Thursday, July 19, 2012

Our (not so) Wild West Adventures Part Cinco

I don’t know why I am using Spanish in the titles, but I am.  If you want to read about parts uno, dos, tres, and quattro, click away!!

Day 8: It was a beautiful day and my tummy was settled because the Gatorade that I sipped through the night had done more for me than two liters of IV solution did for me the day before.  We went to Cache Valley Bible Fellowship and worshipped with the saints there.  How wonderful to be with old friends and to hear Eldon preach again.

IMG_6658 “Why does everyone else take soooooo long to get ready for church?”

After church, we rushed to the laundry mat to do all our laundry again and eat lunch.  Then, we raced back to the church where there was a sweet gathering for us and some other friends who had come back for the wedding.  Again, I did not take any pictures.  I was just too busy loving and being loved by those wonderful people.  I am getting teary-eyed just thinking about those dear friends.

After that teary event, we went back to camp to start packing up.  I was invited out to dinner with some of the ladies that worked at the Center for Pregnancy Choices!  It was so fun! How I had missed these ladies and still do.

Day 9: Leaving Cache Valley…sigh…again.

We drove south toward Zion National Park that day.  We stopped for lunch at a park in Provo and let the girls run off some energy.

IMG_6691Mommy had no energy to run off, thanks to a relapse the night before.

IMG_6688Steve did an awesome job finding parks with playgrounds and bathrooms for our planned stops.

IMG_6689I think the girls really appreciated this.

I am going to take a(nother?) minute and brag on these children!  They were such wonderful travelers.  They only watched one movie in the van on the entire trip and that was while Steve and I were packing up the camper where there was no place for them to run around or even sit out of the way.  They made a huge mess, but were content.  I think some of the potty breaks were superfluous, but overall, they got along and did not complain.They made the trip so much easier on all of us by their good attitudes.  I honestly don’t know what we would have done without Kyla, for sure!

062512173030 Sisterly Love!

We camped at the nicest RV park I had ever seen. It was too bad that we were only there for the night.  They had a great store where one of the employees loved to tell stories and sing.  I wish I could remember his name, he was Native American and it was something like Blackcrow, he would sell you one of his cds and tell you all about his brother, the multimillionaire farmer.

Day 10: Zion National Park, Glen Canyon Dam and the Grand Canyon all in one day!  Yes, we planned that.  Well, sort of.  We actually decided not to hike around Zion and only drive through, so we saved about half a day there.  I think we ended up needing it in the end. I am just going to try post a few pictures from each stop. I have over 100 pictures from this day alone, so it will be hard.

IMG_6774IMG_6777 Zion National Park

IMG_6845 ho-hum…

 IMG_6856Glen Canyon Dam

IMG_6858Excited to be out of the heat and glare I think.

IMG_6870 Becoming Junior Rangers

IMG_6862Wow!

IMG_6865Getting a better look.

IMG_6867 Even Molly enjoyed the visitor center!

IMG_6902 Our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon (Steve and Kyla had seen it before, but I had only seen it from the air, and of course the little girls had never seen it).

 IMG_6918 IMG_6919 IMG_6920 IMG_6924 IMG_6926This is a tower near where we first entered the park, at Desert View.

IMG_6934 Ryann is becoming such a big girl, so helpful!

IMG_6939IMG_6942IMG_6952IMG_6954IMG_6969IMG_6975IMG_6987IMG_6988IMG_6990 IMG_6991IMG_6997IMG_7016IMG_7024IMG_7038IMG_7039IMG_7054IMG_7056

Yes, that was all in one day! We slept soundly thanks to the cool desert night, no thanks to the voles running around outside though.

Stay tuned, we’re almost home, folks!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Our Wild West Adventure Part Quattro

WARNING: There are probably too many pictures in this post…but it’s MY blog!!

It is very late and I am trying to get my blog up to date, forgive me if it seems rushed.  We had a great trip and you can read about the early days here, here and here.

Day 7: (after the Bridal Shower) We had dinner with one of my dearest friends and gardening mentor (sort of).  For some reason, I only took pictures of her garden and not of her and her family.  Maybe Kyla did and I will have to hijack those pictures off of her computer.  Anyhow, browse Jen & Pete’s garden.  It is really hard to believe that this used to be a gravelly wasteland on a busy thoroughfare.

IMG_6542Pretty flowers that I forgot the name of and rhubarb!! Jen was so gracious as to dig up a crown of this rhubarb for me to take home.

IMG_6526Chickens that will die of natural causes and NEVER ever get eaten, their eggs are delish though.

IMG_6527Lovage, I love!  I hope I can grow this in the South. 

 IMG_6537OH! Look! Her feet.  See, I do love you, Jen.  I also love the clover that she has growing between all the beds.

Day 8: We had a leisurely day followed by dinner with another very dear lady and her family (Hi, Jon).  Tina and I made something like banana pudding (which she refuses to call a pudding but “banana dessert” and now makes without the bananas).  She and Jon made yakisoba for dinner and we had a wonderful time visiting with the whole family.  I think our girls had the best time though and still talk about Daniel and Missy.  Shame on me for not taking a single (even on my phone) picture!! Shame!

Day 9: Wedding Day!!!  I should note that I was extremely sick that day and actually ended up in the E.R.  So, if I am in any of the pictures, I was very happy for the bride and groom, just miserable for myself. Oh, and Steve had the camera, I get no credit for most of these pictures.

IMG_6546Mom’s Beauty Boutique – Camp Style

IMG_6548In the arid Utah mountains, everything dries quickly. Yay!! I think she is happy that I didn’t try to make her sleep in those curlers.

IMG_6549 Ryann cannot stand for her clothes to get wet and then touch her skin, that is why she is holding her shirt like that.

IMG_655010?

IMG_6557AWWWW…..

IMG_6567 My dear friend and Mother of the Bride escorted by the Brother of the Groom!!

IMG_6572Eli was bursting with excited anticipation.  His constant grin reminded me of Steve on our wedding day.

IMG_6577 Slowest. Flower. Girls. Ever. Tara told me later that she wanted to throw her flowers at Bethanie.

IMG_6578Beautiful Bridesmaids!!

IMG_6580Two of the Bride’s gorgeous and talented sisters.

IMG_6581Finally!!

IMG_6582Um. Wow!!

IMG_6592Awesome time of praise during the ceremony! This couple really loves the Lord!

IMG_6594The other talented and gorgeous Sister of the Bride.

IMG_6599Sweet!

Bethanie and Eli, it was so worth the drive to see this.

Later that Evening: The Reception!!

 IMG_6608My beautiful friend, Jen and some kid.  Jen took care of the girls while Steve picked me up from the E.R.

IMG_6609  The Bridal Party, I think Alan was giving his speech, I am sure it was good, but I missed it.

IMG_6612 Alan is such a good man, all are blessed to know him.

IMG_6614This is MY roll!!

IMG_6619 Lovlies

IMG_6621:Like a fairy tale.

IMG_6626A very happy couple.  I tear up looking at Eli’s expression here.

IMG_6632Sweet Father Daughter Dance…way to go Ric!

IMG_6636 Eli and his mama.

IMG_6650I made it! I got two IVs.  I didn’t feel a ton better, but I was there.

IMG_6653 Caitlyn dancing with A.

IMG_6654 Fun! I don’t think they had ever had so much fun dancing before.

IMG_6655They slept so well that night.

IMG_6657 Kyla and M being themselves.

I could have posted about 4 times more pictures, but I think this was enough!  Really.