Day 2...Delicate Arch!

And we're off! We were up early and ready to go. We arrived at Arches National Park at 8 am. We were so excited to hike up to Delicate Arch. With a delicious continental breakfast of sausage and rubbery eggs (courtesy of Holiday Inn Express), we were fueled for what was marked a moderate level hike. We weren't too sure what to expect. One thing we knew we didn't want to hear was, "We want to go back to the hotel and go swimming." To prevent this we spelled it out loud and clear. There would be NO swimming until after dinner. We said it about 100 times on the way to Arches. It stuck and we didn't hear about it all day. On the with the hike!

At the trail head 

Up we go! I was so excited I couldn't hardly stand it!

Here is my darling little Nate. He was such a hiking trooper. He never complained. My hiking personality is more like Carson. I want to be in the lead...blazing the trail. Nathan was my hiking buddy on this one, and he helped me to stop and smell the roses. "Look mom! There's an ant!" "Look at this rock, Mom. It is so pretty!" "Look at those cactuses. They are sword fighting!" On and on and on. I loved it! Here he is looking at a bug he saw.

Here is Carson at the trail for the petrogliphs. We actually saw them on our way down.

Here is one of those pretty rocks that Nathan spied.

Keep on going up!

My strong babe of a husband that carried a baby on his back the whole vacation!

My photo debut! I was so excited that I wanted to run up this hill!

Carson and Nathan were so cute and friendly to everyone on the trail. After hearing their dad greet fellow hikers with a mornin', they did the same before Robbie could get it out!

The trail was marked so well. Someone had taken a lot of time to make these cairns. It was all our little boys could do to not take those rocks along with them.

Logan trying to catch up!

We must be getting close...a cairn made into an arch!!!

Around the back side of the mountain we climbed

Our first real Arch!!! We were so excited!

I was a little nervous about this part. I was on these boys like glue to make sure that they stayed away from the edge. They obeyed!

We did it! It was one of the most breathtaking things I have ever seen in my live. It was amazing to share it with Robbie and the boys. It was WAY bigger than I expected. I could not stop thinking about how Heavenly Father must have spent so much time creating the wonders of the earth. He could have just sent us here with endless fields of weeds and grasses and we probably would have been just fine. But instead, he created beauty everywhere of all kinds. I really could sense that here.

I wasn't so sure about walking around to the arch let alone letting my kids. Robbie...Mr. Adventure...grabbed Carson, Nathan, and Logan and walked around the bowl to the arch. I was sick. I just prayed asking Heavenly Father to not let my husband or my babies die! They didn't.

Nathan was a little scared to go underneath. With a little coaxing, he did it.

Here they are...WOW!

Here my little Nathan is sitting. I was kind of giggling to myself about this...then it was my turn to walk around.

PANIC was in my heart. I TOTALLY understood why Nathan was sitting. That arch was HUGE! It was kind of a drop off on the back side. On the front, it was like a steep bowl. I took about a million deep breaths and walked around to the arch.

While looking at the arch, I had to sit. It were here that I discovered that I had a fear of heights, or maybe it was a fear of falling.

The boys were yelling from across the bowl, "HIIIII MOMMMMM!" It was all that I could to to raise my arm and wave. I am so glad that I could manage my fear and do something I was scared of. It was one of the most memorable things that I have ever done!

We stayed at the arch for a little while and rested while the kids chased chip monks. Then we decided to head back down. I think both of us were a little freaked out that one of the boys would chase a chip monk right off the edge of the cliff! Lukey was a trooper. He crashed to the rocking footsteps of his dad. The boys kept telling people passing by who were on their way up, "It is amazing...you're almost there!" It was neat to see them love nature that way.

Here is the petrogliph. It is estimated to be 500-800 years old. It was beautiful.

Before we left, the only thing that the boys wanted to do was to catch a lizard. They even had names picked out for them! They were going to be pets. But, they are fast little buggers! So this is the closest we got. Phew!

By the end of this hike we were HUNGRY and TIRED! But we did it!

The Best Spring Break EVER! Moab...Day 1

Robbie and I had just about had it with the wind and cold, even though it had been a mild winter. Spring break was coming up and we decided to take the boys to Moab. We only decided a couple of weeks before we went. We told the boys and showed them pictures online of the arches and red rock. They were so excited. The countdown was on. They were relentless reminding us how  many days to Moab. Time went by so slow. Robbie worked a half of a day. Heather Wayment brought the kids down to be seen at the office and then they came to play. It was my only saving grace. The kids were so excited to go, but were so excited to see their cousins. While I was getting the car packed, Logan and Lukey decided that they needed a little snack. Luke dumped out the entire box of Lucky Charms. Then they ate all the marshmallows. Then, the tracked cereal all over my entire house. SO, before we left, I got to vacuum all the rooms in our house and sweep all the floors.

Thanks little boys!

Robbie got finished early, so at 11:00, we were off! It was so exciting! I had packed a whole ton of snacks. Robbie thought it was too much, but they all got eaten. So, with snack packs and a movie we were happy travelers,except Luke...he was sleepy! All that mischief in the morning wore him out!

 Our very handsome and fun driver...we love him!

 The copilot and snack pack maker!

After 7 short and long hours, we made it! Some were short and easy. Others were filled with Luke crying. The boys loved the drive. They barely slept. They loved seeing the changes in terrain. From green and brown to red.

As we pulled into Moab, there is a huge sand hill. The boys wanted to stop right then and there and play. We needed dinner. Then they were antsy to get to the hotel for swimming. Before we left, we told them swimming would be the last thing we'd do each day, so they were ready to be done with the day. We grabbed a quick bite at Wendy's and headed to the hotel. The pool was ready and waiting!

Logan loved the hot tub...the pool... not so much!

 Nathan was like a fish. He was splashing and loved showing me his flips!

 Robbie and I took turns giving Luke rides...back and forth a hundred times to help burn off all the junk we ate. All the kids liked it when Robbie did it because he gave fun rides!

 Carson was a swimming buddy all week. We would go so hard during the day. I didn't have enough energy to swim, but I'd put my suit on anyway. These little boys would drag me down to the pool. They never ran out of energy to swim!

 Look at that skinny boy! He was wearing Luke's swimming suit because the one I brought was falling off his buns. Lukey's fit just right...a little short though.

After a long swim, we were all ready for bed. We were so excited though. It was so fun to have the unknown ahead of us. What we did know is that even if the boys didn't like the park, we could always go to plan B...the pool!



Sometimes you just need to be silly...

Sunday+no school tomorrow cause it is spring break+excited to go to Moab=silly camera setting with even more silly kids! These pictures have been the cause of many many giggles...my favorite thing!

Another sicky...kinda

With Logan being sick, it had been so hard for us to go anywhere or do anything. The anticipation of going to Moab for spring break was killing Carson. He was really struggling to want to be in school. He woke up the morning of March 22 with a "bad cough". I knew that he was probably OK, but I let him think that I thought he was sick. He stayed home. We did a little project. We made these bird feeders. Too bad the birds didn't really love them!

 Look at this tiny little bony boy...so glad he is better!

 Strapped in the high chair...bird seed and our tornado are not a good combo!

 So here is how Carson became really a sicky that day. He was playing out back on a little pile of sand our neighbor gave us. He started screaming and running toward Robbie as fast as he could. He had been stung by a bee and then the bee flew down the neck of his shirt. He was freaking out. Robbie got the stinger out and killed the bee. With the way Carson was crying, you'd have thought he got his head cut off!!! I couldn't believe he got stung in March by a bee. My dad is allergic to bee stings, so we watched him closely...no reaction...the only harm done is that now he is even more terrified of bees!

What Moab might be like

My cute little boys are so excited for our Moab trip that they spent all afternoon drawing pictures of what Moab might be like.

These are Carson's:

Here we are under Delicate Arch

 Here is the hotel with lobby, pool, and beds

 Here we are by the pool

 Here are Nathan's:

Our family at the pool

 Bed at the hotel

 A lizard under the arch

I though these were so cute. I couldn't get the computer to orient them the right way, but I had to save them. So darling. I am glad I did! I hope they love it as much as they think they will!

Dip

In an effort to eat more veggies, I have been trying to have some dip on hand. It seems like we all do better with the carrots with a little of Grandma Elaine's Veggie Dip on hand. The kids seem to like the dip better than the carrots. I can't say I really blame them. But, this can't be good...

Nothing like a lick of dip right off the finger! Yum!