V is for VISITORS

I feel so lucky that we were able to go to St. George for Thanksgiving this year. 

We woke up so early and flew down as the sun came up.

The plane was pretty empty, so we got spoiled with lots of room and lots of treats from the flight attendants.

Renting a car is always the worst unknown, and this time it was insane. Two hours of chaos later we were on our way to The Funks. 

We just dropped in to a warm, smell good house full of food and family busy cooking all the meal for us. 

We ate and did puzzles and watched movies. 

Lots of pie. Pie is my favorite. 

The next night we went to the desert Christmas lights. 

Saturday Riley had a booth at the Farmer's Market, so we went and bought stuff and helped her clean up when it was over.

We met up with Rob and Mary and ate pizza, 

and watched the live nativity. It was cold, so good thing it was super short and sweet. 

I would say the highlight of the trip was playing with their dogs. haha

Such sweetie pie dogs. 

Murphy would tuck us in and wake us up in the morning. 

Koda didn't mind that we were having a good time with other dogs behind her back...

We cheated on her, she cheated on us. It's all good. 

haha She loves Kyle so much. Kyle is her boyfriend. 

It felt so good to be with family. It feels like there's never enough family time. 

We needed

 one more day with the Funks

one more hour with Rob and Mary. 

 

Spring Break

The flight was fun because the Blacks were also on board. 

We played at the park lots. It's a mighty hike up "heart attack hill" to get there. 

The view of Zion and that one blue mountain is also killer. 

Me and Avery realized the ants are dropping individual pieces of dirt off outside their hole, then turning around to go fetch another grain. Small and simple things. 

We spent a day in Cedar City. 

We died, dead on the sidewalk, of nostalgia. 

Everything was so much the same and so much different! 

And there were our children there - proof that we had grown up and left this place and lived our great lives. 

All the memories. All the doorways in and out of buildings. In and out. up and down the stairs. How many times did we stripe the campus walking back and forth. 

It's like we took a time machine. We were the oldest people there. 

Of all the beloved places, I think the Braithwaite is my top. 

Remember climbing these stairs and being breathless at the top?

By chance I saw my cousin Shellee outside doing a class. Ha! Great timing.

When we got back in the car with our SUU merch, I read my texts...

Aaron had got into an accident at the dairy. 

My stomach dropped right down to the ground.

Happy to report he is doing great. Miracles.

That's his hat on the top of the old barn. 

On the way home we High to Kolob. 

The boys went home with G and G. 

It was fun to have some alone time with Avery. She talked about how excited she is to go to SUU. 

The last night there, we circled up around the fire and had a lovely roast. 

The next day we dropped the kids of at the Kelvingtons...

Then me and Jim went and had a weekend sans kids. 

This year we stayed at the Red Rock.

It was so hot and so fun doing whatever in the whole world you want to do.

We hiked along a desert wash - my favorite. It was hard and hot and so fun to clamber around the rocks, up and up and up.

Then a nap and laying by the pool and good food. 

I loved it all so much.