And Baby Made Four

Our second child Jacob was born June 26, 1991, and we resumed our excursions into nature as soon as we could bundle him into his own tiny little sleeping bag.

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For several years we joined Dana's extended family every Labor Day to camp at the old Whiting Mill near Green's Peak. Sometimes my parents and siblings also came along. We'd pitch our tents, cook over the fire, go for hikes, ride quads, wade in the creek, and climb the communication tower to dizzying heights on top of the peak.

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This is Jacob on Labor Day 1991, just 2 months old.

Here we have Sarah and her fellow explorer Bryce, also on Labor Day 1991. Bryce was 2-and-a-half and Sarah was 22 months old. They've remained friends all these years.

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Camping with a new baby and a toddler presented a unique set of challenges, but it was always worth it!

In May 1992 Mark discovered a good fishing lake in Greer, AZ, so off we went!

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Sarah loved to wander around, communing with nature and its scurrying little critters while babbling to them with her sweet little made-up words. I was left to trail her with my camera in one hand and my baby boy in the other!

Here is Jacob in Greer. He was 10 months old and Sarah was 2-and-a-half. Neither of them minded getting down and dirty with the outdoors, despite my best efforts to keep them clean.

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At this time Mark was unemployed, so he was Mr. Mom while I worked. Staying home too much gave him cabin fever, so he often packed up both children and took them with him to his favorite fishing holes.

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When Sarah was about a year old, I came home one day to find a couple of bee stings on her face. Mark explained that he'd disturbed a hive in a fallen log and the swarm attacked him! He grabbed Sarah from her playpen and ran for their lives!

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We headed out to Lyman Lake, past St. Johns, on July 4, 1992 because we'd heard they had a great fireworks display. We drove out early in the day, hauling our barbecue grill in the back of Mark's truck, so we could have a picnic and relax while Mark fished.

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As you can see, Sarah was in her element. She was still 3 months away from her 3rd birthday, and Jacob (below) had just celebrated his first birthday a week earlier.

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I must say, the fireworks really were awesome. It was a long program and the colorful explosions were reflected in the lake below, like giant glittering blossoms. Sarah was awestruck. Jacob slept through part of it.

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During these years, most of our outings were no more than an hour's drive away from home, although we did travel regularly to Mesa to visit family.

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When we first moved here in 1990, it was just us. Jeff and Dana didn't move their family here until 1992 (they had lived here for a year or two back in the mid-80s; Dana is originally from this area). My parents didn't relocate here until 1993.

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I wanted my children to feel close to both sides of our family, so we made the 3-hour trek down the mountain to Mesa every other month, sometimes even monthly, for many years. Even now we drive down at least 2-3 times per year for visits.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Jacob, taken in September 1992 when he was 14 months old.

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Often our outings were no further than the local park. This was at a cook-out with family at Show Low Park. Mostly we went to Woodland Park, where the kids loved to swing and slide and make new friends at the playground; or sit on the dock next to their dad and watch fish darting by; or feed the ducks; or cross the bridge and hike around the lake or to Big Springs.

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To this day, one of their favorite treats is to take a picnic lunch to Woodland and then hike or bike around the lake.
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And here it is Labor Day again, 1993, and we're back at Green's Peak. By now Jacob was 2 and Sarah was approaching her 4th birthday (Oct 27).

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The creek in this picture reminds me of another favorite haunt, Brown Creek. My kids loved to pull off their shoes and socks to wade in Brown Creek. The first time they got out I thought they had little bits of leaves or dirt stuck all over their feet and ankles.

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Imagine my horror when I realized my children were covered with tiny leeches! It didn't seem to bother Sarah and Jacob, though, so we pulled the little suckers off and the kids went back in. Our adventures have taught me to roll with the punches!

This has been a little taste of our pre-vacation family fun. By June 1994 we had scrimped and saved enough to actually take our first big trip as a family.

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Of course, we still manage to squeeze in little outings now and then, though it's harder since everyone is older and has more responsibilities. But now, as then, it's worth the effort!