You may or may not have noticed that I have been rather quiet recently. Well, my batteries have been running on empty and I’ve been e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d. I’ve been reading a lot, but I’ve had almost no energy to actually write reviews. You know how that goes…

Well, we took the two kids to visit my family for about a week and it has been absolutely necessary for my soul. My batteries have recharged, and it was nice to see my family. In an odd twist of events, we expected to drive south for a bunch of hours, and arrive somewhere warm, desert, 80 degrees and sunny. Somewhere very different from the colder spring we are experiencing at home. Well, the day after we arrived, a freak monsoon coursed through the area and lasted our entire visit. There was thunder and lightening, and flash flood warnings. I loved it. Storms in the desert are beautiful.

So we didn’t get out much due to the weather (Which, oddly enough, is going to start up here where I live tomorrow. We left one stormy stretch of weather to enter another. My mom called today to tell me it was beautiful, sunny at 84 the day we left.), but it was very relaxing. My husband and I saw a fantastic show (Ka at the MGM is SO. WORTH. IT.). I went on a lot of (wet) walks. I even managed to take a nap (a rare occurrence for this mama with two young kids). What I loved the most was being able to do some photography.

My parents have this patio in their back yard, which is surrounded by these palm-tree-bush-things and a bunch of honeysuckle bushes, as well as hummingbird feeders. I sat outside and watched them eat and fight, with my camera, telephoto lens, and kit nearby. It was so relaxing to watch the hummingbirds, and practice photographing these fast little creatures, and listen to the rain.

Yesterday, I made Mercedes Murdock Yardley pizza (and cooked it too long). Her kid and my kid played for a while while Mercedes and myself yapped about life, publishing, and how she thinks I need to go into editing on my own (complete with a business plan). It was a ton of fun, and I always love visiting with her.

So that’s what I’ve been doing recently. I feel recharged, refreshed, and ready to be productive again. I have a guest post going up today, and a few books I’m ready to review on Thursday and Friday.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite pictures (not perfect, but whatever) from the trip, for those who care, and thanks for being patient with me while I’ve been dragging my feet, and exhausted.