Ten Years Old and it Feels so Good

I'll skip the cursory "I'm behind on my blogging," since, obviously, I'm behind on my blogging.

A few months ago, Michael and I visited Arizona to see a new house, three nieces, three nephews, and two tired yet good-spirited parents. We also started a new tradition, unglamorously titled, "The Ten-Year-Old Trip," in which Micheal and I take kiddos that turn ten on their very own birthday trip.

We drove to Parker Canyon lake in southern Arizona and also visited Tombstone so that Michael could enter the Wyatt Earp look alike contest.

Clearly, I sat on a rock and took pictures. How impressive is that lake? 

We were setting up the tent next to a family with a few small children that was having a hard time with the concept of a public campground and preferred to spend their time shouting to each other and taking turns sitting in the car. Michael and I were grumbling about our new neighbors, when Morgan, diplomatically, commented, "At least we don't have any one in our campsite under ten years old."

Fishing lesson number one, in which Michael scared everyone by demonstrating how easily a fish hook can get lodged into your skin. *shiver*

He's a natural.

Pier ninjas.

We woke up the next morning, with practice casts under our belt. I was accopanied by the world's most optimistic fisherman and, perhaps, the world's least optimistic fisherman. I fell somewhere in the middle. Michael kept muttering things like "wind" and "need more bobbers." 

I was optimistic, until, I ran into a GIANT TURKEY. With a BLUE HEAD. And a BAD ATTITUDE. I just do not like birds. 

Another suspicious character. 

He's only in it for the hat. 

At the end of the day, I apologized to Morgan that we didn't catch anything. He said, "Yes we did. We caught sea weed, some algae, other people's fishing line..." I told you he was optimistic.

Next, we traveled to Tombstone. 

Michael placed fifth in the Wyatt Earp contest. Not really, but some day. We learned that although none of the characters they were portraying lived past thirty, the re-enacters had an average age of 65.

Other highlights included "the best rootbeer in the West" where a man dressed as Doc Holliday told Morgan the story of Morgan Earp. It was some kind of awesome. Morgan also picked out a pocket knife (after we called his parents). 

So happy to have this kid in my life.