Arizona Trip #2

DAY4: Sunday morning we woke up to a delicious breakfast of Blueberry Riccotta Cheese Pancakes with homemade warm honey syrup- yep it was as good as it sounds.  We got ready and went to another ward's sacrament meeting (we had to leave before Mat and Andi's church began), came home for a lunch of Nachos and then headed out as they went to church.   It was so wonderful to see everyone and hard to leave (even knowing we would see them in a few short months).  We became so close to Mat and Andi's family when they lived near to us and it was hard to have them move but it made it a little easier (just a little) seeing how happy they were and what a beautiful house and place they are now in.  And it is always so fun to see Michael and Taylor and spend more time with Page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After leaving Mesa we drove straight to the Grand Canyon and made it just before sunset.  I do not have the words to describe the Grand Canyon, even now I sit and think..... nope, no words.  It was magnificent but to a scale that made it seem fake and unreal, like a big painting instead of an actual landscape.  It was also slightly terrifying; both standing on a ledge looking at the drop but also seeing the wide expanse and realizing your personal size and insignificance compared.  It was awe inspiring that the world could hold such an amazing natural beauty and that our Heavenly Father made that world for us, for me.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were at the wrong side of the canyon to see the sun set over the mountains but we got to see the color changes on the rock wall and it was beautiful.  We stayed, long after the sun was down, and continued to watch as we enjoyed our picnic of McDonalds (a little lacking in such a majestic setting).  It got pretty cold on our hike out and Elizabeth was exhausted but we are glad that we stopped.

 

 

 

 

Driving out of the park we were one of the only cars on the windy mountain road when suddenly Ben slammed on his breaks and swerved.  I was not paying much attention but I knew that if Ben, a very good driver, was driving like this then something was up.  I looked up to see a HUGE 5 point elk standing right in the middle of the road; if we would have hit him.... he would have won.  That scared us both and made Ben drive a little slower and more hesitant the rest of the way out of the park.

By this time it was about 9pm and I thought we could push it to Moab Utah ,about 6 hours away, so that we would be able to stop and spend some time in a park the following day.  However after a fun filled weekend I was severely mistaken.  I could not keep my eyes open and was out quickly and Ben persevered; he stopped at got chips and soda to help him stay awake (spitting soda all over the inside of the car, I mean all over, when he took an over eager, overly fizzy explosive gulp) but was still falling asleep.  He made the executive decision to stop and so we stopped at Kayenta, Arizona at a Hampton Inn, a small Indian town probably built there to help stupid exhausted travelers like us.  It was a really nice hotel (probably more expensive than we would usually have stayed at) and our room had two queen beds (Elizabeth got her own- lucky) and a GREAT breakfast in the morning.  

DAY 5: We woke up and got to see, in the sunlight, where we actually had stopped and we stopped... in the middle of nowhere.  As we drove we marveled at the beautiful rock formations we saw by the road and talked about the rich history of the natives that once lived in these lands, and still do. 

 

 

 

We stopped at a park in Moab, to eat lunch, to let Elizabeth play and to stretch our legs.  It was a hot but beautiful place.  Then we continued again and stopped at a rest area off I-70, where we got out and let Elizabeth run around again.  It always seems like the last leg of the journey coming home is the slowest, when you think, "I recognize this" and then time slows.  We stopped at Cafe Rio off I-70 for dinner and then made it home by 7.  Elizabeth was such a trooper the entire trip and did so good in the car. 

 

 

We loved going on this trip and seeing family, and a little bit of touristy stuff.  Ben says that next time we should fly to spend more time with family because two days does not seem long enough.  We cannot wait to see everyone again in July!!  But even though we drove- we had a fun trip!!

Arizona Trip #1

*Warning: This post contains LOTS of goofy, weird and overly silly photos. 

DAY 1:  On Thursday (April 9), we thought our family was healthy enough and we finally started our journey.  We had planned on leaving Wednesday evening and spending Thursday visiting some state parks on our journey but due to illness we had to skip the state park tours and head straight to AZ.  We also opted to go the faster route (instead of the beautiful scenic route we had planned), so we headed south on I-25 towards New Mexico.  We planned on going about 7 hours!

We decided to do all of our stops (except getting gas) at parks, so that Elizabeth could run and get out a lot of energy.  We packed a big lunch and stopped at a big park in Pueblo, CO.  It was a beautiful park and it was fun for Elizabeth to get out and run.   We let her play for about an hour, knowing she would be in the car for hours still that day.  We stopped again in Santa Fe to run and stretch.  This park had a HUGE slide but it was little-league softball night and it was packed.  We decided not to battle the older kids to go down (but Ben and I wanted to- not even with Elizabeth- just as adults). 

 

We then drove to Albuquerque, New Mexico where we stayed the night at a Best Western Plus.  This hotel had a pool so, although it was late, we all went for a swim to relax and get out more built up energy. Our hotel room had a sitting room out front with a full out sofa couch and a door that could be closed to the bathroom and bedroom; it was great because we were able to put Elizabeth to sleep and then go in the back and not worry about waking her. 

 

 

 DAY 2: On our way out of Albuquerque we stopped and got some delicious donuts (at Donut Mart- how could we not?).  And then hunkered down for our second day of driving, another 7.5 hour day.  This trip started out pretty dreary, New Mexico is not the prettiest, most fertile or populated place in the country.  As we passed one rundown small, middle of nowhere town after another we found ourselves constantly wondering, "What do these people do? What jobs could they possibly have? Who would choose to live in the desert, hours from humanity?"

 We stopped for lunch in Holbrook and got to play on another cool park.  For such a small, middle of nowhere, town it was a very fun park.

 

 

 As the day went on the landscape changed and we found ourselves in the beautiful mountains we felt like we were home.  Then at the end of the mountains you hit another desert but this one filled with cactus.  Ben kept commenting on how abruptly the landscape changed and the number and size of the cactus.

 

By 4 we reached Mesa and Mat's house.  Mat and Andi moved to Mesa last August and were able to buy a beautiful house.  Mat gave us the grand tour and we loved it!! Elizabeth was shy for about 30 seconds until Gwyn walked up and then they headed off to play together. That night, Andi made Brazillian beans and rice and it was delicious (seriously, Ben still talks about it).  We hung out, played games and talked and Michael and Taylor got there at about 9.  

 DAY 3: The next morning we woke up and decided to go swimming- it's hot in AZ right? Wrong, because it is so hot in AZ the pools are not heated and the pool was only about 70 degrees.  But it was fun and we did stay in and play, even though it was cold.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  We then all got ready and made signs for Mylie's basketball game. (Mat and Michael are some of the most artistic and creative guys I know.  They are amazing and I am glad to say that I am related to such great talent). 

 

 

 

 

 This was the first game of Mylie's season and I am sure watching 10 rowdy Stones' come in was intimidation enough but Mylie did great.  She is very tall and willing to get into the action.  It was fun cheering and being just a 'little' bit crazy as we supported our favorite Serpent.

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards we went to In-n-Out to celebrate; Ben thought he was in heaven.  We then went back to Mat and Andi's house to relax (the men took the kids to the park- so it was the wives relaxing) and prepare for that night's festivities.

 

 That night Ed and Sandy, Curtis and Rachel and clan and Michelle and Johnathan all came over for dinner.  We played in the pool, ate good food (always) and got to catch up with family we don't usually get to see.  The guys all jumped in the pool together to make big splashes (the pictures are hillarious) and almost emptied the pool a couple times. 

 

 

 

 

 Elizabeth, Page and Gwyn played constantly (only arguing about who got to wear the coveted purple 'glass slippers') and Wyatt was so great with them.  It was so fun to be together with family and to see all the kids together. 

 

 

 

 

 Can you believe we have these three adorable munchkins, all within a year of each other!?!  We are letting the true 'Stones' Spirit live on!!

 

 

 

 

 

Mom, I am done with pictures!