Moab and a Redneck 4th of July

After spendin' a week in Northern Utah we headed south for some much needed time in Red Rock Country. Truth be told...I have been a little homesick.

 

For once the Price area wasn't horribly ugly, or maybe I have just been gone for too long.

and then I was home

 

We had big plans to take the kids hikin', raftin, petroglyph searchin', star gazin, and many of the other wonderful things there is to do there.

 

We decided that it was too hot during the day 106+ degrees to go hikin', with four little ones.  The last thing we wanted was massive meltdowns halfway to delicate arch, so we waited for the night and took the kids to the Window's in arches.  It was a perfectly clear night, I have never wanted a telephoto lens so badly in my life.  (alas, I had to steal this one from someone else, I tried to find who posted it so I could give them credit.)  But you all see how wonderful it was, especially for Mia

 

We went swimmin', where Wynter showed no fear and loved slidin' down the huge story foot tall water slide, jumpin' off the divin' board and was sad when we wouldn't let her go off of the high dive.

 

For the 4th we decided to escape the heat and spend some time in the La Sal Mountains.  So we headed up to the beautiful Oowah Lake.  With my parents, my brother Spencer and his family, and my brother Michael

Mia enjoyed walkin' Charlie.

 

 The kids loved fishin' With Uncle Michael

McKinlee and I went for a walk around the lake, she was nervous when we had to cross on a log to get through a marshy part.  Then we had to jump over a creek, I helped her by tossing her across, in the process I lost my footing and not wanting to go alone pulled her down into the creek with me.  We had a good laugh together.

After a picnic lunch we went shootin'

 Mia was a pretty good marksman, she hit every target, and only missed once.  She even out shot my daddy, well everyone did,  He didn't hit a thing.  Mia was happy to point out that it was her first time holdin' a gun, and she is just a 10 year old girl.  Poor dad.

  I love the pictures with Josh and Ryken.

 

After the mornin' at the lake we went back to my parents for some slip and slide

 

We watched fireworks at my friend Kelly Packard's house.  I am kicking myself for forgetting my camera.  Mia had a blast there were several girls her age there, I was starting to think she wasn't going to come back to Pittsburgh with us.

 

The next day Josh and I packed up, went on our last built in babysitter date, and left early on the 6th.  That post will be coming soon.