You might want to sit down...

...'cuz this is gonna be a long one.

I know everyone is dying to know every detail of our lives since our blog has been blacked out since the end of April.  I would never want everyone to be so utterly disappointed, therefore, I blog.

If you want the good stuff, just look at the pictures, but if you want my usual dry commentary, feel free to read the quick snippets in between.  Consider yourself warned.

We will start with our trip to Hurricane Wash/Coyote Gulch/general Esclante area/Bryce Canyon National Park.  Brent and Ashley went to Coyote Gluch last year around this time and decided it was worth a return trip with reinforcements.  I won't lie (not to imply that I do normally), when we started hiking down the middle of a dry wash in 90 degree weather with nothing but sagebrush to beckon us forward, I was questioning the sanity of backpacking through such a place with my toddler in tow.  Ashley and Brent have never let us down, but as anyone in the financial industry knows, past performance cannot guarantee future results.  However, after about 6(?) or so miles we actually dropped into Coyote Gulch, and it was all worth it.

When I saw this sign I thought maybe this was really a disguised trip to Lake Powell to lounge on a house boat.  No go.

Gavin's quarters.  We brought one backpacking tent for Gavin (and Lindsey) to sleep in and the rest of us slept under the stars.  It was very interesting to discover his bedtime routine.  In this case it involved crawling all over the tent, including up and over Lindsey multiple times, until he found a corner to stick his head into and then promptly falling asleep head in corner, knees under him, hindquarters in the air.  Thank goodness for that tent. 

No sagebrush here!

Stylin' new shades...or the only ones we could find with a strap so he couldn't just rip them off immediately.  He hates them.

Up and out of the gulch.  It was quite a climb for the first few hundred yards.  Lindsey looked terrified, but that could have been becuase of the Nalgene hurtling down the precipice at break-neck speed towards her head.  Don't worry, the Nalgene was a little scraped, but held up like a champ.

Even Superman has kryptonite.

The passing of the child.  He didn't like having to be passed through the slots any more than Lindsey liked the slots.  Especially after some inconsiderate fool sparked her anxiety by declaring if we didn't move faster the flash flood was going to get us.

Apparently I need to go on a diet.

Yeah, we're cute.  Okay, Lindsey and Gavin are cute.

After Coyote Gulch and the slots we headed to Bryce Canyon for a quick tour.

Okay...Lindsey has the child, what's everyone else's excuse???



Next trip: Ledgefork Campground by Smith and Morehouse reservoir in the Uintah's. 

It was REALLY cold.  I told Brent to be a man and just jump in.  Someday maybe he'll be a man.

Gavin showed his first signs of loving to push the stroller.  He pushed, and pushed, and pushed.  It kept him very entertained.

Gavin would have jumped in.  He was surprisingly okay with the frigid water, as long as it went no higher than his ankles.  Lindsey felt about the same.

Our camp activities including target practice with the slingshot, hatchet throwing (don't let Brent fool you, he is very experienced with a hatchet), and mexican golf.

 Moving ahead a week or two...and we find ourselves in McCall with all of Lindsey's family.

First order of business: hike to Boulder Lake.  Second order of business, avoid the water, it actually still has floating ice chunks.

This picture is in the wrong spot, but I'm too lazy to move it.  Campfire antics a Ledgefork, or Bryce Canyon.

Yeah, he's handsome.

Back to Payette Lake in McCall, which is a bit warmer.  If you love water, and you love pushing a stroller, what could be better than pushing a stroller IN the water!?!?

First ever swing ride for Gavin.  I think he gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Who knew that little boys liked destroying sand castles more than building them?  He only made Brent and I cry once or twice.  In his defense Gavin was very good at cleaning off the monster truck right after he used it to destroy a castle.  Everybody has their priorities.

The boys playing in the sand with Grandpa Lovell. 

Spontaneous kayaking that broke out.  The culprit has never been found.

 Then just a few odds and ends from the last week.

Thanksgiving Point petting zoo.  Gavin and Paul enjoyed watching the assorted fowl strut their stuff.  Sadly this is as close as we came to getting a group shot.  Thanks for inviting us guys.

Gavin likes to climb on top of things and stand up.  This causes Lindsey and I great anxiety when we think about the future.  We got him a balance bike (he's a bit small yet) and he decided he would rather just stand on top of the box

Congratulations!  You finished!  Hopefully you don't regret your time spent blog stalking.

P.S. - Please forgive any spelling or grammar errors, sometimes I'm not smart enough to think and type at the same time, and I refuse to proofread a blog posting.