Utah Trip: Part 2 - Family Reunion 7/4 - 7/9

For the family reunion, we stayed at an enormous cabin up in the mountains of southwest Utah, at a resort called Bryan Head.  It was so much fun getting to see everyone and catch up on what’s happened since we last saw each other.

We visited several different parks and Kaili loved doing the ‘Junior Ranger’ program.  If she did enough activities from each park’s booklet she was sworn in as a junior ranger and received a badge.  Kaili loved all the Blue Bells that were in bloom at Cedar Breaks.

We went on several walks and Brent was great at helping me with the girls.  At one point he stopped to make sure we had everybody and then fussed at me for trying to turn him into a parent.

Monday night we watched the fireworks in Cedar City.  The most exciting moment of the evening was when the sprinklers turned on right as the show started.

My aunt Sara and her son Isaac.

We learned all about the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon and got to listen to a really boring (even for adults) geologist presentation.  The sites were beautiful, the weather was perfect, and we all enjoyed ourselves.  This was my favorite park.

At Zion’s Park we took a not-so-stroller-friendly hike up to Weeping Rock, a concave rock that has a constant supply of water dripping from it.  It was really hot and the shade and water felt amazing.

Then the girls and I headed off with the other kiddos to hike to the Emerald Pool while the adventuresome type hiked the Narrows.  Let’s just say that the kids were exhausted, the hike was not flat as promised, and the Emerald Pool was really a muddy pond.  Thank goodness for great grandpas and ice cream!

We spent one afternoon at a Renaissance Festival back in Cedar City.  I loved seeing everything and everybody, especially the fire dancers.  I even tried my hand at shooting arrows.  It wasn’t pretty but it was fun.

Kaili got to ride a turtle named Tina, who was really a wheelbarrow connected to several other wheelbarrows being pulled by a lawnmower.  We spent some time at a pirate booth and Kaili got to make an eye patch, a pirate hat, and a treasure map.  One man showed us the entire process of spinning thread from freshly picked cotton.

The week was so much fun and the food was amazing.  We played with fireworks, the boys rented ATVs, Kaili got to meet and play with some of her cousins, and most importantly we were able to renew the bonds of family!