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allisonwaken

May 13

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Last day 👉 First day

Who’s ready to cry with me today? 😭 Last day of high school for my last child. I have no words.

Who have I been friends with since the first photos (I probably shared them on Flickr or photography moms groups 😂)

Seriously though, not a whole lot to say. That last photo says it all. We tried to raise them to be confident in themselves & their convictions. He’s ready for whatever is next. He’s got a village behind him no matter what 💪
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#lastdayofschool #lastdayofhighschool #senioryear #classof2022 #highschoolsenior #almostemptynesters #parenting #parentingteens #momofteens #highschoolgraduation #parenthood_moments #parenthoodunplugged #teacherappreciation #motherhoodrising #motherhoodlens #clickinmoms

allisonwaken

May 8

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May your Mother’s Day be whatever the heck you want.

Pizza in the hot tub? Go for it! What does your day look like?

If you’re celebrating, grieving, or going through a range of emotions today - sending you my love. And pizza.

Happy Mother’s Day 🍕🍷

allisonwaken

May 1

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Senior Prom 2022

Teppanyaki, friends, & a night out. Last “big” event until graduation for him.

Both of my boys had “normal” events like prom taken from them so I’m so happy he gets this one.

#prom #prom2022 #highschoolsenior #seniorprom #momofteens #parentingteens #highschool #senioryear #songoals #arizonaliving #arizonalife #azfamily #teenstyle

allisonwaken

Apr 22

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Happy Birthday Jared!

Do you have any fun birthday traditions in your family? We’re pretty boring/low key here. Dinner out with the 4 of us & whatever desert the birthday boy (or girl) wants. Jared usually asks for my coconut lemon curd cupcakes!

At 42 we’ve already spent more than 1/2 of our lives together. This year I’ll enter the 40’s with him AND we’ll be “done” parenting since we will officially have 2 adult children 😱

I know it’s Earth Day but in our family we celebrate a birth day instead 🥰

allisonwaken

Apr 21

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We’re here once again - senior pics & designing grad announcements.

Colton literally wanted 1 photo so I’m happy to have been able to get a few when we were in La Paz last week.

A month until graduation & 2 months until he’s a legal adult 🤯

#classof2022 #highschoolgraduation #seniorpictures

allisonwaken

Apr 16

Open

Have you ever taken a fully unplugged trip?

A cruise is the closest I’ve come but the last couple I’ve still been on my phone. Had an off grid adventure with the fam this week & got to check off a few more things on my #40exp40 list!

We had an amazing week & I’ll share a few things we loved about @golapaz while I’m planning our next trip down here to really get to experience the area even more.

I’ll share everything about our adventures as soon as I’m able but I think you’re going to love it!

#lapazbcs #livelapaz #lapazbcs #unplugged #familyadventures

allisonwaken

Mar 23

Open

What’s a trait you or your kids had as baby that they still have today?

Colton has 2 he HATES the wind & he has always been a night owl. He was the smiliest happy baby unless you took him out in the wind, then he just sat mad like a grumpy old man.

Parker has always loved to talk!

I’d have to ask my mom if I have any. What about your family?!

#parentingteens #motherhoodunplugged #makingmemories #petrifiedforest #arizonablogger #azfamily #momofboys #travelwithteens #adventurefamily

allisonwaken

Mar 18

Open

What National Park do you really want to visit? I got to check another @nationalparkservice park off my list today!

We went to @petrifiedforestnps & it was gorgeous but sooo windy today. I’ll put together a video of our little tour but I just love visiting National Parks.

#nationalpark #nationalparkgeek #petrifiedforestnationalpark #petrifiedwood #arizonaoutdoors #explorearizona #adventureawaits #azadventures #nationalparksusa #visitarizona #womenwhotravel #exploremore #azlocal #northernarizona #40exp40

allisonwaken

Mar 17

Open

When your kids are growing up - find hobbies you have in common with each of them.

That way when they’re teenagers and then adults you already know things you can do together. Colton likes to camp, hunt, fish, be outdoors with us. Parker loves movies, museums, traveling, thrift shopping.

Spending a day with my boys is the best way to spend a day 💙

What hobbies do you have in common with your kids?

#showlow #parentingteens #parentingtips #momofteens #lifewithteens #azoutdoors #arizonafishing #arizonahiking

allisonwaken

Mar 8

Open

What games are you playing/bringing along with you lately?

Our 2 latest games are Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza by @dolphinhatgames (this got a TON of use at wrestling tournaments this year) & Ratuki from @theopgames

We like games that are not only quick playing but easy to learn & remember the rules to. You can always find our favorites in my Amazon storefront if you need some inspo!

#gamenight #cardgames #roadtrippers #familygamenight #travelblogger

https://www.amazon.com/shop/allfortheboyscom

allisonwaken

Mar 4

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allisonwaken

Mar 1

Open

Have you ever thought about homesteading/off grid living? Do you own your own land?

I’ve never “put it out there” that a dream/goal of ours is to own our own piece of land that has little restrictions. We’ve been slowly starting to dream a little more, plan a little more, pray a little more about what that might look like.

A true homestead would mean less travel but I love the idea of living off of the land you have. Maybe a tiny off grid home first? Maybe an RV? Build our own? Just secure some land & use it to camp for now? How far do we want to be from the city?

I’d love to know what your experiences are! In the meantime I’ll make small steps to learn what it means to grow food, how to deal with a septic system when you’re not in the city, visit lots of places around the state to get a feel for all the areas…

Or if anyone needs a couple in their 40’s to take over their land let us know 🤣 On that note - have you seen that BBC show “Win the Wilderness”?

allisonwaken

Feb 25

Open

Have you stayed in one of your state park’s cabins?

Since planning trips is one way I cope with things going on around me that are beyond my personal control, I’ve been looking & figuring out ways to meet my goal of camping in all 50 states.

In AZ several of our state parks have these great camping cabins. They are rustic (no sinks inside & you bring your own sleeping bag etc) but would you consider this camping?

Anyway, to my point - I was doing some research & I found out that all 50 states have at least 1 state park with a cabin(s) available for reservation! Most have several like AZ. I love this option for those who don’t want to worry about a tent, want a little more warmth, or those that need a little more accessibility but still want to camp!

Now since you usually do have to bring your own linens, camping cooking gear etc, it makes it a little harder to manage if you’re flying in but definitely doable on a road trip or if you’re already planning on lots of outdoor adventures.

This cabin is at Lyman Lake in Eastern AZ. This park has a lot to offer like water sports, fishing, hiking, and even a pueblo ruin dating from the 14th & 15th centuries A.D. It’s close to the Petrified Forest so a great place to stay & see many things in the area!

allisonwaken

Feb 23

Open

What’s your favorite & least favorite thing about social media?

I love learning about new things to try or places to go but the inauthenticity makes it hard to know what I’ll actually like.

I do love making new friends & keeping up to speed with “old ones”. I love seeing that life goes on & people are still laughing (or making me laugh) when I’m feeling sick or down.

I love being able to support & uplift people. I hate that people feel like they can say whatever they want because it’s just letters on a digital device & not a face to face conversation.

#sedona #sedonahiking #outdoorwomen #westbysouthwest #visitsedona #arizonablogger

allisonwaken

Feb 16

Open

What type of person makes the best travel companion for you?

Do you need someone who makes a schedule? Go with the flow? Wakes up early?

Jared is always my 1st choice but I travel well with people who are ok going with the flow (he worked on that one for me over the years), ok finding restaurants that can accommodate gluten free, don’t need to get up and going quick in the morning every morning, like adventuring & checking things out, and most important are ok with down time, quiet time, or won’t get offended if I need it.

#prescott #takethescenicroute #lakeliving #traveldiaries #travelcouple

allisonwaken

Feb 14

Open

Do you have a great outdoor date idea?

In honor of Valentine’s Day I listed a few outdoor date ideas on allforthememories.com but would LOVE to have a huge list. What are some outdoor dates you’ve done that you really loved?

Jared & I went out yesterday to enjoy the quieter roads and explored a couple hikes and likes a couple hours north of us. We also had to take some pictures in our matching or coordinating @trainhylete shoes & hoodies 👯

As I took this quick photo in the Tacoma I realized I never actually shared here that we no longer have our 4runner but have the Tacoma instead! So here she is. A little smaller and more agile than the F150 but less comfortable for long trips. The F150 will still always be my favorite.

#outdoorcouple #couplegoals #wildernessculture #outdoorlife #natureadventure #travelcouple

⁣https://wp.me/p9IFp0-5qc

allisonwaken

Feb 10

Open

What is your glasses/contact RX? 🤓

I’m at -5.0 for contacts which is a bit higher for glasses which means I can’t go about my day without correction.

It also means it’s inconvenient when I forget to order more contacts & run out 😫 like I did today especially because no one carries that rx in store usually.

So since we’re doing reminders this week, consider this your reminder to check your contacts, schedule your eye exam, order new glasses (ALWAYS have an extra) &/ order your rx sunglasses!

Luckily I have a couple pairs on hand + sunglasses because I will admit to putting sunglasses over my regular glasses when I forget to pack contacts when traveling & didn’t bring my rx sunglasses. Talk about inconvenient & ridiculous looking 🤣

I actually ordered a ton last year which I thought would help me to remember but all it did was make me say “oh I need to order more” when I pulled out the last box & then instantly forget that I needed to order more 🤦‍♀️

Anyway, just consider me your personal reminder for random things this week.

#glasses #keepnaturewild #glassesselfie #contacts #girlsdoloveoutdoors

allisonwaken

Feb 9

Open

$What does “outdoorsy” mean to you? Like if someone said they were outdoorsy what would you think of? Is it an adjective you would use to describe yourself? outdoorsy adjective out·doorsy | \ ˌau̇t-ˈdȯr-zē \ Definition of outdoorsy 1 : relating to, characteristic of, or appropriate for the outdoors 2 : fond of outdoor activities I would definitely say that I am outdoorsy but I’m also a little indoorsy too! #rooftoptent #overlandlife #outdoors #outdoorsygirl #modernoutdoors #camping #campinglife$

allisonwaken

Feb 8

Open

Do you have a passport? What about your kids? Do they expire soon? 🛂

Just a little PSA to check those passports! If you travel at all, want to, or just want the peace of mind to be able to, having a passport is important (to me) and it wasn’t fully smooth sailing getting ours updated over here so more time would have definitely helped.

I knew they were backed up the last year or so but in the Fall the adjusted lead times to be back to “normal” which is 5-7 weeks expedited or 8-11 weeks routine. What I didn’t realize recently is that in the Phoenix area it is DIFFICULT to get a passport acceptance appointment within a short period of time.

Both boys’ passports needed to be renewed and since they were issued before they were 16 they have to be renewed in person. We couldn’t find an appointment within a month in the greater Phoenix area and almost none of them even offer weekend appointment for someone like Parker who didn’t want to have to take time off of work.

Tucson does have an official passport agency center where you can get one if you travel within 5 days but what about the in-betweeners?

Since waiting would push us into “cutting it close” territory for when we need our passports Colton & I have to drive to Prescott Valley for an appointment & Parker is going to stop in Palm Springs on his way to my Mom’s 🤦‍♀️ At least we’ll get them in?

Anyway, just a little reminder to check yours!

#passportcollective #passportready #traveltip #shewhowanders #familytravel

allisonwaken

Feb 2

Open