Trip up North

Last weekend we spent a few days up north visiting family.  We always feel at home in Logan.  We love seeing Grandma and of course Buzz (the dog)! One of our favorite traditions (since we were students) is going to Logan's Pumpkin Walk.  There are so many creative ways to decorate pumpkins, it's so much fun to see! This year we were so lucky that many of our family members were able to go with us followed by a pizza party at Grandma Toone's house.

This is the 2nd year in a row that we went with Grandma Toone to "The American West Heritage Center" which was full of fun activities for us all.  What a great trip.

Moab for Fall Break

This year for Fall break we went to Moab and Arches National Park. The kids did so awesome during the drive (just 3 ½ hours) although Natalie did get carsick, but we were prepared with our car-cleanup kit that we have learned must always go with us.  Our first hike was to Corona Arch (3 miles roundtrip).  The kids loved this hike so much, they didn’t complain at all. It was a super fun hike that included scrambling over rocks, climbing up steps carved into a sandstone wall while holding on to a steel cable, and climbing up a ladder, what an adventure for us all.  Jared carried Amelia in a backpack, we are glad she’s small so that she can go on these hikes with us.

After the hike we headed to the hotel (Moab Valley Inn) and took a break.  We got a fantastic room with 3 queen beds and a little extra space that made it so nice.  Then we went swimming.  The pool wasn’t heated and dark clouds had just rolled in so we were a bit cold but had fun and then we were able to warm up in the hot tub.  

The next day we woke up to rain and thunder and a dark hotel room since the power had gone out for half of the hotel. Luckily the power outage lasted only about an hour or so and we were able to pack up, and get breakfast.  The hotel had a great continental breakfast, complete with food that even our kids with food allergies could have.

We spent the day in beautiful Arches national park, going on small hikes in between heavy rain showers.  The kids didn’t mind the rain at all and instead had dance parties in the van while we waited the storms out.  Thomas and Natalie completed the Junior Ranger Program and earned their badges, that they are very proud of.  They had to complete tasks such as identifying rocks and plants, picking up trash, and asking the ranger a couple of questions.  We were also able to borrow a backpack from the forest service that included books about animals and nature, binoculars and magnifying lenses, colored pencils… which was fun to do in the car while we waited for the storms to pass. 

We headed home around 3pm, grabbed some Café Rio salads, and watched a Halloween movie at night.  We were all worn out after such a great trip.