls and exploring some old quartz mine caves.  We almost had a casualty with one of the guys almost having a giant beam fall on his head and a near attack of a swarm of Africanized bees after throwing rocks at their beehive.  Boys will be boys-- no excuse!

The last day, we hiked down the treacherous rock face to Mooney Falls and hiked about a mile downstream in the water jumping off little waterfalls and throwing mud at each other.  That evening we pack up and hiked out (some other wimps took the helicopter out) and made it back just before sunset, again in record time!

Utah

The beginning of July, Stephen and I drove up to Utah for a few short days to see my family.  My parents had just come back from Germany and driven across the country from Maryland.  So we had a few family BBQ's, ate at our favorite restaurants, had a picnic up the canyon and played some croquet.  And... I FINALLY got to climb Suicide Rock, a giant painted rock at the mouth of Parley's Canyon that I've driven by loads of times.

Not to mention I got to see this cute girl!  I love being an aunt :)

California Adventures

Random adventures of the last couple of months...

I helped to plan and organize a park cleanup/planting for Mormon Helping Hands.

Hike to Aztec Falls with some cliff jumping.

Exploring Lake Arrowhead.

Walking around Balboa Island-- have to have a frozen banana from the banana stand!, and drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to Laguna Beach.

Day at Knott's Berry Farm with Stephen's family, my first time!

Day in LA-- Griffith Observatory and hike in Runyon Canyon Park.

Fourth of July boating and picnicking with friends at Big Bear Lake.

Day at the Orange County Fair.

Beach day at Santa Monica with Sariah.

Thatcher

The beginning of June, I drove home to Arizona for a few days since Sonya and Tyler were going to be there for a week and my parents are moving so it was my last chance to go home, ever...

On the way, I stopped at Goldfield Ghost Town, just 10-15 minutes off the freeway in Phoenix.  I can't believe we had never been there before as a family on MANY of our day trips to Phoenix.  It was a cute little tourist attraction with restaurants, shops, and mine tours.

The next couple days in Thatcher were spent eating at our favorite restaurants-- R&R Pizza and Casa Manana, as well as going to Frye Mesa-- man made lake at the base of Mt. Graham and on the top of a giant mesa.  We spent the afternoon swimming and jumping off the wall of the dam.

And PLENTY of time was spent sorting through junk, getting rid of stuff, and packing up the memorable items.  Goodbye Thatcher...

Pomona Valley Hospital

Beginning in May, I did a 4 week rotation through the ER at Pomona Valley Hospital, a small community hospital.  WOW!  It's nice to know not all ER's are as crazy as Arrowhead's, where I'm doing my residency.  People actually have insurance and a primary doctor to follow up with.  And the nurses set up all the materials you need to do suturing and other procedures.  It was an eye opener and I LOVED it.  Not to mention there are no medical residents so you don't have to fight for procedures.  All the doctors, PA's, and nurses were so nice.  Can I go back please??  On my last day the lead PA told me they would definitely like to have me work there (lots of positive feedback from the other staff for me), AS LONG AS there is an opening.  I definitely want to work at a community ER that's for sure.  County hospitals are just a bit too crazy for me...