Fly Away With Me...to Arizona!

Everyone needs a vacation or a trip to relax and just be. So for me, I left my two boys at home, packed my Louie with my camera and laptop and set foot on a plane to Arizona. I am lucky enough to fly to Arizona with the main goal of watching one of my dear friends and college roommate get married! I am also lucky enough to be able to visit my two brothers who live in Arizona as well. I do want to tell you about the wedding and my friend, Nicole and how she was such a huge part of my early college years. But in this post I want to tell you about two men in my life that I have seen from when they were in diapers, grow and mature in college, and now living that bachelor life in Arizona. My two brothers, Tanner and Brady, both reside in Arizona and it is such a treat when I get to see them being that we live so far away from each other.

Tanner is the male version of our mom. He is extremely sensitive and intuitive to other people’s feelings and loves to chat about any subject. He is very consistent in asking those around him, what’s new with you? How are you doing? He is also very encouraging to EVERYONE and a motivator to achieve goals, whether it be academic, job status or physical fitness.

One of the memories that I have of him growing up is calling him up when I was a sophomore in college attending Seattle Pacific University and asking him to help me with my history homework and to pretty much explain facts about World War I and the Boston Tea Party (because to be honest, there was a lot of head scratching and me thinking, I don’t get it) Keep in mind, he was 15 years old, I was 19 years….not my proudest moment. Tanner had a passion to read history, CS Lewis, anything that would keep his brain thinking, and it totally paid off because he was able to graduate from college debt free from scholarships that only the smartest people can attain.

Brady, as I fondly call “The Russian”, is one of the tallest out of all of us kids measuring at 6’2”.

My family had the pleasure of meeting him when he was just 3 years old. I say that because he was adopted from Russia and brought to us, by my mom who traveled to Russia, when he was just 3 years. He is a miracle baby, growing up his first few years with a hip disorder and other physical complications that had led to many surgeries and visits at Shriner’s Hospital in Portland. Now that I am a mother myself, I understand all of the love, dedication and commitment both of my parents had while Brady underwent his surgeries, it is incredible to think about. Brady is the kindest young man that you would ever meet, taking after my dad. He includes everyone and makes it a point to make sure nobody feels alone or left out. He has an amazing gift of leadership and mentoring youth and those who have been around him have immediate respect for who he is and what he stands for. I am so proud of his dedication to school/college when he resided in Idaho and now his accomplishments in his job.

I am a proud older sister and very blessed to be able to call these two young men my brothers.

Tanner was able to drag us out at 5:00 this morning to go on a hike called Camelback Mountain. Note to self: Arizona is much hotter than the PNW and in order to even survive being outside for the slightest amount of time, everything starts EARLY in the morning. Hiking Camelback was the hardest physical activity that I had ever done and every time I said, Ok I’m ready to turn around now, Tanner would encourage me to keep going.

We finally made it to the top even through countless times of the statement “I want to die” kept running through my head.

If you are ever in the Scottsdale, AZ area I would definitely recommend trying this hike out, but let me be real with you, it’s hard! It is about 1.5 miles one way. Drink LOTS of water before hand and during. Eat something that’s going to give you energy. The Arizona heat is what makes it most challenging, but if you start early enough in the morning, it makes it easier!

Really wanted to Focus in on that cactus in the picture!

So far, I am having the best time and I keep falling in love with Arizona more and more when I visit. Life goal: to be a snow bird in 20 years and buy a house with Tony!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

XOXO

Tiff