Spring Break 2011

Warning: THIS IS LONG! I don't scrapbook or do photo albums anymore (too busy or too lazy, not sure which) so this blog is intended to be our family journal and photo album, so if you don't have hours to pour over our family vacation, please feel free to scroll on through to the bottom and pretend you read it all. I will never know.


We set out to Southeastern Utah last Sunday, the 10th, which happens to be my little bro's b-day (Hi Ira!) It was my first trip that direction. My mom, as you may know, married a super neat man from Blanding (way down in the SE corner of the state) so we went to spend a few days with them and Gary played tour guide for us.

Day one: Anasazi ruins near Blanding

Natural Bridges National Park- if you are like us, you may not have known this place exists-- it is worth a visit. We loved it.

Owachamo Bridge (I probably spelled this wrong, my mom, who may be the only one who loves me enough to read this entire post, will tell me if I did)
This is Kaeleb being sworn in as a Junior Ranger at Natural Bridges. He took the program very seriously. He had to fill out a workbook and look for items at the park and pledge to pick up litter, recycle, conserve water, and hug his brother on his birthday. He and Bren both went on to become Junior Rangers at two other parks we visited during the week. You'll see...
The boys in the backseat of Grandpa Gary's truck where we spent many an hour, and they were sooo good!
Muelle Point (again spelled wrong, most likely) Gary help up the rock so we could walk under.... then Kaeleb took a turn...

The view here was incredible! These are the goosenecks of the San Juan river
Mexican Hat- To some this is an upside sombrero... we were partial to the idea of a UFO.
Kaeleb wearing the Mexican Hat
Bren Guy wearing the Mexican hat
Bluff Utah, where the Hole in the Rock Pioneers first settled
Day Two: Mesa Verde Colorado, where the ancestral Puebloans SOMEHOW scaled down or climbed up the cliffs and built cities in the rocks.

This is the Cliff Palace dwelling which they estimate housed 150 people
The ranger who guided our tour saw Kaeleb's Jr. Ranger badge and gave him the ancient tomahawk and invited him to lead the way
Brennan climbing the ladder to exit the Cliff Palace

This is the Spruce Tree House where we got to climb down inside the Kiva (you can see the ladder poking up) It was very dusty down there!
The first of many self portraits you will see... We are inside the Kiva
Little Ironman guys blasting lasers with their hands...
The inside of one of the rooms in the Spruce Tree
Ah, the Sun temple-- this is a view from the window, we loved the rows of doorways.
The Square Tower House, my personal favorite, it's just aesthetically pleasing.
Day Three: Imagination Hill. Kwint made me post this one of me hiking.


The rocks look like petrified versions of animals, we had fun imagining what animals they were. This is an alligator. We also saw a chicken, a frog, a dove, a rhino and more.
Then we hiked Butler Wash and found a cactus that is obviously Mickey Mouse.


At the end of Butler wash there are ruins similar to Mesa Verde
Kwint found this view at Butler Wash
He also found this view...
Kaeleb, Nana, Gpa Gary, and Bren Guy
In the afternoon we toured a local pottery shop and saw how they create all the fancy pots we can buy in gift shops all over the world who sell Indian artwork. This lady did the hand painting and she looked like she could have done it with her eyes closed. Amazing.

Day Four: Arches National Park... On the way we drove past the Monticello Temple, first of the mini temples announced by Pres. Hinckley years ago.
Church house rock outside Monticello
Arches-- The 3 Gossips (aka Relief Society Meeting said the men)


Turret Arch
The North and South Window arches-- you may notice the people wearing jackets and hoods-- it would have been a sunny, warm day if it were not for the biting Arctic wind that chased us all over the park.
This is all of us beneath the South Window Arch
This is the underside of the South Window
Balancing Rock
This was our favorite hike-- The kid friendly version of the hike to Delicate Arch-- this is a zoom across a canyon that overlooks Delicate Arch.
Ah, another self portrait. We love these.
The kids favorite arch was Sand Dune Arch, these are my guys who found a good rock to climb on the way...
Where's Kwint? If you can spot his hat on top of the rock you get a star. He climbed Sand Dune Arch (probably against the rules, don't tell the Jr. Rangers). I wanted a picture of him on top, but sand flew into the lens of my camera and locked it up for awhile.
Double Arch
Tunnel Arch (We think it should be named Elephant Arch, don't you?)
Our collective favorite, Pine Tree Arch

Thursday night we parted ways with Gpa and Nana and went to the Holiday Inn in Moab. Here the boys are sporting their new duds, matching Moab shirts and hats.
We went to dinner at Pasta Jay's, which by the way, is the BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT EVER!! We decided it may have been the best meal we have ever tasted anywhere. Get the manicotti or chicken pomodora if you go there. And you should go there.
We had planned to stay in Moab on Friday (Day 5) but received a call from a dear friend of ours in St. George who decided last week to get baptized on Saturday. We gladly cut our trip short and drove across the state to be there for her baptism. On the way we found the San Juan reef. Neither of us had ever spanned I-70 to see this before and the view was incredible. One thing we learned on this vacation is that Utah is an incredibly diverse state!

We had planned on being home for church so we had to go shopping (oh, what a pity) for new fancy duds. Don't they llok great? We spent the Friday and Saturday night at Aunt Tam's and although we neglected to take pictures and are kicking ourselves now, we had a great time. We spent Saturday at our accountant and best friends of the South finishing up the doozy of a disaster our taxes turned out to be, and then on to the baptism that afternoon at 4pm.
Kwint and Shelley. Kwint met Shelley over two years ago at Fitness Ridge and was able to introduce the gospel to Shelley. At the time she was living in Ohio and over the next few months made friends in St. George and learned more about the church, ultimately deciding to move to St. George (to our old house, which was our little miracle) and now is the newest member of the Red Cliffs ward in St. George.
We love our Shelley. The Spirit of peace that has accompanied us is a reminder of how true this gospel is and how much the Lord loves us all. I am so grateful to have this church and for my testimony.
We finished off the vacation with a pizza party with Tam's family, Kris' family (who were on their way back from Disneyland) and Barbi's brother Chris' family (who lived in SG). Kris, Chris and Kwint took the kids fishing while the girls enjoyed some girl time.

We are finally home and unpacked and sooo not ready to go back to school!!!!!