Moab!

Spring Break is here! I can't believe it's April! I can't believe in the next 3 months we'll have a college graduation, a high school graduation, a wedding, and a mission farewell. It's going to be a crazy few months, which is why it was all the more important for us to take some time off to enjoy a few days of playing and relaxation. Jeff, the boys, and I packed up the trailer over the weekend and headed down to Moab on Monday (4/1). We were ready for warmer weather and fun on the trails! I was pregnant with Jonas the last time we came to Moab. The boys have been begging to return ever since. Now seemed like the best time to do that. We arrived at the KOA where we were staying late in the afternoon. We got our site set up, including a track the boys made to ride the One Wheel on, before going into town to grab a trail map. The rest of the evening we simply relaxed at the trailer. We studied the map and determined the trails to ride, threw the frisbee, rode the One Wheel, and worked on a little Lego arch Jonas got while we were in town. We were ready for the adventure to begin!

Tuesday we hit the trails! We actually returned to the one trail we did the last time we were here - Chicken Corners. It is a relatively easy trail with breathtaking views of the vibrant red sandstone canyons that make up this little corner of Utah. Even though the trail is only about 18 miles round trip, we spent the majority of the day on the trail. We stopped to fly the drone, take pictures, eat our picnic lunch, and even hike out on this pretty scary trail along the cliff's ledge. (For anyone who knows me, you know I have an intense fear of falling. I don't like being even close to the edge and that anxiety increases when I see anyone I love close to the edge too. So this was a big deal for me to even hike along that ledge to get around to the other side, which was a lot less scary.) The older boys (Jeff included) loved racing along the trail. Jonas, however, was less impressed. About halfway through the ride, he was adamant that he was done with bumpy roads! Thankfully, he fell asleep for part of the ride and woke up with a little more patience for all the bumps. We got back to the trailer around dinner time. The boys chose to stay outside and continue to work on their One Wheel track. I guess they figured they were already dirty and dusty so why not? I was happy to be clean and stay inside.

Dallin riding the trail.

Daniel riding the trail.

Can you spot Danny?

How about now?

Scary trail!!

They look like they're going to slip off at any moment!

Wednesday the older boys hit the trails again. Jonas decidedly informed us that he would rather go to a little zoo I found in the area rather than be on the bumpy roads again. Because Jonas and I wouldn't be joining the others, they decided to hit a more technical trail - Cameo Cliffs/Wilson Arch. After seeing some of the pictures and hearing the adventures, I think it was best I didn't go. Yikes! They described steep ascents up slick rocks and narrow trail along the canyon ledge. However, they LOVED every minute of it. Jeff was quite impressed with how well both boys were able to handle their bikes on the trail. Luckily, there were no accidents or injuries!

While they rode the trail, Jonas and I had fun exploring some of the unique adventures in the Moab area. We started by hiking up Wilson's Arch. The arches in this area are mystifying. It is incredible how they have formed and terrifying how unstable they could potentially be. There is a larger concentration of arches in Arches National Park, but Wilson's Arch was just along the side of the freeway. We simply pulled over, hiked up, took a few pictures, then Jonas decided he wanted to play in the soft, red sand before hiking down.

From there, we stopped at a rest area to have a picnic lunch before we went to the Hole 'N The Rock. This is a house literally built into a hole in the rock. I'm not kidding! People actually lived there! We weren't actually supposed to take pictures inside, but I snuck a couple as we walked around. There weren't really any "rooms" with doors. There were simply alcoves designated as rooms. The couple that lived here also opened a restaurant, which was now the gift shop. They were quite creative in utilizing the rock as a bathtub or a deep fryer or whatever else they could think of.

Mr. Christensen (the owner) was an artist and carved this bust into the mountain.

The Christensen's are buried on the site.

Just some eclectic things we saw as we wandered around the property.

After walking around the house, we went across the parking lot to a little "exotic" animal zoo. By little, I mean little! There were only about 12-15 animals total. Still, we got the chance to feed all the animals, including a zebra, a camel, some bison, and some alpaca. Jonas thought it was pretty cool to get as close as we could and to help feed all the animals.

We still had a couple hours to kill before meeting up with the boys, so I decided to drive over to Monticello. We were already halfway there so it wasn't much of a drive. Jonas fell asleep so I decided to drive to the small temple there where he could lay down on the seat and take a nap. I enjoyed the little bit of quiet time to reflect. It is not difficult to count my blessings. I am not sure why we have been so abundantly blessed. I know those blessings can disappear in a second. I know the Lord expects me to be wise with what He has blessed me with. I am humbled by those blessings and that responsibility. I hope that I can be the type of person the Lord needs me to be.

Finally, we met back up with the boys. I was grateful to see them all in one piece! We headed back to the trailer to clean up before we went into Moab for dinner and a stroll. We ate at a yummy Mexican food restaurant then walked around downtown. Well...Jeff and I walked; the boys took turns riding on the One Wheel. I think that was Jonas's favorite part of the day! I was a little sad that our trip had come to an end so quickly. The next morning, we packed up the trailer and headed home (where we spent the next two days working in the yards). It was a quick trip, but I was grateful that we had the opportunity to go. I appreciated the time it allowed me to slow down and reflect. I loved the memories I was able to create with the boys. I don't know how much my mama heart can handle with all the changes this year, but I'm grateful to feel that bittersweet emotion. It just shows how much love a heart can handle and how strong it can be.