Colorado adventures, continued.

Okay, it has been a while since we've blogged anything. The weather here is still great, so we've been hiking every chance we get. Between that and caring for a teething Nolan and a potty training Aly (who is doing great, by the way!), our time is pretty well consumed. I'm too tired to write a longer blog entry, so here's a glimpse at some of our recent fun in Colorado:

New Adventures in Colorado

This past month has been so busy, and we have had so many problems with our internet, that I can hardly believe it has been a month since the last post. Here's the long update on our happenings since then:

We left St. George a few weeks ago for Dave's next clinical rotation in Colorado Springs, CO. We were a bit sad to leave St. George - it really had started to feel rather homey to us - but excited to discover Colorado. Aly had some fun while packing, insisting that we not forget to pack her as well.

On the way over, we decided to take some detours to see more of the amazing sights in Utah, and to complete our tour of the national parks there (we have now been to them all, and all but one of the national monuments in UT). Here are some photos from our stay in Capitol Reef.

The views and hiking there were spectacular, although we were hit with a couple of intense thunderstorms (one that occurred right as we were cooking our dinner over the fire - we managed to bolt for the tent before being drenched, and had to restart the fire with wet wood after the rain dissipated). One of the best things about Capitol Reef is that it wasn't near as crowded as Utah's other parks - you really felt as if you were out in nature.

Lunchtime.

We made it into Colorado Springs two days later, after driving through some beautiful scenery in Vail and other high mountain towns along the Colorado River. Our new home is in one of the temporary lodging units on base at the Air Force Academy, set against the mountains just outside of the city. It is kind of like staying in a hotel (the maids come every day to clean and restock the shampoo and mouthwash), but it spared us the headache of having to find a 3-month lease for under $1500/mo, which seemed virtually impossible. The unit isn't bad - granite counters, wood floors, a great playground for the kids right out our front door. But the BEST thing is the view - here is what we look at all day long from our front porch - amazing, huh? And if you look the other way, there is a fantastic view of the entire city of Colorado Springs (no picture).

Ah, the mountains! Literally taken just out our door. I could get used to this.

The playground, 10 yards away from our front door.

And you know that smell of being in the mountains, away from everything else? The one with a mix of pine, sage, and the freshest air you've ever breathed? That's what we breathe all day long here. We love it! It comes replete with black bears that visit our neighbor's garbage cans every few nights and strew the trash over their lawn (the bears are nice enough to leave ours alone - I think the poopy diapers in there act as a deterrent - anyone interested in marketing some cheap bear repellent for campers?). There are also hordes of deer that roam around the place, and supposedly a handful of elk and coyotes (haven't seen any of those yet).

We've been settling in here quite nicely. Dave is able to come home for lunch every day, and is off by 4:00 or 4:30 every afternoon. There is so much to do - more hikes than we could ever possibly do in 3 months, and breathtaking scenery everywhere. It seems that being active is the thing to do here - apparently Colorado Springs is one of the most physically fit and most educated cities in America, and you can tell by the number of hiking and biking trails. Nice.

Family Reunions

Last week, we traveled to the small town of Delta, UT to attend Dave's family reunion. His grandparents are now both in their 90s with failing health, so it was good to spend some quality time visiting with them.

We stayed with Dave's Uncle Reid, who is one of the neatest men you'll ever meet. He keeps sheep, cows, and pigs as a hobby with his grandchildren, so Aly got to see all the animals and help feed them while we were there. Nolan seemed to have fun too.

On our way home from Delta, we visited Cedar Breaks National Monument to do some hiking and some searching for agates nearby. The views all along the hike were stunning, and the weather was quite a bit cooler at 56 degrees compared to the 100-degree weather we've been having. By the way, Aly has turned into quite the little hiker. She hiked for over a mile continuously on her own around the rim at Cedar Breaks, and several times lately she has declared, "Momma, I wanna go hiking today." The little girl loves it, and she is good at it! Rarely does she need help scaling rocks, even on the more challenging paths.

With the weather just beginning to warm up, it was Spring there and the wildflowers were blooming

We also took a trip this last week over to Red Cliffs Preserve to do some hiking in an area we hadn't been before. There are two incredible waterfalls out in the middle of the desert there, with treefrogs, crayfish, and butterflies all over the place. We saw plenty of lizards as well as a 3-foot snake. There are supposed to be plenty of rattlesnakes and Gila monsters in the preserve - thankfully we didn't run into any of those. 

You could climb a steep wall with the aid of an anchored rope to continue the hike past the falls. Somehow we managed to scale it even with the kids in our arms.

After the reunion, Dave's parents came to spend a couple of days with us here in St. George. Unfortunately, all the pictures we took were on their camera. Aly loves Grandpa and Grandma - it was such a treat for her to be able to play with them. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma - we love you! Come visit again soon:)

Mountain Meadows, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas

This past week was another vacation week, as Dave's preceptor was out on a scouting trip. We took full advantage of the time off to travel to some beautiful and interesting places around here.

First off was a trip to Pine Valley, nestled in gorgeous alpine mountains with a stream running next to a hiking trail. Only a few miles away, we stopped at the infamous Mountain Meadows, home to the tragic massacre of an emigrant wagon train from Arkansas by members of the Church under the direction of their local priesthood leaders. Both of us have read the most recent book released by Church historians on the topic, so the place meant a little more to us. Today, the grave sites of the victims can still be seen, and two memorials have been erected by the Church. A sad, but true part of our history.

Hiking Pine Valley

Mountain Meadows

Mountain Meadows gravesite

Our second trip was to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, where we made it to all of the viewpoints and most of the hikes. One hike took us right along the rim, with breathtaking (and sometimes scary!) views. We had to watch Aly like hawks, since most of the sites had no railing.

Grand Canyon!

Finally, we went back to Las Vegas to visit some of the converts from Dave's mission and some old friends who recently moved there. We were able to stop by the temple. It was a great experience for both of us, and we enjoyed seeing all of the people who mean so much to us. Thanks to all of you who have made an impact on our lives for the better.

100 degrees? No problem!

The heat is on... literally. We've been up to 106 and 108 degrees in the past couple of weeks here, with no end in sight. It's still over 90 degrees outside when we put the kids to bed at 8 o'clock! Good thing our hot tub doubles as a swimming pool:)

In spite of the hot weather, there is a lot to keep us busy around here in the time Dave is out of clinic. Erin's family reunion was last weekend in Richfield, UT. We traveled up the day before to do some camping and hiking in the surrounding Fishlake National Forest. We stopped at Kanarraville on the way up and hiked into a beautiful slot canyon with a stream running through it. To do the hike, you have to cross and/or hike in the stream several times. The scenery was incredible! A little further on, we discovered a great campground nearby Fremont Indian State Park called Castle Rock, where the sites are within a stone's throw of Bryce Canyon-esque rock formations.

Hi everybody!

Crossing the stream in Kanarraville Canyon

Aly likes camping... she gets to jump on the air mattresses before bedtime

We forgot the spoons for the yogurt, so Aly just licked hers out

Sunset at our campsite. Pictures never do nature justice.

We visited the state park while we were there, and saw hundreds of Fremont Native American petroglyphs scattered on rock faces and in caves. It was fascinating to see this artwork left by a civilization that we know so little about. I wonder just how they connect to the Lamanites...

Hundred Hands Cave petroglyphs. Hard to see in this small photo, but these are all painted hands.

 At the reunion, we got a four-generation shot with Erin's grandmother and made some neat memories.

Four generations. Of course, the only photo where Aly smiles is the one where Nolan is unhappy.

After the reunion, Erin's dad and sister came to stay with us for a few days. We took them hiking with us in Snow Canyon, then spent much of the afternoon at Sand Hollow (like a miniature Lake Powell). We played in a splash pad on the way home.

Yesterday, we explored more of Pioneer Park, and went through the slot canyon there. We could just barely squeeze through sideways, brushing the rock face on both sides, but Aly had enough room to go through forwards. I guess being skinny has its advantages; we ran into several other adults our age on the way out who were amazed that we had been able to fit through:)

View out of the slot canyon. Yes, it was this tight!

Aly in the slot canyon.

Hiking out of Pioneer

Erin on the hike