Halloween 2011

I'm a little be hide the curve here.  Life is busy when you have nothing to do.  Yes, you read me right.  So here is the Halloween costumes for 2011.  This was Abby's last Halloween going trick or treating.  Next year she is looking forward to handing out the candy.  This year because of Matt's injury I had the chance to take the kids trick or treating.  He got to hand the candy out.  It was his job and duty this time.  Usually I stay at home and hand the candy out.  So with the return to Oklahoma I found that I didn't have to cover up the kids costumes.  Sometimes it is really cold and you don't get to see the kids costumes this year not the case.  In fact I have yet to turn on the heat.  I decided this year to reuse some of the old costumes.  I had plenty to use and there for less work for me.  Abby is an angle this year.  I just had to buy the wings and halo.  The dress was a princess Leah costume from way back. 

      After visiting the Thunder birds this last spring Brayden decided that he wanted to be a Thunder bird pilot. His favorite is number 5.  Matt helped me out and went to military clothing and found a flight suit for 30 dollars.  Only problem was that is was green and not blue.  So we changed gears and made him an AWACS guy.  Matt had a patch made with his name on it. Brayden also borrowed a couple of Matt's patches and done with costume number 2.  The future military officer Brayden Ketchie.

He looks so sharp expect for the silly smile.  Have to love my little boy.  We have said in the house that once your twelve no more trick or treating.  Brayden is trying to negotiate this.  His reason is that Halloween happens before his birthday and therefore has two Halloween's left.  Good point.  Mom and Dad will have to think on it.  If he doesn't go into the military I think he might have a future as a lawyer.

    Victoria gave me the challenge this year.  It first started out with being Taylor Swift.  I little hard to do.  Then she decided on a Mermaid.  Crazy enough I found a pattern where you don't have to walk like a penguin and  it is workable for a little kid.  Her costume was the only one I had to make from scratch.  When it was done it turned out really cute.  What do you think?

The tail also has a loop that goes on her arm so we don't trip on it.  By the end of trick or treating she had wrapped the tail around her waist and you couldn't tell what she was.  That's my little diva.

 Noelle was the easiest.  She was a princess.  I have made a princess costume for Tori a few years ago.  I even had a crown.  So done!!! :) She is so cute.

Last of all we always crave a few pumpkins.  A few years ago that I had four pumpkins and did all the craving designs.  This year I just need something simple.  Before going to bed I came up with simple design.  Then let the kids choose the other one.  Just simple.  Happy Halloween everyone!

Starting School 2011

         This fall with the move back to Oklahoma I was already familiar with the school that my kids would be attending and how the sign up worked.  On a short trip out here I registered them for school.  The ladies in the office complimented me that I was very organized and that my registering the kids was the easiest that they had every done.  They also made it really easy for me that they had me fill out the main form minus the kids info and then copied it three times.  Then all I had to do was fill in the kids info.  Done in about five minutes.  Probably the easiest I had to do.  Back in Colorado my kids would get out of school the end of May and then would start school the first week of August.  Now that we are back in Oklahoma school starts the third week of August.  So I had two more weeks to entertain kids in triple digit heat.  YUCK!!

         Finally after unpacking somethings and getting school supplies my kids were ready for school.  Here they are on the first day of school.

        I'll start with the oldest.  Abby is off to sixth grade.  Here the sixth grade is your last year in elementary school.  She has three different teachers.  So, it is similar to middle school put much smaller and no lockers or electives.  We will see what comes her way this year.

       One thing we found out really quick was the shorts she was wearing were too short for school.  They are great for soccer though.  One thing that they get to do again is wear what they want to school.  The last couple of years they had polo's to wear and they could wear what ever pants or shorts they wanted.  Not sure this is a good thing this year.  One more thing to argue about in the morning while getting ready for school.  We will make the best of it.

        Now look at that little stud.  Brayden will start 4th grade this year.  Not sure what to think.  Last year was a rough year for Brayden.  This year I felt a little on edge.  Changing back to school were he didn't seem to adjust well when he started.  This year he has three different teachers also but not as many hands on things to do.  He should do well.  One thing we found out right off the bat was that he didn't know his times tables.  Flash cards every night and we are finally getting them now.  Good luck Brayden.

    Tori.  What do have to say about Tori.  This was the girl that started school and if it was canceled because of snow she would cry because she wanted to be at school.  She loves school.  She is starting 2nd grade this year.  School and Tori go well together.  She is the only one out of my four that has made the transition well.  Last year she struggled with learning how to read and now I can't get her to stop.  She is a reading machine.  Way to go Tori!!

     Noelle starts her school experience for the first time this year.  Welcome to Kindergarten little Elle!  She was really excited to finally get to go to school with the rest of her siblings.  For the last three years she has kissed her sisters and brother off to school with me.  She had the entire day to play with me and by herself with no bothering her.  It didn't take long for the morning talk of I don't want to go to school.  I need a break.  She is loving it.  She is a little behind her classmates but we will see what happens.  Now that we have got into a routine she is doing really well.  She has already learned how to write her name.  Way to go Noelle!

    With kids in school I have two and a half hours to myself in the morning.  I spend most of it at the gym.  Now that I have my YMCA to go to I have more options and classes to attend.  Started walking again and will hopefully get back up to running.  Right now I walk a total of about 9 miles for the week.  Looking forward to a great school and hopefully losing about 15 to 20 pounds by the end of the school years.  Here's to a new school year and working toward more things.  Graduating classes of 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.

Two birthdays and an Anniversary

           Many years ago when I was dreaming about what my family would be like I never thought this would happen.  We celebrated Matt's 34th birthday, on the 5th of August, by going to see "Rise of the Plant of the Apes" with his brother and wife.  The movie was really good and a must see again.  Not much of a Plant of the Apes fan as a child but this definetly peeked my interest to watch all the movies.  Matt doesn't like the fact that he is getting older so birthdays aren't made a big deal for him.  He still looks good for a man in his 30's.



Picture was taken in Oct of 2006

         Next we celebrated 12 years of wedded bliss.  When we got engaged and were deciding on the date the choices were the 6th of Aug or the 13th of Aug.  That year the 13 was on a Friday.  I don't really believe in the superstition but it just didn't sound nice being married on Friday the 13th.  I made a promise to Matt when we decided on the 6th that we would always celebrate his birthday and our anniversary sperat. Since we had just moved back to Oklahoma we still had a lot of things to do and we just had a quit evening at home with the kids.   Looking forward to an eternity with this wonderful man who is my best friend.

     Last of all 5 years ago we added the caboose of our family.  I was induced on the 7th of August.  She wasn't due until the 14th of August but that was the first day of school for my two oldest.   My Mom and sister were able to come out and help that week but the next week my sister started school.  So we decided to have her on the 7th of August.  This year is a big year for her.  She has started Kindergarten and finally going to school.  She is so excited.  They grow up so fast.  Happy Birthday to my sweet Noelle.

  We celebrated with family.  She was way excited for her chocalte cake with pink frosting.  She was talking about her birthday almost two weeks before it was here.  Happy Birthday little Elle.  Looking forward to the many adventures to come.

Our Next Adventure

 We have began another chapter in my adventures as a military wife.  Every three to four years we get the opportunity to move to another place of the militaries chosing.  This time the military thought it would be nice to send us somewhere we have already been.  Back to Oklahoma we go.  Don't get me wrong we love Oklahoma and we had a good tour there.  This was just a time that I want my kids to experience didn't things in life and have different opportunities.  Anyway have to move on.  The Lord knows why we need to be here.  Not sure that I agree but need to look at the positives that it will bring to my family and my children.  This move I didn't want to do it myself.  Did that already and wasn't going to repeat it. Finally we had a move date with TMO (transportation office).  It was then time to get ready for the packers.  Packing went fine.  They showed up at 10:30 on Wednesday and were done by 4 that afternoon.  It was suppose to take two days and it only took one.  Spent the next day cleaning the house and getting ready for the truck.  The truck showed up on Friday and only had a fourth left on the truck for our things.  WHAT!!!  Yes, the people on the truck before us had way more stuff then they were suppose too.  So, they split my things up.  I had to think of what I needed and what I didn't.  We focused on the bedrooms and the kitchen.  Another truck came and picked up the left over things.  Alright so everything was on the trucks.  It was time to get the rest of our things gathered and finish cleaning the house.  Thanks to some help from the ward I was done.  Saturday we loaded up the uhaul trailer and put the canoe on the trailblazer.  We spent the rest of the day with family and enjoying our last day in Colorado.  Sunday after Sacrement meeting I returned to the house and picked up the zoo (2 cats, 2 fish and a guinea pig).  It was time to say goodbye to a great ward full of wonderful friends.  The kids and I piled in the car and it was time to head off to Oklahoma.  It was a long drive (10 hours) and we got in around one in the morning.  I had to unload a few things and get kids to bed.  It was so humid outside that I ended up having to shower at 2 in morning before going to bed.  Monday morning dawn and I was up at 6:30 to meet the truck.  Need less to say.  Everything got here.  It took two weeks but it all showed up.  Now Matt is working on getting back on flight status and the kids and I are getting into a new routine.  What will Oklahoma bring to us this time?

Spring Break 2011 Days 6 -10 Utah

   Day 6 we were up and ready to go for the day.  This day was very promising and the kids were looking forward to seeing family.  First we had a bit of driving to do.  We headed up to the Manti temple.  This is one of those temples that you always hear about but can't see it unless you are in the city.  We got out of the car and walked around the grounds and saw the site for the pageant that they present there.  While we were there we saw a bride and groom that were just sealed.  It never fails when we are with our kids at the temple there is usually a wedding somewhere.

It was finally time to move on.  We still had a long day ahead of us and we where ready for a change.  We headed up toward Spanish Fork and met up with the interstate and stopped in Provo for lunch.  The kids noticed all of the letters on the mountains for all the universities and colleges in the area. 
   We had to make a little stop on the way up to "This is the Place".  13 years ago I lost my grandfather to a heart attack.  He was a wonderful man and I miss him terribly.  He was a pilot in the United States Air Force and fought in Vietnam with the Wild Weasels.  He was shot down and was a prisoner of war for six years.  After returning home he met my grandmother and married her.  Years later my father worked with my Grandfather and he invited my Father home for dinner.  The rest is history.  As a child he would always come up with activities for us to do when we came to visit.  He taught me how to dive and be a better swimmer.  He always had the best stories and just enjoyed life.  The day he died was the day of my High School graduation.  I went on a vacation after graduation and wasn't able to be there for his funeral.  So we stopped by his grave site in Sandy Utah where he is buried next to his Mother and Father.  The kids asked who he was and I shared with them all the things that my Grandfather, Jay R. Jensen did for me and our family while he was on the earth.  Miss you Grandpa Jay.
      It was on to "This is the Place" Monument.  We were meeting up with my Sisters, Bethany and Adrienne, Shaun (Beth's husband) and my niece and nephew.  While the kids and the guys played sharks and minnows I was working on getting a hotel.  We were going to stay at Hill AFB but we really needed to be closer.  With it being General Conference weekend we could have been out of luck.  Not so.  We found a hotel that was 20 minutes from Beth and Shaun's and the same distance to downtown Salt Lake. 

After scoring the hotel and letting the kids enjoy each others company it was time to move on.  We headed off to the hotel to check in and then head over to Beth's to let the kids play and eat.  It was late and time to get to bed.  Saturday morning dawned and we decided to head into Salt Lake.  The Children's Museum had a new exhibit that I had heard a lot of good things about.  We found a place to park and we avoided the conference traffic.  The exhibit was a celebration of the Spanish cultural.  They had Nephi's boat, computerize Book of Mormon puzzles, a kitchen to prepare a meal for the missionaries, Mexican dancing and dress up.  They had many fun and exciting activities for all ages.  Just outside the exhibit were some beautiful paints of Christ's life.  Some of the paintings we had seen before and somewhere new.  The spirit in that room was amazing and it was a wonderful place to be.  We then went to the Visitor Center so the kids could see the Christus.  We visited Temple Square a few years ago and Abby fell in love with the Christus just like I did when I was little. 

      Desert Book store in downtown Salt Lake.  We got there a few minutes before the 2nd session of Conference was about to begin.  We was looking for the Children's section and when I'm looking for something I ignore all  else.  Matt came up to me later and said, " Do you know who that was?" "No?" I had just walked by John By The Way and didn't even know it.  We found all the things we were looking for and moved on to the next activity.  We headed back to Beth and Shaun's.  The guys took the kids to the pool and I had a quit minute with my sister.  My Sister and I went and picked up the kids so the guys could go to the Priesthood session.  They got some tickets from President Hickley's grand kids and where three rows away from President Monson.  Beth, Adrienne and I watched kids and then it was time to head to the hotel.  Matt, Abby, Brayden and I were going to the Sunday morning session and left Tori and Noelle to spend the night with their cousin Emma.  Tori and Noelle were very excited about that.  Abby and Brayden were excited about going to conference in the morning.  If you have never been to conference before here is the low down.  You have to be in your seat an hour before conference starts.  With it being the Sunday morning session they have Music and the Spoken Word so you have to be there even earlier.  So bed earlier and get up early.  When we woke up we found that there was six inches or wet snow on the ground and covering the cars.  It took a little longer to get in the car but it was on to General Conference.  As a child my Father was station at Hill AFB.  My parents went on a second honeymoon to Hawaii and I stayed with the Bishop of our ward and his family.  It was General Conference weekend when they went and the Bishop's Wife was in the Choir.  I was able to go to conference with them in the old Tabernacle. It was a wonderful opportunity for Abby and Brayden to go to Conference in the Conference Center. 
       After a chilly walk through the wet snow and thick fog, it was 7:45 and we were in our seats. 

  We listen to the Music and the Spoken Word and Conference. It was wonderful to be in the Conference Center and listen to the Prophet speak.  The kids were really tired until the Prophet spoke and they were wide awake.  After Conference we headed over to my Uncle's house that lives in downtown Salt Lake.  There was still a little bit of fog but all the trees were covered in snow.

     We met up at my Aunt and Uncle's house for some lunch and visit.  I haven't seen them since my Sister Shauna's Wedding in June of 2005.  It was nice to catch up with them and to meet my Cousin's fiancee.  I also had the chance to meet my sister Adrienne's boyfriend, Sam Gibbs.  After Conference was over we went back to Beth and Shaun's and played a quick game of Trivial Pursuit.  Sam is a great person and will soon be a member of our family.  Glad Adrienne and Sam are happy and looking forward to their wedding. It was finally time to go back to the hotel to back up and get ready to go home.  Before that it was time to say goodbye to family.

All of the nieces and nephews (minus Sarah and Logan).  They just love their Aunt Adrienne. 
  We finally had everything packed back up and it was time to head home.  On the way home we made a stop at a location for the a future camping trip for Matt and the Boy Scouts in June.  It was then on through the beautiful Rocky Mountains.  We drove past the ski resorts and saw lots of people skiing and snowboard.  There was plenty of snow for them to do that.  We finally reached home that afternoon and that is the end of our Spring Break trip of 2011.  More adventures to come.
  

Spring Break 2011 - Day 5: Zion's National Park and Bryce Canyon

    Are we there yet? Are we there yet?  That is how I felt as this day began.  We were trying to get out the door and Brayden went out back.  Of course Mister Danger found the only mud pit outside.  The car was packed and we have to unpack it.  He was thigh high in mud.  We had to take him out back and spray him down.  Smart thinking on our part (meaning the parents) he had two pairs of shoes.  Finally we packed the car (for the second time) said our goodbyes and we were on the road.
 
       The plan today was to get into Utah.  With Brayden's little adventure we started a little behind.  As we drew closer to Utah we challenged the kids to look for as many temples that they could see.  Our first stop was St. George.  Some of us got out of the car and took pictures.  Then we jumped back in the car and were back on the road.  Driving through St. George there were some cute families playing in the water on a hot day.  It was time to move on.



St. George

                                                 
      Our second stop for the day was Zion's National Park.  We didn't know very much about this Park and our friends told us of some places to stop and see.  There were a few people camping but lots of traffic.  There is normally a bus shuttle that drives people to different locations, like the Grand Canyon, but it didn't start until the next day.  So we drove back into the park.  Zion is a place that you can do a lot of quick day hikes and see a beautiful sites.  We parked the car and headed up to Weeping Rock.  Weeping rock is a waterfall that depends on the snow melt from the neighboring mountains.  Because it was early spring their was a lot of water.  It was really wet and slippery.  Of course there were puddles everywhere and puddles attract kids.  The kids run through the puddles and try and get as wet as they can.  On the way up the trail and down there are signs pointing out all of the flowers and trees.  A really good nature walk for cub and boy scouts.  So now I have wet, enlightened kids and what do I do with them?  We drive around the rest of the park.  They have quiet a few references to Church things in this park.  There are a hike and place called Angel's Landing.  It is a waterfall that looks like Angel's are landing.  There are also rocks formations that is called the Organ.  We decided to park and do another hike to dry out the kids.  This one was called the Emerald pool.  Surprising enough the kids were quit enough that a family of deers walking across the trail we were hiking on.  Once you walked into the shadow of the mountain it cooled off a lot.  It was off back to the car and to drive through the park.  Zion's National Park was absolutely beautiful and a very picturesque place.
Two of my favorite things is the natural bridge and the checkerboard.



Weeping Rock




Angel's Landing



Emerald pool

Nautral Bridge

Checkerboard

   It was finally off to Bryce Canyon.  Between the two parks it is about 2 and a half hours.  By the time we got to Bryce it was almost sunset.  Bryce is also higher then Zion and there for more snow.  The kids were beyond exhausted and ready to get out of the car.  So we treated Bryce like the Black Gunnison earlier in our trip.  However, Bryce had more to look at and was much more beautiful.  I was feeling like I was back in Colorado.  The painted rainbow and the natrual bridge where my favorites here.  The painted rainbow is the layer of rock that looks like a rainbow when the sun sets.  So the prefect time to be there.  The natural bridge has it's own outlook from the road.  You have to get out of the car in order to see it.  It was a big surprise to both Matt and I.  He got out first and told me that I needed to see this one.  We finished a quick drive through the park and headed for the hotel.  This hotel was the negative side of the trip.  It was everything that we didn't pay for.  We went down to a family own resturant for dinner where the fruit of choice was oranges.  So all the kids had orange smiles.  It was off to bed and move on to the next day.

Nautral Bridge

Painted Rainbow

Overlook of Bryce Canyon

See Mommy is done!!

 

Pin count 6, State count 5, and two very tried parents.

Spring Break 2011: Day 4 - Las Vegas

          After two nights in Arizona it was time to move on once again.  It was nice to look at all the trees and then you blink and it is back to sage brush and desert.  We were headed to Las Vegas.  I lived in Las Vegas when I was Abby's age.  It has been a long time.  I was looking forward to seeing the old haunts.  First stop was to the Hoover Dam.  The kids watched Transformers (the first one) and asked if they could see Megatron.  We told them that he wasn't there anymore.  It was still nice to see the place in real life.  The bridge was finished and we drove across it on the way in.  It is called the Memorial bridge.

         We parked the car and headed back across the bridge to get another pin.  Long ago when we started our Military lives my Mother made a quilt of the United States.  We gather pins for all the places we have visited and some where family has visited and live.  So at this point in our trip we have five pins.  We picked up a pin for the Hoover Dam and for Las Vegas. 
     


There was a really cool memorial on the Nevada side of the Dam that is dedicated to those that built the Dam and those that lost there lives.  So after a quick purchase of pins and some more pictures it was off to Vegas.

 As I stated before I lived in Las Vegas over twenty years ago.  When I left the Excalibur was the new thing.  Matt hates traffic but was a good support and drove through downtown so the kids could it.  They were also watching Despicable Me (a must see) when he steals the Pyramid from Las Vegas.  So they were on the look out for the Eiffel tower, Sphinx and the Pyramid. It was crazy to see how much it has changed.  We left seeing all the things on the kids list.  We pasted the famous Las Vegas sign that funny enough had a showgirl in front of it.  We had a good laugh about it but pasted on that. 
   It was on to Nellis AFB where I received my first id card and have memories of Desert Storm.  The housing that we lived on was off separate base housing.  It was sad to see that they cut down all the trees that where there.  They had all torn down the old house and had put up new ones.  It was officer and enlisted housing but now it was all enlisted.  It was really nice houses but I'm still sad about all the trees.  We also took the kids by my old elementary school.  The frame is still the same but it had changed a lot too.  Okay kids are ready to kill each other we need to get out of the car but where to because it is hot in Vegas.  It was on to the Thunderbird museum.  One of the perks of living in Colorado Springs is that every May the Thunderbirds come to the Academy for the graduation and we get to watch them.  So it was very exciting to see the history and learn more about the different jets that were used and all the different crews.  A proud history.

  Here's your trivia question: Why is the number 5 displayed upside? 

Our Bishop's Son

The other cool thing is our Bishop's son is on the maintenance crew for the Thunderbirds we found his picture on the wall.  It was finally off to see the temple.  The Las Vegas temple was the first one that I ever saw.  It was completed when we lived there.  I was also old enough to go to the dedication.  My Mom and I sat it Baptismal room and my Dad sat somewhere else.  The kids loved seeing the view from the temple of the cities.  We were finally on to Matt's friends house where we were staying the night.  We sat outside for awhile until the bugs came out and the bats followed the bugs.  It was time to go inside.  Talked late and finally it was time to go to bed.  We needed some rest before the next adventures.

Spring Break: Day Three: Grand Canyon

            With day three of our trip we slowed down a bit.  We were all up around eight after getting some much needed rest.  We went to the nearest Wal-mart to pick up some things for lunch and to buy Tangled.  The kids loved the movie and it was one that would be watched over and over again.  It was finally time to go to the Grand Canyon.  The kids were excited and looking forward to this place for a long time.  We have been talking about going to the Grand Canyon since we moved here to Colorado.  With a snow storm every spring we either stay put or get out of dodge.  This year we decided to get out of dodge.  On to the Grand Canyon: I remember going as a child when we moved from Las Vegas to San Antonio.  It was a long road trip but my Mom always found places to stop whether it was some weird place or something worth seeing.

          

Rock Layers.

  When I came as a child I remember all the traffic at the Grand Canyon.  We all go out to see the Grand Canyon while Mom hugged a tree behind us.  Funny enough the first place that we stopped at seems like the same spot that we stopped almost 20 years ago. 

What do you think?

            While being at the Grand Canyon we found out really quick who are little dare devils were Tori, Noelle and Brayden just wanted to hang off the edge while Abby had a little more caution.  This time going to the Grand Canyon they have a bus system that takes you out to Hermits Rest.  You can either ride the bus or get off at each stop or there are trails to walk along.  It really is a beautiful place and one of God’s greatest creations.

  
 There are plenty of places to take pictures.  I could take lots of pictures to fill a book with here.  The one thing I learned from the Grand Canyon this time was that the layer of rock meant a different time of the earth.  With Matt’s fear of heights we decided not to take the hike down in the canyon.  If ever you decide to go the trail is called Angel’s crossing.  With half the day gone we decided to get on the bus and head out to Hermit’s Rest.  While sitting on the bus Matt found out that there was a book written by the Rescuers of the Grand Canyon about all the deaths at the Grand Canyon.  A little morbid, I know.  One of the most interesting things we found out was that there use to be an uranium mine back in the day.  Smart planning on our part was that we planned that all of Tuesday we would spend at the Grand Canyon.  That way we could experience all that the Grand Canyon had to offer.  We definitely took in all that we wanted to see.

Angel's Crossing

  

Colorado River

End of the line.

Our little dare devils.

Looks like Matt has had it.

     Now that we were done with the Grand Canyon it was time to drive back into Flagstaff for some dinner and then some sleep before moving onto our next adventure.  We did make a stop at a gift shop and bought t-shirts and Matt's morbid book.  On the way back to where the car was park our bus driver shared the dumb joke of the day.

A tourist went up to park ranger and asked:

"When does a deer become an elk?"

The park ranger a little annoyed said:

"Six hundred years!"

      Look for another post for our next adventure.

Spring Break Day Two Longest Day Possible

       Monday 28th of March we got up early and head out to Flagstaff, AZ. It was a partly cloudy day in Montrose, Colorado but as we drove closer to the mountains the snowy white peaks  started to peak out from the clouds.

                                          

       It was a gorgeous drive with all the snow.  Peaks looked like peaks you would see in the Swiss Alps. The snow piled up along the road was a foot to two feet higher than the car.  There were sections of the road that the drop offs were close to 300 hundred feet.  Roads were clear and it was absolutely beautiful.  So, after about two hours of white knuckle driving through the mountain pass we finally reached the other side.

       Since we moved here to Colorado Springs the kids have always talked about wanting to see Mesa Verde.  This park is a good five, six hours away from the house and for us to visit there we would need a good two days.  So, somehow we fit it into the schedule for our trip.  I'll say this that after seeing Mesa Verde I have a greater appreciation for the Native Americans and what they went through to survive.  If you ever great a chance to see this wonderful site it is worth seeing.

          Don't let these smiles fool you.  We were all glad to get out of the car.  It was really chilly outside.  We toured the museum inside before we headed out to the cliff dwellings of these people.

This is the closet display that you can get to see and touch.  They would start building their huts by digging a hole make a cover over the hole with a hole in the top for entrance and the smoke of the fire to get out of.  Then they started to build the adobe bricks and would build there communities in the cavities of the rocks.  They would first look for a water source.  That was part of the problem with these people is that they were always short of water. 

 They would first dig a well for their water source.  Then they would have gardens.  These people lived in communities that share everything.  Your family might have their own space to live but each family had a job and responsibility to fulfil for the community.  The work ethic and examples that these people lived was a look into what Zion will be like.  In some regard it is sad to see these dwellings in ruins. It is also amazing to see what these people accomplished in such a short amount of time.  These people only lived here for about three years.  The dwellings were discovered by some farmers that were looking for some lost cattle.  Wild fire damage is very visible in the area.  It has damage a few of the dwellings.  There are some of the park that weren't open.  One is calling the Balcony house.  You get to climb up into this house and see.  If we had more time I would have loved to see and discovered more about these people.

         The people lived further back in the cave where it was cooler.  You  could feel the difference from the heat to the cool air just taking this picture. My kids are so happy to be out of the car and run around for awhile.  We are still about four hours away from Flagstaff.     

One of the signs that I read talk about how these places were discovered by the Puebloans was very interesting. The scout use just a pair of knives (they looked like a prehistoric pick axe) and would climb down the cliff side in search of a large cave good for building a large community.  Don't let this picture deceive you.  This was zoomed in so that you could see the dwelling.  At the bottom of this picture is the top of a deep canyon.  We are driving on a Platte.  So, as a result many of these scouts lost their lives. 

        This dwelling behind Matt is the one that is photograph the most.  In order to get to it you have to repel down to it.  The thrilled look on Matt's face is that the kids are driving him crazy and he realized that is one o'clock and we are still in Colorado.  We still have a long way to drive.  On the road again.  Let's go.

        Our next stop was four corners.  Four Corners is run by the Native Americans and they charge an arm and a leg just to see this site.  They have some little booths where vendors can sell some of their merchandise.  There was some really pretty Indian made jewelry.  It is one place if you've seen then you can say I've seen it and don't have to go see it again.

             Noelle was tried we won't her up from her nap.  Abby was learning that the car ride wasn't agreeing with her.  Brayden just wanted to be somewhere else.  Tori is just Miss Dramatic.  Matt was did I really pay that much just to see this?  Okay this is cool.  Matt and I have carried on a tradition that was started by my parents when we moved from Ohio to Utah.  That every time you cross a state border they kiss.  So being here at four corners he got four kisses for crossing into four different states.  On the road again.

          Matt likes to drive scenic routes when available.  I'm okay with it as long as the roads are twisting.  As the sun sets on us we come to Monument Valley.  These were some of the pictures I took.

 

      As the sun set we drove through Arizona and saw all the Navajo settlements.  It was very sad to see it.  We finally reached Flagstaff around seven that night.  It was a little difficult to find the hotel but you eventually found it.  We stayed at a Howard Johnston that night.  Matt and I both agree that it had the most comfortable beds for our whole trip.  After a long drive of driving and sight seeing we were looking forward to sleeping in a little bit.  Night!