A trip down memory lane

We made it back to Provo this weekend to see Dave's sister and her family, who were dropping his niece off at BYU. Aside from spending some wonderful time with them, we took the opportunity to visit some of our favorite old stomping grounds and do some camping and hiking in magnificent Provo Canyon. It was fun to relive some of the memories of our courtship and first year or so of marriage, and think about how much life has changed in just a few short years with our two beautiful children.

We did a hike near Squaw Peak that was one of the last places we went before leaving BYU. In spite of all our prayers, we had tried unsuccessfully to have children for the previous year and a half... we remember all too well the pain and uncertainty of not knowing if we would ever be able to have children of our own. This time on that same hike, Aly led the way for us, skipping along and smiling back at us while Nolan babbled in our arms. It almost brought tears to my eyes. We never could have imagined then the joy that our children would bring to us.

Like any good BYU alums, we had to take "the picture" with the kids in front of the "Enter to learn, go forth to serve" sign. Here it is. (Please note that the awkward postures are due to the fact that the wall we were sitting on had a total of ~3 inches for our rear ends, with spiky bushes that poked you if you tried to scoot back further).

We've already started the process of planning for Aly and Nolan to attend the Y.. Aly readily answers "yes" to the question of whether she will go to BYU, and she learned the fight song well before she learned her alphabet:)

St. George

We've been in St. George for a few weeks now, and we're loving it! Endless sunshine, warm days, a hot tub and grill on the patio, and lizards and squirrels living in our backyard (Aly loves them). Dave works with an excellent doctor (who coincidentally lives in our new ward) and is enjoying the experience he is getting. He has quite a bit of time off since the doctor he is under works with scouting and has to take several weeks off for trips over the summer. We have been taking advantage of the days off to see all the incredible sights nearby.

Although the desert is a far cry from coastal Oregon, the recreation here is unbelievable. We've already explored Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Snow Canyon, and the local Pioneer Park. We also live only 2 blocks from the Virgin River, and are just waiting for the water levels to drop a bit so we can do some tubing one of these evenings.

Here are some photos from some of our recent escapades in the local red rock formations.

Aly's hairband fell out on the trail, but it was a good place for the rugged look.

Some of the "painted" rocks

Bryce Canyon. Here's us at the top. 

Erin and Nolan on one of the most scenic hikes in the world... still toward the top. We went from top to bottom, then back up again. Unbelievably beautiful!

Some of the "Hoodoos" of Bryce seen from the bottom.

Kolob Canyons at Zion