Spring Break- Roosevelt Lake

Spring Break is always a welcome retreat from the daily grind. This year we headed to Roosevelt Lake in the Tonto Basin of Arizona. The lake is full, which isn't always the case for Arizona lakes! We were able to see many wildflowers in bloom... over 30 varieties!

Up, up, up we climbed to see the lower dwellings at the Tonto National Monument. It was the perfect time of year for this uphill hike to the ancient Salado dwelling. As you can see in the picture below of Caleb, you are able to walk around the ruins.

Here is a view out to the lake from the Lower Dwellings...quite a view! The little specks on the lower right are the cars in the parking lot at the visitors center.

We stayed at the Cholla Campground, which is the largest solar powered campground. There is no fee other than the daily Tonto Pass which is $6 per vehicle (plus $4 if you have a boat). During the winter months, there are also long-term options. Each site has a picnic table with a ramada for a nice shady spot. There are also shower houses and playgrounds. The guys went fishing but didn't have much luck. The water temperature at the surface was 62 degrees, and the theory is that the fish are "on the move" from the deep to the shallows. We enjoyed smores by the campfire every night and look forward to our next getaway!

New Flooring in 5er!

We recently purchased new flooring for the 5er. Chris removed the carpet and vinyl from the living room/kitchen area that the 5er came with.

Luckily, the plywood underneath looked good!

Chris put down the Trafficmaster Dimensions resilient flooring. It's his new favorite flooring to install! It cuts scores and snaps easily with a utility knife. The black strip on the edge is sticky... for the next plank to stick to. Once down it is pretty darn waterproof. It is a floating floor, not adhering to the plywood. The carpet section over the dinette/couch slide and the kitchen slide was left down. Slides operate beautifully.

Here's a picture of the flooring down! The carpet runner in the middle is covering the heating vent in the middle of the floor :-). We still have a bit to do on the stairs going up to the bedroom. We will floor up past the bathroom entrance. It is a side bathroom off the hall and we will leave carpet in the bedroom.

Hope you enjoy the project pictures!

Welcome Home Mary!

Lana(Mary's Mom), Mary, Beth (CC)

Some of you may know that my dear student Mary has been in Phoenix Children's Hospital for awhile now, battling Ulcerative Colitis and a liver disease. Mary was released yesterday, just in time to make an appearance at a benefit dinner in her honor! So many people came out to support Mary in her struggle, that they waited a LONG time for food! Food was also in short supply! But everyone had smiles with Mary in our presence. Here's a photo for you.... Welcome Home Mary! Now she just needs to stay masked up, and eat and drink...lots!!