Tuesday we got the kids up at 6am, stayed in our PJs, and drove to the park. We were rushing to get to Sunset point to catch the sunrise. We go there just in time to see it peak over the mountains and then get hidden behind some clouds. However, we were all in awe of the stunning view!
We went back to the RV and had breakfast and got everyone dressed. McKenna lead the girls in some pre-hike stretches.
We started hiking by 8 am on the Navajo Loop Trail first. It sprinkled on us and it was overcast which made it really quite pleasant! Pictured here is the famous "Thor's Hammer" landmark. There were lots of people, which we expected. We played the "Where are you from?" game again (Like we did in Arches) and were surprised once again to find some people from Europe and many from all over the United States.
Next, we walked along the rim to Sunrise point and then took the shuttle to the visitors center. We wore our masks on the shuttles and in the visitors center, but not while hiking. Though we did pass several people who did wear masks while hiking. We then went back to the RV for lunch and chilling and Dan and I took quick naps. After some rest, we hiked the Queens Garden next and rode the shuttle to Inspiration Point. We loved seeing all the different colored rocks (yellow, brown, purple).
The Queen!
We had a running joke about me saving Ben's life from time to time during hikes and at overlooks. This particular pictures of Ben being sad captures his scowl right after we told him not to climb on top of the railing right behind us. This was the bottom look out of Inspiration point.
Dan had carried Alice for so long that day I gave him a break and carried her for this very brief walk and I was huffing and puffing SO much!
The views were just amazing!
After that, we headed back to our campsite/parking spot. We got leveled much better and had dinner. McKenna, Anna, and Dan and I showered, watched "Hook" and ate junk food! We could not have asked for a better first day! The weather was great and the kids did so awesome! McKenna's watch that tracks steps said we walked around 9 miles! We all slept very well!
Wednesday we woke up to the sound of rain around 6 am. So we were much slower moving. We ate around 7, got dressed, then headed to a dump station. The rain picked up so we decided to look for ponchos and unfortunately only found some for $8! Way too much! We also, noticed the fridge in the RV was warmer than normal. So we called them and successfully reset it. That was the beginning of some problems. Thankfully, the rain let up and we headed out for more hiking! We started by riding the shuttle to Bryce Point look out. One of our shuttle drivers was Kerry Barney who used to live in our stake and was the High Councilman over our ward for a time. So fun to reconnect with him.
Then we hiked 1.7 out and back on the Peekaboo trail which took us about 1 hour. The kids did great again. The sun came out more and warmed things up, but it was still mostly pleasant.
Notice Alice floating to still make it in the kid picture!
We rode the shuttle back to the visitor's center to get a gift for the Johnson's for letting us use their hiking pack. Next, we drove to Fairyland Point lookout which was another quick stop and very cool different view of the canyon. Our last stop of the day was the Mossy Cave and waterfall. It was a quick hike but fun! There was also a storm rolling in so we hurried.
We caught Ben mid-sneeze.
(Fairyland Point)
After finishing Mossy Cave, we drove to the little town of Tropic and had to call the RV place about the fridge not working again. And from there, things with the RV just got worse and worse. The smoke alarm was also beeping low battery. We used our personal battery pack to jump start one of the batteries and got the generator and the fridge working again. We drove to Panguich for dinner at a restaurant called "Big Fish." The food was really good! By the time we got there, the TV, dashboard, water pump, had all quit working. So we called and the RV company agreed to compensate us for a night of camping in an actual RV park even though we were not planning on that. On the way there, we stopped at the Butch Cassidy childhood home and made our best train robber faces.
We stayed in the little town of Junction, UT. Unfortunately, once we were hooked up to their power, we pretty much only had the microwave and water pump working. We had no lights, no TV, no fridge (but we put ice in there to at least act as a cooler), no generator, and no slide out. Thankfully, we didn't need the air conditioning or heater. The weather outside was just right and super pleasant. While Dan was texting with the RV place (which was also super frustrating that their "after hours" help was text only), I took the kids for a walk and saw lots of animals in the neighborhood. We used our battery pack to jump start some things and were able move the slide out, and to watch 15-20 mins of "Hook" again before we drained the battery pack empty. Thankfully, the RV camp host was VERY nice and helpful and ran an extension cord out to us so we could at least charge our devices.
When Dan and I went to bed that night, we talked about how frustrated we were that our last evening was pretty much wasted and we spent it telling our kids to be quiet! :( We tried to look at all the positive things from the trip. The weather was perfect considering it could have been MUCH hotter. The kids were strong and got along well.
Thursday we woke up, had breakfast, got dressed, and left by 10. The RV place was accomodating to letting us have a late return time. We had a safe drive home, it rained on us some, and the kids tried to watch a movie on the iPad, but the sound was too quiet and eventually it stopped working. So they just played and napped. We got home by 1 pm, unloaded, cleaned the RV, and Dan returned it. He told them about our problems with it and they said they would do an investigation and get back to us about getting a possible refund (this won't be resolved for another month...stay tuned!)
The kids ate lunch and I decided to vacuum the van and wash car seats. Dan drove around with the Primary Presidency again delivering ice cream. After unpacking and cleaning up, we showered and packed for a hotel night with the Websters in Salt Lake. We had pizza and played games and slept great!
Friday was Pioneer Day and Dan left early to go golfing with his dad and bros. The kids and I got dressed, grabbed a quick hotel breakfast to eat in the car, and drove 40 mins to the Bloods Lake trail head. Even after all that hiking we did at Bryce Canyon, we wanted to hike MORE! ;) Thankfully, we hiked with cousins (Laurie and kids, and Brynn and kids). I felt pretty strong carrying Alice the whole way! The whole hike was pretty crowded, but nice and shady. When we got to the lake, there was a rope swing a few people in our group tried it and took a brisk swim! Ben only tried swinging on it, but not jumping in the water. David, Brian, and Dan met us almost at the top and hiked back down with us. We drove home through Park City and grabbed Arby's for lunch. When we got home, we did laundry and Dan's parents dropped off school supplies for grandkids. We looked into buying face masks and tidied the basement.
We went to Layton to hang out with my parents for the evening. We had tacos, played games, the kids played with dress ups, we did some street fireworks, and looked at Jupiter and Saturn through my dad's telescope.
Saturday we had a slow morning. I took McKenna to grocery pick up and to Michael's. Ben and Anna played with Desi and Henry. The boys got haircuts, and Dan and I went on a date getting food from Firehouse subs and eating it at a park. We watched more "Last Man" after kids were in bed.
Sunday we had in-person church an the elders spoke about service. We watched Relative Race after lunch. After dinner, we played Uno Flip outside. I had a bad headache before bed.
Monday I had a great run because my legs were so strong after so many hikes! I cleaned and organized. Then we hosted a lunch (Dan picked up a bunch of school lunches) for Grandma and grandkids to come "shop" for school supplies. Laurie came later and Kate stayed to play for a bit. Tanner and Cooper came over as well. Everyone left by 4:30 and I cleaned the kitchen a bit. That afternoon, Dan's work RFP (Request For Proposal) dropped and they would have three weeks to submit their proposal for the contract from the state. After dinner, the kids played in the rain and McKenna choreographed a quick routine. We finished laundry and watched more "Last Man."
Tuesday I had a dentist appointment and then came home and weeded the gully. Dan's parents dropped off the Audi and drove their other car to LA so it could be shipped to Hawaii. The kids played with Rai and I took McKenna to voice lessons and to Alice in Wonderland rehearsal. I worked on Blurb and Alex Boes came to play with Anna. They ran through the sprinklers and played on the tramp. I listened to a Relief Society Zoom meeting. After kids were in bed, Joni Luke stopped by and McKenna went to Bridgette Moulton's BD party.
Wednesday Ben had a play date with Caleb Arnold in Salt Lake. The girls played with Tanner and Cooper. McKenna had rehearsal, the other kids worked on some homework and piano. I worked on the blog, the kids ran through the sprinklers with Johnsons. After kids were in bed, we watched "Last Man" and my dad came down from Layton to show us Saturn and Jupiter through his telescope again. We also looked at the moon! It was a very clear night and it was super cool!
Thursday I went walking with Dan. After breakfast, McKenna and I ran an errand and then she went to Aliza's BD party. Mary Kate came to drop something off and we chatted for a while. The kids played with Cooper. Ben did pearler beads and set up a puppet show. I talked with Jonathan and after dinner we had an outdoor movie! The Johnsons, Yeates, Pugsleys, and Boes came. My parents came too and let the kids look into his telescope as well!
Friday morning was productive with getting a grocery order done. After lunch, Arlee and Mabel were here to play. McKenna had rehearsal and Ben went to Brynn's to play. That evening, Dan and I went on a date to Zupa's and then pick up groceries. After kids were in bed, we had a friends game night with the Ulmers, Johnsons, Chadwicks, and Behunins. We played the game "Pickle," Uno Flip, and talked a lot about Covid.
July 2020 Videos: Part 2
Bryce Canyon, Bloods Lake Rope Swing, Pioneer Day Sparklers, Umbrella Dance
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