Behind the scenes of an RV Trip

This was the Best Family Vacation Ever!
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Kung Fu Panda

So we came home a day early. So we took our totally "Bo-day-ish" Family to see Kung Fu Panda at the Imax. It was a cute movie. We thought it was only fitting to take them to dinner at Panda Express after the show. Ka-Du-Sh

Four Corners and the Petrified Forest

And of course, we had to stop at Four Corners and stand in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah all at the same time. Ain't we the coolest family ever?

Then we decided to go to the Petrified Forest. I thought that would be a great place to camp for the night. If you have ever been there, You are probably laughing yourself silly by now. It is a DESERT with a bunch of trees that have turned to ROCK. There is NO, I repeat NO, GREEN Forest Here. Just Desert with some really cool rocks. And Yes, I did buy a piece of Petrified wood. Dean was in dismay as I was buying this nearly 100 lb rock. I told him, he could use it for my head stone. I just loved it. Now, I need to find a place for it until then. Smile wink wink....

Mesa Verde

This is one thing that I have always wanted to do my whole life! What an incredible experience! These are actual Native American Dwellings built into the side of mountains. We hiked down to Spruce Tree and there was able to touch the actual buildings and also climb down inside a Kiva. There were actual archaeologists on site doing work. I think when I grow up, I want to be an archaeologist! We then went to the Sun lookout Point to see several others dwellings.

Durango, Colorado and the Train

This was the BIG event of our vacation. Actually it was the only thing we planned on doing this vacation. Everything else we did was not really planned. But we had to buy tickets for the train before we left Arizona. Dean has great memories as a kid going with his family on the train. Let me tell you, it was wonderful. It was a 3 1/2 hour train ride up to Silverton. There we ate lunch and did some shopping and then another 3 1/2 hour train ride home. The soot from the engine got on our clothes and hair and in our eyes but the views were incredible! Their was still snow on some of the mountains and the River looked great for white water rafting. I would have really liked to try it with the kids but JJ needs to be a bit older. It looked like fun though.
Our RV park was right next to the Railroad. So the night we got back from our train adventure, the kids left pennies on the railroad to smash the next morning.
Here are some pictures from the Train Ride.

Moab, UT

Moab, Ut Pictures

Strength training in Moab.

Hi DD and Family in Provo

Don't you just love it when your relatives come to visit in their BIG BAD RV!

Kinda reminds me of "Christmas Vacation".

I told Dean he needed to get into his PJ's and hold our big red hose and ask the neighbors were he should "Dump the Shitter".

Can you believe he would not do it for me! What a great shot that would have been.

Bonding with her cousin Devin! I think they where trying to see who's tongue is the longest.

DD had the whole day planed for us.

We went to the Orem Day's Parade then stayed for the fireworks after.

It was one great Evening.

Sunday, we went to church with DD and then came home to Cafe Rio Style Burritos and DD's Pumpkin Bars. So Yummy.

Madison in her new outfit by DD's Flowers....

Manti and the Mormon Miracle Pageant

The Stage for the "Mormon Miracle Pageant" in Manti, Ut.
My favorite Temple and my Beautiful Family! At Grandma Angel's Grave site. Sure miss you Mom.


It was a "Miracle" that our family saw the Mormon Miracle Pageant. I have always wanted my kids to experience the pageant as I grow up seeing it every year when I was younger. I would spend one month every year as I was growing up with my Grandparents up in Manti, UT. And My brother and I would always want to be in the pageant. We tried out once and got a part as the angels at the end. My grandmother was worried about us walking home from the pageant late at night so we never got to be in it. But back the the pageant. We were planning on visiting my mother's grave in Manti and then heading up to see DD in Provo. We saw that the pageant was going on. We checked at the RV campground right behind the temple and we got their last parking spot for the night. Yippee!!!! So we bought some warm blankets and bug spray and got to see the pageant. I can not believe Dean Taylor is almost as old as Joseph Smith was when he went into the woods to pray. It was so beautiful.

To Big Rock Candy Mountain

Big Rock Candy Mountain! And YES we got the Rock Candy.
Dumping the Dump. The life of RVing.

Start of Family Vacation To Page Arizona

*An FYI, I just saw on the front of TIME MAGAZINE the world addition that they have a picture of the Horseshoe bend. It is beautiful and well worth the hike.

It is not that far but it is like walking on beach sand to get there. *

Took Grandma Geneva and Russell out to Dinner at Antelope Canyon.
Horse Shoe Bend.
Family at Horse Shoe Bend. Dean looking over the edge at Horse Shoe Bend. You can not tell but his foot is right on the edge of the cliff. What a Freak!
Grandma Geneva and her Great Grand kids....

Making Memories

I had the most wonderful Date night with my Hubby. This was his gift to me for my birthday. He took me out on one of his parent's Kayaking boats. We got dinner to go from Cafe Rio (Sweet Pork Burrito Enchilada Style- yea baby). Then we went to Canyon Lake and paddled to a little spot towards the back of the lake. It was perfect. It was fun just to have some quiet time with my Man. There was no one around us. We just sat back ate our Burritos and enjoyed the quietness of nature. We did let time get away from us though. When we saw the bats start coming out, we were like "we better buggy it back to the dock" as we did not have a light on the kayak. We made it back safe and no ticket. Yippee.... Thanks Hon for wanting to make a Memory.....

Hair, Toes and Brunch

Ok, I need to include what else I did this week for my birthday. I got my hair done. It is allot redder then I have ever gone before and I love it. Although it rinsed a ton of it out when I took a nice long bath. So sad. Then Madi and I went to get Pedicures at a new place known for their designs. It was so much fun as they had a ton of samples to pick from. Madi got blue toes with Bunnies and little carrots on each of her little toes. I got some funky design that I love. Then later on this week, some friends took me out to a fabulous Brunch at Brunchies. It is in Chandler. Their French toast with Orange Marmalade & Cream cheese was Fabulous. Thanks to all those that remember and called or emailed or blogged well wishes. 37 has started off as a good year....

Kayaking with Grandma & Grandpa

It's My Birthday!

I am 37 years old today. I have had a lovely day so far! I got to spend a morning in the temple with my Husband. We tend to go at different times and days to the temple so it was a treat to be able to sit by him in the Celestial Room. I took a long nap at home (not at the temple as it has been suggested, thanks LeighAnn. I am not proud to say that there may have been a time that a snore might have escaped from my lips when I was there but Gina is the only one that knows that for sure.... ) and now we are getting ready to go to the Imax to see Speed Racer as a family and then out to dinner. I don't know quite yet where I want to go eat. We will see where my stomach takes me.

SO to close out the day, Speed Racer was good but the way the women dressed was enough to call the movie rater person that gave it a PG rating and give him a piece of my mind. And it was a tad bit long (2 1/2 hours, no joke). But it had some great racing scenes that the kids loved and they had tons of crap to eat thanks to it being Mom's B-day.

We went to Sweet Tomato. It was great but they had NO tomatoes. Would you believe that? I guess it was some scare of Ecoli (?) poisoning or something.