Family Vacation Part 2--Sand Hollow

Next stop on our vacation was this beautiful condo near Sand Hollow Reservoir in Hurricane.  We met Griff, Karen, Jenni, Dyson, Colby, Lennon, Rusty, Collette, Owen, Rick and Anna and then headed to the lake as quickly as we could.  It was sooooo HOT!

The kids were so excited to get out on the tube.

Owen was a little stud out there.  He wasn't afraid one bit.

I was amazed he would jump off the boat into the water.

Rusty and Rick got a little wake boarding in.

Randy had to show them up!  My man's still got it!  Next it was my turn to pull them on the "death tube".

It was the most fun I've had in a very long time.  Instantly, these grown men looked like little boys, giggling and squealing with delight.  I gave them quite the ride!

Karen and Griff had some delicious burgers ready when we got off the lake.  The beauty of the place we stayed was having everything there.  We had a grill, a deck, a pool, a humongous fully equipped kitchen, and enough bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone.  Talk about spoiled rotten!  It was the perfect spot to have a family reunion and we were all dreading the thought of having to camp in a few days.

I woke up just before sunrise the next morning and took advantage of the cooler temperatures and headed out for a run.  Look at this scenery!  It doesn't look real.  What a spectacular spot.

We headed out to the lake after breakfast and Max was excited to try wake boarding.  Although I'm convinced he thinks its called "lake boarding".  

Cute little Mino-head.

Rusty was so sweet to get in the water with him and help him get up.  Wake boarding is a tricky thing to teach a little kid.  He came pretty close to getting up and I'm so proud of him for getting in there and trying.

His bravery inspired Hank to try as well.

He was so nervous though.

Rusty helped him in the water too and he got so close to standing up.

After they tried for awhile, their mama had to show them how it's done.  The water was glass!  So perfect.

We set up a nice little base camp to eat lunch.  Do you think Sam would get off the boat?

Not a chance.  He was feeling very possessive of our boat.  His crazy 2 year old ways followed us from Zion's to Sand Hollow unfortunately.  Good thing I have Randy to help me contain the beast.

I guess it took Lennon to convince him to have fun on the beach.  

Rick and Anna

That's me and Sam on an Alligator.  I have to mention that none of us got swimmers itch, thankfully.  There were signs posted all around the lake about the high potential of getting swimmer's itch.  Don't google what causes it.  You'll want to barf.

After lunch and lots of mud/sand throwing we were ready to go back on the boat. 

We scoped out some potential cliff jumping spots but decided to just stay on the boat.  We didn't want to jinx our accident free boating trip.

That is, until Max nearly smacked his head on the side of the boat while he was doing a front flip.  Only Max.

The water felt so amazing.  It was nearly 105 degrees out!

It was so fun spending time with the out of towners.  I wish we could see them more often.  

Before we called it a day, Max wanted to try water skiing.  Rick volunteered to stay in the water with him and help him get up.

He stood up for a few seconds!!  He tried about 10 times and never gave up.  The weather took a turn for the worse after this and cut our boating adventure short.  Griff and Karen had dinner ready for us again when we returned to the condo.  The babies just had to get in the tub together, and I of course had to take a picture for posterity.

I have to admit I wasn't too excited to camp in a teepee after staying in such luxurious accomodations.  I was sad to see Sand Hollow go.  We packed up once again, and headed to the third and final leg of our trip, Bryce Canyon.  Sidenote...at this point in the trip, I was growing a little tired of packing up all our crap and dealing with a whining 2 year old.  Happy thoughts, good attitude, come on Annie you can do it!!

 Good thing my boys are so damn adorable.  I would do anything for these four.  We are so lucky to have Randy as our fearless leader.  You know a good time is around the corner when he's near.  

Family Vacation Part 1-Zion's

I rode to Zion's in style this year!  My dad invited me to ride with him on the motorcycle while Randy and mom took the kids in the cars.  How could I resist an opportunity to have some one on one time with my dad, and also a peaceful drive without kids?  We had such a great time together.  I wish I could say the same for Randy and the kids.  Sam screamed pretty much the entire way to Zion's.

We took the scenic route and passed by some sentimental landmarks.  First we stopped by Nephi to the home my Grandma Yvonna grew up in.  My dad loved sharing memories of his childhood as we drove through town.  Next we headed to Levan to the home you see in this picture.  This is where my Grandpa Sherm was raised.  My dad told me stories about my him and his grandpa I'd never heard before.

There's just nothing like traveling on a motorcycle.  The 360 degree views, the wind blowing through your hair and the rumble of the pipes is pretty awesome.  My dad took me to an awesome art gallery and bought us matching hats before we had lunch at a diner.  Nothing says a daddy daughter date like a tuna melt and fries for lunch!

The weather was really mild and enjoyable until we entered the park.  The instant we started driving through the canyon the heat hit us like a ton of bricks.  We ended up arriving at the Desert Pearl the same time Randy and mom did.  Randy looked frazzled to say the least.  I felt kinda bad but I had so much fun with my pops!  We all jumped in the pool and felt refreshed for dinner at the Spotted Dog.

We kidnapped Izzy for the trip and she was such an awesome addition to our family.  We loved having her around.  The kids were surprisingly well behaved during our long dinner.  I'm sure having adorable Izzy helped that situation.

I think she fits in with our family rather well.

This is most of the Tucker/Eliason clan.  What an awesome family to be a part of.  Joyce is always so generous to take all of us out to such a nice dinner.  

We woke up the next day ready to hike Emerald Pools.  Unfortunately Grandma Jackie wasn't feeling well enough to join us.  

Sam had a love/hate relationship with his backpack.  He couldn't decide if he wanted to walk or ride pretty much the entire hike.  

I loved pretending I was a mother of 4!  Hank, Max and Isabel were great little hikers.  Most of my energy was dedicated to making Prince Sam happy.

At the top of the hike, Sam fell in one of the emerald pools.  His shoes and pants were soaked but he insisted on hiking down by himself.  Obviously we couldn't have him hiking down the treacherous terrain with no shoes or pants so you can imagine the screaming which ensued.  With a mile to go, we decided to let him down and he ran the entire way back to the tram, happy as a clam.  Go figure.  Freaking 2 year olds!

After some naps and swimming the kids enjoyed playing in a massive rainstorm. 

Max worked on his baseball skills with Randy while the rest of us visited and ate pizza.

Izzy was pretty proud of her ninja turtle balloon scrunchy. 

After dinner a stroll down main street for ice cream was in order.

Max was going to town on his ice cream!

Yummy!

What would a gift shop in a small town be without a coon skin hat?

This gave all of us a chuckle.

My little twins!

Most of the family was packing up and leaving the following day and the remaining people wanted to take it easy.  Hank knew how bad I wanted to hike Angel's Landing so he said he would go with me.  Randy and my dad also joined our crew and it was awesome!  I know I can always count on these guys to support me.

We got up early and caught the tram heading for Angel's Landing.  Check out these two!  They are sitting exactly the same way and not on purpose!

I was so impressed with Hank's hiking skills. He never complained and that is not an easy hike.  I was also extremely impressed with my dad.  He has recently dropped 50 lbs and feeling better than he has in a long time.  He climbed that mountain with so much energy and stamina.  It was so great to see.

We had such a fun morning together.  That hike brings back so many memories from high school with my friends.  It was fun for me to share it with Hank.

Max and Sam held down the fort at the pool while we were hiking our butts off.

Hank was dying to get in the pool after our hot, sweaty hike.

It felt like heaven to just relax by the pool all afternoon.

We ate dinner at the coolest restaurant just outside the park called The Buffalo Grill.  They have a small grassy area designated for baby farm animals.

Sam was in heaven.

Hank took him around to all the baby horses and chickens.

He couldn't believe he could walk right up to the little horses.  The food was really good too.  We will definitely go back next time we are in Zion's.  It was a hit.

Our final morning in Zion's was spent hiking to the Watchman.  I can't get over what little hikers I have.  They blazed the trail for us.

Here is the formation called the Watchman.

It was good to get my mom out and hiking with us.  The weather was perfect and the kids did great.  

Fab sisters

Cutest cousins

I'm so happy we were able to take Isabel with us this year.  She is such a happy addition to any outing.

It was the perfect hike.  We even saw this scorpion on the trail!  

We were in Zion's an extra day this year but it somehow felt like a shorter trip than usual.  People were coming and leaving at strange times this year so maybe that's why.  That park just never gets old to me.  It's beauty always takes my breath away.  I love sharing my love of the outdoors with my boys.  After our hike, we met Randy and Sam for breakfast and packed up.  Next stop...Sand Hollow Reservoir!!