We met up with my cousin’s wife and her kids, (they are our neighbors too!) and my best friend and her daughter and all spent the afternoon at the Tucson Gem And Mineral Show. They have University of Arizona students host the Junior Education Exhibit. Last year was so fantastic that we vowed to go again this year. We were not disappointed!

We began the afternoon with a scavenger hunt. Each family had a list of questions and locations to where we would find the answers for our geological investigation. The creator(s) of the scavenger hunt did a great job drawing us into the depths of the gem show and the displays.

The kids all earned a special gem/mineral/rock when they completed the scavenger hunt. They were aloud to pick the one they wanted. CJ’s weighs literally 8 to 10 pounds and is rather large. In CJ’s world, bigger is always better!

There were trays of minerals and rocks when we entered the Junior Education Exhibit that were manned by U of A geology students. Each student introduced their specimen to the kids and gave them information about each one. They also received a label and were allowed to select a specimen of their choice from the tray. The kids LOVED this! They were each given an egg carton to store their treasures.

After we made our way through the trays of treasures, we explored the various booths set up to educate!

You have to understand CJ’s love and curiosity when it comes to gems and minerals and rocks. He is forever bringing me interesting or beautiful specimens he finds outside. You can often find him with a hammer and a pile of smashed rocks on the bricks in the front yard. The gem show is right up his alley.

We will likely go again next year. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Thank you Father for the beauty we see everywhere in Your creation. A feast for the eyes!