Family Cold Fun!

Yes even though it was cold, we had fun! What a great family trip. So this is our one vacation for this year, we used some of our tax return money that we left in the bank and booked a reservation at the campsite back in April, and we were able to use the money for gas and everything else that we needed. It was a great drive besides the fact that it was a very long drive(5 hours!). Not too hot or too cold. We were definetly able to deal with no air conditioning. After getting there and setting up camp we decided to go for a walk. We just went from our tent to the end of our camp site and then decided to walk another 1/4 mile to the visitors center to look around. We look around at the souvenirs and of course the girls want everything and wanted to touch everything. While being in there for just a couple of minutes I heard another say that it was raining outside, but didn't think much of it. But thought that we should start walking back. On our way, with every step that we took the rain came down harder and harder. It is a good thing that we started walking when we did. And the temperature dropped drastically, it went from being toasty in shorts to needing a jacket and pants quickly, which of course we did not bring. Eventually the rain lifted, but the clouds and the cold stayed. It is nice to be able to provide for your family when you need to, we got in the car and drove the less than five miles to the all in one store(souvenirs, clothes, groceries, gas and restaurant) and got Paul and the girls sweatshirts. The girls had to get the same size and neither of them fit like they should but they were darn cute and it kept them warm. It turned out to be a good thing for Abbi, they didn't sell pants at the store so the sweater was a multi-use item it kept her whole body warm top and bottom.


On the drive back to camp we drove down to.......................................
It really was beautiful. The only place in the park where you could see the view that it had.
After coming back to camp Paul was able to start a fire, that had much trouble getting and staying lit. Roasting hot dogs on it didn't work too well. After he got it going we were able to get some wood from a nice couple and roast some marshmallows. The clouds stayed and we were not able to see any stars that night, and boy was it cold. We were able to have eggs and bacon for breakfast and then we went on the shuttle that they have it takes you to all of the different viewpoints that Bryce Canyon offers. We stopped at three of them, the first was Bryce Point, it is at the farthest point that the shuttle takes you. We were able to walk a short ways down one of the trails there, wish that Alona would have walked longer. We will have to go back when the kids are older or gone.

Then probably the most breath taking point was inspiration point. No wonder it has that name.You could walk up this really steep walkway to the very top, we didn't even go halfway for this picture. But it was so gorgeous. Then next stop actually had a trail that looked short enough and safe enough to take children on. But Paul was too tired to go. Glad to know it is there though.

The shuttle ride was fun it told about different cool facts about the park. It is one of the smallest national parks in the country!
A few hours after getting back it rained, AGAIN! But this time the clouds went away and we had a clear, dry but chilly night. We were able to do a great fire that made awesome smores. It took a lot of cohersing to get Alona to eat one bite of chicken and one bite of potato salad so that she could have a s'more. Abbi easily stuck a bite of salad in her mouth and decided that it needed to come right back out, she is more of a simple girl still. She had her marshmallow and chocolate separately and passed on the crackers.

Both girls during the middle of the night woke up one right after the other and wanted to sleep by "MaMa", which is great that they like me so much but it was crowded. Before hand I was on one end then Paul, Abbigail and Alona on the other side. When they came to sleep with me they took the very little space that I had and Paul was left with plenty of of space on the other side of him. Oh what it takes to be a mother, I didn't want Abbi to get cold cause now she was sleeping on the end so I gave my blanket to her.
There is a gorgeous set of rocks from a mountain that as you are leaving/entering Bryce Canyon you get to drive under them, what an amazing natural rock formation. Our drive home wasn't so bad Alona kept herself busy for the most part and slept for twenty minutes. Abbi slept for a little over an hour which was nice, even though it wasn't anything to worry about. She was awake for more than the first hour of the drive home and was very content.
P.S. I will have Paul tell you about the chipmunks!