**********WARNING**********
LONG POST. BUT LOTS OF PICTURES :D
It has been awhile since I went to Monticello to see my parents. So James and I decided to take a trip down. Our nephew Nate had asked awhile ago if he could go too. So we set the date and started getting ready. Nate stayed the night on Thursday (July 18th) and James got a ride into work on Friday. So all Friday morning I was busy packing and getting ready to pick up James and work and head out. Nate was pretty excited. We got through the valley's and canyon and made a half way stop in wellington then back on the road.
If you have made the drive from salt lake to Monticello or Moab you know that between Price and Crescent Junction there is NOTHING! It's a fairly boring drive. So James tried to make it interesting by playing the alphabet game. You couldn't use anything mobile, just buildings and signs. It was hard, but it helped make the time go by fast. When we all got to Q we were pretty stumped. But we got to Moab and was able to finish the game. :p We were thinking of stopping in Moab to sight see a little but decided to do that at Wilson's arch. I stayed in the car, because I knew if I got Avery out of her seat just to put her back in that we'd be listening to a shrieking baby the rest of the way. NO THANK YOU! So Nate and James headed up to Wilson's Arch while Avery and I perused some necklace a cute Indian boy was selling. James got some great shots of the arch and Nate.
After Wilson's we completed the journey to my parents house for a nice relaxing night. On Saturday when Avery took her nap we took the 4-wheelers up the mountain. And of course I forgot my camera for this. When we got back Avery was awake so Mom and I took Avery on her first 4wheeler ride to their neighbors to see their new colt. Avery did NOT like the 4 wheeler. :p After that Nate wanted to go to one of the museums in town. After he chose the dinosaur museum we headed out. I have always liked the dinosaur museum in Blanding. It's small but I think it's really good. they have good size exhibit, with a lot of different kinds of fossils and info. they even have the controversial feathered raptor. the only down to the museum was the AC was out. They had a lot of fans all over the place. But it didn't help to much.
When we got back James took Nate on the 4-wheeler again so he could drive it.
Can you tell how much Avery loves the 4-wheeler. :)
For dinner Mom and Dad took us out to eat at a place called the MD Cookhouse. This is the same place we ate at when Abby was down. they had changed management so there was a few differences. they had a guy in the corner playing the piano now. Which Avery loved. she danced all through dinner. :p At home after we got Avery to bed. Nate wanted to play the wii. So while he did that James and I played a card game with my parents. It's a card game called shang-hai. We love it and play it A LOT. and into the "wee hours of the morn" :p
Sunday Avery and I were so tired that James couldn't even wake us for church. So Nate and James went to church with my parents while Avery and I slept. After church we were going to go to Canyonlands but we were all so tired that we decided to rest most of the day. I had mentioned to Nate that we could ask my dad if we could go shooting and he was really excited about that. So with my dad's approval we found some plastic bottles took the guns and targets out behind their house and set them up. Nate hadn't shot a 22 before. But after some help and before long he was shooting like a pro. We called it quits when we started to hear thunder and felt raindrops.
The rain didn't last long. Which was good cause we had a hot dog roast planned for dinner. My Dad made the comment that he didn't know why all the kids want to do this when they come down. but then proceeded to tell a story about how their friends came over for dinner and brought their 80 year old mother. He said she talked about the campfire and how much fun she had for months after. He said that she thanked him for letting her feel like a kid again. I told him that's why we like to have the camp fire and hot dog roasts. Cause it reminds us of our childhood. Unfortunately between the red ants and the rain starting up again. Our dinner was cut short. Nate and James were nice enough to go back out when there was a break in the storm to roast marshmallows and make s'mores for us all before the rain started again.
After Avery was down we played cards again. Nate joined us for the first 2 or 3 rounds but he was getting VERY silly. So we knew he was getting tired. He decided to go lay on the couch and watch TV before he went to bed. We continued our game. Which didn't go as late as the previous night. But still had us laughing hard and did a good job at wearing us out. :p Monday James wanted to get an early head start so we could go on a small hike in Moab and still beat Provo traffic. So after hugs, goodbyes and thank yous to my parents we were on the road again. We stopped at Moon Flower Canyon. We showed Nate the petroglyphs and Indian ladder before we headed into the canyon on our hike. I really love this canyon. it's like hiking through the dessert but then ending in the jungle. Well not really but to me it is. :D Almost the whole hike is that soft red Moab sand and there is very few trees so you definitely feel like your walking in the dessert. But then the trees and plants get thicker and pretty soon you get to the end and there is this little pond. the sun never hits it due to the way the canyon is formed. So this pond never dries up. the water is always nice and cold and is fun to dip your feet into. Like I said I really love this hike. :) After that we headed home and have been trying to re coop since. :) Except for Nate who pretty much turned around and went to Montana with his family.
Sorry again for this being so long. Hope you enjoyed it. :)
