Sunday, October 16, 2011

More at the Sand Dunes

See my neighbor did have a great time. After everyone got a ride on the sand rail we played out in the sand.
B is about to jump off into the sand and roll down the hill.
My brother is the expert when it comes to having fun in the sand. Everyone had gallons of sand in them when the day was done. (Thank goodness there was a great pool where we stayed!)
This is a picture of the little kids getting there ride. C, D and my brothers two little girls. It was hard making them take turns. On a side note; during this whole day my other brother's wife was in labor and we kept having to call to get updates. Our cell phones didn't work so we had to walk to the rangers station and use a pay phone. I was sad that I wasn't there to see her before she left the hospital but I can't wait to tell her her birth story from her aunts point of view.

Pink Coral Sand Dunes

My brother brought his sand rail so we spent one day at the Pink Coral Sand Dunes. It was more fun then I thought it would be and it was such a pretty atmosphere to be in. The moms took the first ride. So this is the before picture...
and this is the after picture. My brother has never been to these dunes before and so there was a little learning curve. The first hill he went up he thought it would be flat at the top and well it wasn't. Lets just say we caught some air. It was so much fun but a little to much for my neighbor. She really did have a fun time that day.
The dunes were surrounded by beautiful mountains.
All the men had a wonderful time even considering they had to dig the sand rail out of the sand numerous times.
It was a perfect day! Not to hot and we were the only ones there!

More Adventures in Key Hole

There was lots of scooting along the walls, trying to avoid the cold and very yucky water.
But the kids didn't mind the dirty water to much because they found lots of tadpoles.
It kept their minds off how cold the water was. They found some really big ones too!
I wish you could see this picture better. The very last part of the hike was more of a swim. The water came up to Big B's waist and was so cold we weren't sure how the kids would handle it. Being the wonderful man he is, Big B carried A, B and me across on his back.
Besides the our friends getting hurt (Our neighbor broke 2 fingers when he slipped down a slippery rock and landed in a pool of water and our dear friend who lead the hike slipped and caught her self but dislocated her shoulder int he process.) we had a wonderful time and will be doing that hike again!

Key Hole Hike in Zion

After our visit in Panaca we headed over to Zion. The first thing we did was a repelling hike called Key Hole. It was so pretty, fun, challenging, and cold but so worth it. This is a picture of my brother and his family, minus his 2 youngest. We started the hike by going up this steep rock.
Then we had to go down this steep hill.

Then we hit the repelling! I was so proud of B. He did such a good job.
A did good too! I think they both had a great time even though parts were hard and very cold. They would both do it again.
Every time we go to Zion I regret not enjoying it more when we lived so close to it. I'm so thankful for our great friends who are so willing to take us on these great hikes every time we go to Zion.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Panaca and the Spring

The spring was another must in our 1 day in Panaca. A and C caught some little fish.
Everyone jumped off the wall.
C even gave it a try...with a little help. Notice D even was in line to do it.
Everyone had a great time cooling off at the spring.
In one day in Panaca we did some hiking, 4 wheeling, cave exploring, swimming, horse riding, cattle looking, and a cookout. What a way to start off a trip!

Panaca and the Moon Caves

The moon caves are in Cathedral Gorge and they are very fun to explore in.
The kids can explore a ton but never really get lost.
After we explored we tested our balance.
Everyone passed the balance test:)

Panaca and Horses!

We did another big trip to Panaca and Utah. This time we took our neighbors. What would a trip to Panaca be without horses. Our kids LOVE horses and D is no exception.
Everyone got about 3 turns and they could have had more. Thanks to my nieces who help us!!
These two have know each other their whole lives and loved traveling together.
This was a site to see. My good friend wasn't so sure about the horses or this trip at all but I think we convinced her how great the outdoors can be.
The hat was compliments of my dad. He really wanted him to look the part while we were in Panaca.