A-Camping We Didn't Go

We had another super fun weekend. The Spencers invited us to go camping with them. After brainstorming a few ideas, we decided we would like to go to Capitol Reef. We were planning to go later in the summer, but since this came up we just moved the trip. So, we had everything planned out but the weekend before they came over to our house after the lamb festival so we could finalize plans. I expressed my fears about finding a camping spot over Memorial Day weekend. So, we discussed our options in the event that we couldn't get a campsite. Well, let's just say the options weren't that appealing so we discussed going somewhere else. Yadira really wanted to go to Zion, so we looked around there but of course there was the same issue so she suggested we just get a hotel and let the kids play. Oh yeah, she knows how my kids work. My girls were in heaven.

We met Saturday morning and drove down together. We planned to stop at Cove Fort for lunch. We got there just ahead of the Spencers. It was so cold! Freezing and windy. I ended up changing my clothes while we waited. When they got there we just agreed to eat lunch in our cars. What a picnic! We ended up doing the whole tour. They had never been before, so it was great for them to get to see the fort. As you can see from the pictures, some had blankets wrapped around them but the wind was blowing them all around. Our tour guide felt bad for Chloe who didn't even bring a pair of pants or a jacket, so she loaned her her jacket. That's why Chloe is playing missionary for the day. Even though it was my third time there I still learned some new things.

Once we got to the hotel we rested for a little bit, ate some dinner and then hopped in the pool. Well, I had to run to Target to get some goggles for Chloe and Sophia.

Sunday we spent the day in Zion. We got there early in the morning and rode the shuttle up to Zion Lodge. We got off there and did the Emerald Pool hike. This was the same hike we did the last time we were there, only we did it in reverse order. We ate our lunches underneath the waterfall. Then we got back on the shuttle and rode it through the rest of the park. After getting back to the visitor center we went and drove through the mile-long tunnel that goes to Mt. Carmel. That was pretty cool. Sophie was especially sad to see it end. We turned around and went back through it, then headed back to the hotel.

Once we were back at the hotel the girls just wanted to swim - again. They were in the pool for over 3 hours. Yadira gave Sophie some great swimming lessons. She was really starting to feel pretty confident by the end. She even told me she wished Yadira could be her swimming teacher. If only I could get that girl back into swimming lessons! Well, at least she had fun for one day. We ate watermelon and gingerbread cookies by the pool. The girls were really hoping to stay in the pool until after dark so they could watch the stars from the pool, but we finally realized that with all the lights around they weren't going to see much. We got them out of the pool and into the shower and pajamas and then went out to look at stars, but you really couldn't see many at all. The Spencers wanted to leave really early in the morning, so we were trying to say our good-byes which was hard for the girls so we let them stay up late and play in the hotel room.

Monday morning the Spencers left before we got up. I wasn't in a hurry to get home. We went over to the temple and toured the visitor center there. They had a couple really neat displays and a movie to watch. Then we started for home, and ended our amazing weekend.

Here's a link for anyone interested in viewing all the pictures in album format.