My First Half!

We have had a busy and productive summer so far!  I had the opportunity to run my very first half marathon in Bryce Canyon this year and I LOVED it!  It was so fun---not as hard as I thought it would be, and of course very beautiful!  I am obsessed with red rocks--they just make the greens so much greener and the blue sky so much blue-r....

One drawback to this beautiful scenery, was the presence of steep cliffs--beyond this log there is only 3 feet until a drop off.  Where are the fences people???  Okay...that probably wouldn't be practical--but I was having some major anxiety...and MADE Bridger and Kennedy hold my hand the entire time--and they learned to love it!

Charlotte just got a free ride all up and down the mountain.  Lucky duck!

The kids loved all the tunnels and caves.  And another thing--Bryce only gets into the high 70s during the summer!!  That was so exciting to me!  The weather was so pleasant.  Wouldn't this be a fun place to go in the winter for some cross country skiing??  Who's with me!!!???!

A 750 year old tree--how do they even know that???

It doesn't look like it...but this log is really up off the ground about 4 feet.  Bridger could hop over it with ease--but Kennedy took a "little" longer.  It was so funny to watch her scoot across on all fours--it literally took at least 10 minutes for her to get to one side! 

Bridger planned ahead (he is such a little planner!) and thought of a few toys to take with him...not just any toys though...ones to play in the dirt with!  He thought he would get the most excitement out of his monster trucks...and I'd say he did!

We finally let Charlotte aka "The Kraken" loose.   She loved looking all around and playing in the dirt--then she spotted a chipmunk.  Can you see from the picture below that she has her eye on it?  She started barking and growling like mad.  And she would reach her arm as far as she could trying to touch it...this girl loves animals...but we need to broaden her animal noises spectrum.  So far it's just a dog.  She barks at everything.  Birds, bugs, and the occasional shadow...

I think the feelings were mutual.  I know this chipmunk was sending her some barking vibes...

I am so proud of my little tree climbing monkeys :)  At least, they were so proud of themselves!!! I guess I forget that we live in an area with young trees... they wanted to climb every tree they could get their hands on!

We drove to this particular lookout and I waited in the car with sleeping girls while Jeremy got out with Bridger.  As soon as they came back Bridger told me that "dad said I look like a dog when I smile with my lips open..."  What??  I guess you had to be there.  But sure enough, Jer took a picture of one of each.  Poor Bridger!

Another Jeremy picture :)

And it felt a little like we were on a cruise when we got back to our hotel.  Of course, that's the only part that felt like a cruise.  We nicknamed our hotel the "Bates Motel".  Creepy right?  It was a little creepy...and tiny...and old....and Charlotte had to sleep in the bathroom...which made for some very interesting midnight trips to the bathroom in the pitch black trying to stay quiet...  We woke every morning with the worst back aches--probably thanks to the super coiled springs in our matresses that were practically poking through!  And the beds were only full size--which is TINY!  There was one tv--about 10" --I had to squint to see it from my bed!  But it was cheap...and more importantly it was the only hotel left with openings for race day...(I wonder why???) :)

And then it was race day!  Our race started at 6 am and it was freezing outside!  But I would rather it be cold than hot.  We (Katie, Clara and I) started off at a great pace, but soon got separated!  I was hoping we would meet back up again, but we never did :(  I had the pleasure of running over 10 miles by myself (ha!)  it was a lonely run :)  Okay, it wasn't that bad.  I did a lot of people watching--which really made the time go by fast!  I saw people running in bare feet, people running while gossiping (and boy did I hear some juicy stuff!), people running in and out of the bushes (nature's call...), and saw lots of old charming barns, farms and houses.  It was so much fun and I can't wait to do another one!  I want to run one soon--like next month...anybody want to do it with me?

Oh, and I got a medal!  I was pleasantly surprised by that! 

My wonderful running friends: Clara and Katie--they are so fun to talk to when we go out together at 5 in the morning!

After the race, we did a little hike.  This was to Mossy Cave-and there was a beautiful little waterfall and window arches along the way.

And we couldn't resist...so we just walked in :)

Looks dangerous, doesn't it!!!  :)

We didn't just walk in....we stuck our heads in :)

Here at Mossy Cave with our friends the Starkeys (sorry Grace--guess I cut you out of the picture!!!)

Then we joined the Starkey's for a dutch oven dinner at their campsite (and then again for breakfast...hee hee :) )  And the kids got COVERED in dirt!  But, that just means they're having a good time, right?

Here is Bridger mad at me for something...
Then I told him all of his friends were going to see this grumpy picture on my blog.

So he did this...

Smores!  The best ever!  I loved the toasted coconut marshmallows...and I loved using a reeses...but the traditional are still my fav :)  And they are half fat if you eat them outside...so it's perfectly fine to have three!  Didn't you know that??

 Look! Deer! 

 Kennedy asked if they were boys or girls.  Bridger told her they were probably girls but he wasn't sure.  She responded by saying that "You can tell that they are girls, if they have really long eyelashes..."  Oh, what a smart little girl :)

Here is our glorious hotel!  And you know you're in a great place when they advertise their seafood in the middle of the desert... Yuck!

Ahhh!  The sign of a great vacation!