Escalante Camping Trip

 Do you ever feel like time is racing by.  When I hit 21 I think my mental age just froze, but meanwhile life is moving by at a clip so fast I can barely keep up.  I bought the kids a weeks worth of jeans in the fall.  With Spring here I looked at my daughter and realized her pants were about 5 inches too short.  How did this happen?  The kids are growing so quickly.  Gigi with her long legs, maybe faster than some.

 We were out in Utah last month to bless Cheetah.  The first few days of our week were spent on a camp out.  Peach was excited to go and if we look like homeless in these pictures please know it was intentionally.  We were going to be in red sand territory and Dr. J said, "Bring stuff you hate."  So that's what we did :)

 We stopped at this random little burger place on the way down.  The sign above gave us a good laugh, mainly because it's about as informative as the sex ed Dr. J got as teenager.

 This particular spot was gorgeous.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  Coming over the mountain you could see so many different types of habitats, I about died flipping my head back and forth.  Lucky they had built an overlook or I think I would have caused an accident.

 In ten years of marriage this was my first time camping with my husband.  Pathetic I know, but the truth is we've just been really busy and really broke the last ten years.  We finally have a little money and while Dr. J's vacation time is still almost non-existent the man just decided he had to fit some things in or go nuts.  So we went camping for the first time as a couple and it was the first time the girls had gone as well.  Captain E's gotten to go on a couple of father son trips, but usually dad drags him home at ten in the morning so he can study so this was a major treat for him as well.  We spent a significant amount of time four wheeling trying to get to a place Dr. J's grandparents had camped at before but the roads since last year had washed out, so Wid found another spot next to a nice little rock face.  Tents were set up, a fire was started, and a potty tent was set up that most of the kids completely ignored.  

The night was freezing and even though I'd wrapped Cheetah up nice and tight I spent most of the night worried about her.  When I saw Dr. J's sister get up at six I was so excited to have company I jumped out of bed to help her get things going.

 Cheetah just hanging out with Grandma Linda.  I was so worried about her staying warm she had layer upon layer.  The green and brown is this little boy sleeper I always put on her when I think we are going to do something dirty.  Just four months old and she was a true camping trooper.

We woke up to Easter treats. Grandpa Wid and Grandma Jane had thought of everything.  They planned and executed this whole camping trip and it was so lovely, everything we and the kids could have hoped for.  I feel so blessed to have married into their family!

 We could see those beautiful mountains in the background from the tent.

Morning is not Gigi's best moments.

 Playing with the cousins.  We love these guys and are so happy when are kids get to see them.

 Caves up by the dinosaur tracts.  

 Kids running on the hillside.

Hiking with Grandma.

 These two had so much fun!

 Peach spent most of the trip in someones arms.  

 My one and only picture.  My sister exact words, "You look homeless."

This little guy is so quick on the mountains, jumping, running, climbing everything, he really helped my kids to  loosen up and have some fun.

Our trip ended with a nice dip in a cool stream.  Is there any funner way for a trip to end!  It was so much fun, all Gigi can talk about is when is the next time we are going to go camping.  We had so much fun in Escalante.  There is so much variation, the red sand and rock, the white sandstone, the snow capped peaks. There are slot canyons dotting the whole area, and dinosaur bones and footprints.  It is easy to see why it is Dr. J's favorite spot on the planet.  The state is currently suing the federal government to get control of the national parks land. They say they can run it better.  Maybe they can, but Escalante they want to coal mine on.  Crying shame if you ask me.