Here’s the rest of week one in Cali to add on to my Joshua Tree Day 1 and Ryan Mountain posts…

After our big climb on Sunday at Joshua Tree – we spent the rest of the day “rock scrambling” around Skull Rock. These piles of rocks are a magma called monzogranite that got pushed up from volcanoes and then were weathered by groundwater to make all kinds of fun piles and shapes. I think the kids could have scrambled for hours if they didn’t have to use the bathroom. 🙂 Nature is the best playground! Mommy even had fun climbing all around.

When we got “stuck” a few times and weren’t sure which paths would get us back to Betty – we had RR be our scout that went ahead and reported back which way to go. He was a great leader forging ahead (his strength haha) but also coming back to patiently help the less-fast ones know how to move forward.

We earned another Junior Ranger badge. This park ranger reminded me of Ms Becky – one of my BFFs. She’s lucky I didn’t hug her and talk her ear off for 2 hours straight!

That ranger was so pumped up (and jealous) that we saw the Kit Fox in the park. She has never spotted one! It’s amazing to see how desert-dwelling animal and vegetation survive. In this park we saw lots of lizards, the kit fox, kangaroo rat, jack rabbits, and a ground squirrel! Isn’t that fun?

We really enjoyed learning about this park where the Mojave & Colorado deserts converge. The Joshua Tree named by the Mormons after Joshua from the Bible, is really a species of the yucca. RR keeps incorrectly calling them “sucka” ever since we originally learned about yuccas at Big Bend… which always gives us interesting looks from passers by if they catch him saying it before I correct him haha. He has always had the most hilarious mispronunciations.

This park is about the same size as Big Bend (around 800,000 acres!). We are such National Park fans! We pray they are always protected and cared for.

That’s it for Joshua Tree!

This week (because it was recommended to us a ridiculous amount of times) we tried In N Out:

(We actually liked Jack In The Box better. But we love that In N Out has scriptures on the papers and is owned by a Christian)

The weather has been SO great for our first week in Cali. (Apparently they had a record breaking 5 inches of rain this year before we came, which is why they had a super bloom. So we came at the right time. By the way, that 5 inches sounds so nice compared to Wilmington’s 100 inches this year! Geeez.)

Along with beautiful dry heat, we have enjoyed gorgeous skies for swimming, biking, and playing day and night :

Here’s 2 moon shots for you MM:

I’m still loving the snow capped mountains:

In the mineral hot tubs at night we have met very interesting people including:

• A woman from Cambodia who came to America in the early 80s. Decades later, she still shamelessly starts conversations telling strangers how grateful she is to be an American and for the opportunities and freedom here. She shared much of her story with us and how hard and cruel life was in Cambodia.
• An almost 88 year old African American man/veteran from Mississippi. Born in 1931, I can’t imagine all he has seen! He shared about his childhood and how hard they had to work all summer as a family to make sure they could eat all winter.
• This social and mature girl named Faith who reminded us of our BFF Reese. Her parents are missionaries originally from Peru and she will soon be homeschooling so she can travel with them.

And then around the park we have:

• Belinda… this very special black swan who loves to talk to the kids

• And Prince Lennox they are curtsying to here. Unlike our Lennox – this guy is very dramatic and a bit snobbish :

We are so grateful for the sunshine, memories, and time together. B and I feel as close as we ever have and I just LOVE getting all this quality time with him!!! I’m such a blessed lady. 🙂

Love to each of you! We miss you all!

P.S. Thank you MomMom & Pa for the fun money! As soon as the mail came – we ran to the office / store right away for ice creams 🙂