Summer Vacation Official

We officially kicked off our summer time with a little trip to Capital Reef.  Scott booked an inexpensive hotel room in Bicknell, a few minutes North of Capital Reef.  We set out on Friday evening.  We all stayed in one room with 2 queen beds.  Saturday morning we went into the National Park (Rubie is convinced it is not a REAL park is there was no playground) to explore and hike.  We made our first stop at the Visitors Center to find out about appropriate hikes with the kids.  We spent some time there and then we to the Grand Gulch to hike to the Pioneer Registry and The Tanks.  It was easy going along a river bed with high steep red rock canyon walls.  When we were just a few minutes to the end and before hiking up to the tanks Eric and Rubie were insistent on turning around but we pretty much made them continue forward.  We hiked out just before the rainstorm came in.  Sam would not be happy in the baby carrier and insisted that I carry him in my arms.  He was tired and this trip was hard on him as we did not cater to him taking naps but expected him to fall asleep while hiking or driving.  On our second hike we figured out that if we gave him bunny in the baby carrier that helped him fall asleep.  The drive in the rain was beautiful.  We drove to Loa for some groceries and went back to the hotel to eat, swim, and watch a movie.  Sunday was much the same.  We did 3 little short hikes.  One to Hickman Bridge, a natural arch, the Petroglyphs, and Panoramic Lookout Point, and Sunset Point.  Again ending before rain came in the late afternoon.  We went back to the hotel for swimming, playing, and eating.  Monday morning we decided to go to Fish Lake.  It was a beautiful drive.  Scott rented a little aluminum motor boat.  We donned life jackets and boarded the boat.  It took both Scott and I to get Samuel into his life jacket.  He hated it from the second he saw it.  I got on the boat with him and he was uncontrollable.  He was screaming and sobbing and throwing such a fit.  He was trying to harm me and I was afraid he was going to go over in the water.  We went out for probably 15 minutes or so and Sam would not let up.  People on shore could hear him and he was not making it fun for the rest of us.  So I had Scott take us back to the dock.  As soon as I got him out of the boat and took the life jacket off, he calmed right down.  So while Scott took Eric and Rubie around the lake, Samuel and I explored a bit of the shore of Fish Lake, bought $16 worth of crackers at the little store and settled in for a snack when Scott and the kids showed up.  Apparently the boat was not a big hit with any of the kids.  Oh well, we tried.  So we headed home.  We made a lot of fun memories on this little trip and look forward to more to come.  We were reminded how important naps are for little toddlers.  Samuel loves his bed and his bedroom and his schedule.  He does not want to sit at restaurants and eat.  Each time we went somewhere to eat, I spent the whole time walking around the restaurant inside and out following Samuel around and keeping him safe and out of trouble.  I tried to send Scott out to get food as often as we could and bring it back to the hotel, or we just got snacks to eat in the car.

Friday the kids and I hung out at the The Pit with so many others in the neighborhood for the neighborhood party with a bounce house, blow up water slide, and lunch.  Friday night Scott and Eric went to the Father and Sons campout at Mutual Dell.  Rubie had Paige and Julie over for a late night play date.  And last night Scott and I went out with the Tulett's to Tucano's.  We had Eli, our nephew, come babysit.  Eric and Rubie are looking forward to having swimming lessons this next week.