Ditat Deus Arizona

The official Arizona state motto is Ditat Deus, "God Enriches" and I can attest that he truly has enriched the southwest country with beauty previously unknown to me. I spent the last week of September visiting three of my siblings and their families along with my parents, Angie & Mario and nephew Julian. Julian was a surpise visit for my sister Carina, her husband Jeremy, my brother Carlos, his wife Nora, and their toddler Mireya.

Carina gets a first aunt's look at 3 mo. old Julian

This quilt blanket was handmade by Carina as an anniversary gift for my parents. The day we flew into Phoenix was their 26th anniversary.

Jeremy was so excited to see Julian. This is the Swift's apartment.

Julian was such a trooper driving around in the Arizona heat.

He has a real soft spot for his abuela.
Driving to Scottsdale's, just north of Phoenix for a little tourist action on Friday.

Arizona plantlife is striking.

The Saguaro cactus blooms the Arizona state flower.

The flowers of the Red Bird of Paradise add beautiful oranges and yellows to the desert.

View of canyons as we drove to Tucson on Saturday to meet everyone, 45 min. south of Phoenix.
Dust clouds in the distance

Everyone met for breakfast at the famous Hotel Congress where Chicago thug John Dillinger was captured in 1934. So exciting!

Mireya is unbelievably beautiful. She plays so lovingly.

She's quite the jokester too, like her father, seen here.

Carlos, my mom Angie, Nora, her sister-in-law Paula, and Nora's brother Ramon, who recently moved to Tucson.

The cousins meet again, but it was Carlos & Nora's first time seeing Julian. (picture courtesy of Paula Rodriguez)

This was only my second time seeing Mireya. She kept staring at me, I'm sure wondering how her aunt could have neglected visiting her so long.
Hanging out by the pool with Julian

This is the view from behind Carlos & Nora's house. Tucson on the left, and mountains on the right. They live right next to a wash from which coyotes may be heard in the night!

We love us some Julian.
And some Mireya.
For dinner Saturday, we headed to Trail Dust Town, a small tourist, simulated western town known for the Pinnacle Peak Restaurant "Home of the World Famous Cowboy Steak."

(Above & below pictures courtesy of Paula Rodriguez)

Norma had her tie cut off by "the cowboy." Ties are big no no, apparently.
There's also an hourly "shoot 'em up" show. It was actually quite funny. For a small actor's fee.

Dare I say it? Ok. He's in the jailhouse now.
On Sunday, Norma and I visited San Xavier del Bac Mission, aka "The White Dove of the Desert" built between 1783 and 1797 by the Tohono O'odham tribe, under the direction of Spanish Franciscans.

The mission opened Tucson's first public school in 1864.
A small side chapel
Norma and I spent the afternoon driving southeast of Tucson to Tombstone. Yep, Tombstone.

Driving at various elevations through the mountains,

around every turn there is a different landscape.

The City of Tombstone, "The Town Too Tough to Die," an old mining boomtown settled in 1877, sight of the infamous gunfight between Wyatt Earp, his brothers, Doc Holiday, and the Clanton brothers, fought near the rear entrance of the O.K. Corral.
My sister, Norma, now lives in Tucson with Carlos & Nora, and just started a new job.
If you know me, you know I was content driving my sister's jeep through the Southwest valleys donning my cowgirl hat and listening to southern music. Then I was stopped by border patrol.

Sunday night we returned to Phoenix, and Monday morning my dad took us out for breakfast. See, there's Julian eating his breakfast.
More Arizona flora
Carina gets a last moment with Julian before my parents leave for the airport.

I spent two more days in Phoenix, mostly by the pool in Carina & Jeremy's complex.

Jeremy took some days off from work. On Tuesday, we went for a long drive outside of Phoenix.

We stopped at a nearly dried up riverbed.

Carina & Jeremy show off they're just as cute as ever.

Climbing through rocks on the riverbed was more difficult than I anticipated.

Canyons surrounding the lake we visited (I want to say Saguaro Lake?) are majestic.

So sad to leave all the family down there. I hope it won't be long before we return.