Summer Trip

We recently returned from our "Big Summer Trip"

...want details?
  
Want some pics?  

Ok.

We had an extended family reunion at a family cabin in Cedar Breaks but we decided to go a bit early and spend some just-us family time in Bryce National Park.  Or Canyon.  Whatever.  We decided to push the kiddos a bit and do a long (for them) hike the first day.  The cool thing about Bryce that you might already know if you've been there is that you can hike down into the canyon so you are in and among all the amazing formations and hoodoos.  Formations?  Hoodoos?  Patience my friend, patience.  Pictures follow.  

So that's what we did.  We hiked steeply down and around and then up but not quite as steeply.  It took us 3 hours to do 3.5 miles.  We didn't carry the girls once.  They performed fantastically.  Of course, the ascent to the top at the end was pretty tough and we took lots of breaks/rests (I'm talking every 5 or 6 steps) but they did it.  I was proud.  They are tough.  (I'll prove it.  The weekend before this trip we were in Big Cottonwood canyon again and took a slow, meandering stroll around a paved lake trail.  Haylee was so bored, she kept asking when we got to go on a real hike.  See?  Tough.)

Before I hand over the stage to the pictures though, I'd like to take this opportunity to say how wonderful and different and enriching and strengthening it was to be just the 4 of us for a couple days.  Separated from everyday life and distractions too.  So nice.  Ok, so the getting-everyone-to-sleep-in-one-tent part was hard at times but I honestly think we grew closer together as a family unit.


Consider this your warning.  There are a lot of pictures of red rock.

Hoodoo: noun, a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion.[hoo-doo]

I love the combo of storm clouds with red rock.  Love it.  Something about it makes me want to find some old Bob Ross reruns and buy some paint.

This is my favorite picture from our trip.  That's why it's x-tra large.

The second day we did a shorter hike up to a cave and waterfall.  Mossy Cave to be precise.  Much less crowded than the first hike.  Much less strenuous.   And water just waiting for us to enjoy.

Sad to say that all our pics from the reunion are on other people's cameras.  They will have to be another post because I'm dying to post pictures from Bree's bday. :)