Grand Canyon Grand 'Edventure'

Last Friday/Saturday Kaebri and Tasia traveled over to the  South Rim of the Grand Canyon on a "workation" with us.  Paul had done another one of the little water filling stations for the park service and it needed to be washed.  We had a good time listening to Where the Red Fern Grows on the way there and back.  We stopped at Jacob's Lake for cookies and then again at Navajo Bridge so we could look down on the Colorado River. We saw a condor flying by. We were up early on Saturday morning and hiked the new (as of last October) "Trail of Time".  It was really fun, and since we were on Utah time, we were there before it got crowded.  We took pictures of the girls at nearly every stone marker and they tried to make different faces/poses at each.  At the end of the trail the girls got Jr. Ranger packets and we worked on them and then they were sworn in as official Jr. Rangers. After that we rode the shuttle back to our car and then shopped and watched a movie about the Grand Canyon.  We got lunch at the last shopping spot and then headed home. (Grandpa and Grandma learned that eating and shopping can't be a hurry up job!)  It's a pretty long drive, but between the story and the Happy Meal toys the girls did just fine.  I think Kaebri had cheeseburgers for dinner/lunch/dinner.  She's a real fan!  It was a fun trip.  We're thinking that we'll have to start training these grand kids up in the stone trip/vacation tradition as part of "Grand Edventuring".

Jacob's Lake and Navajo Bridge pit stops

Jr. Ranger and shuttle bus fun and making use of some of Grandpa's water filling stations

Random shots here and there.  Below is a shot of the canyon taken through the window of the Desert View Watchtower (also below).  It was our last stop on the way out of the canyon. 

 See next post for our adventures along the Trail of Time.

Trail of Time facts and pictures

The Trail of Time is a 4.56 km (2.83 mile) long geologic timeline. Each meter walked on the timeline trail signifies one million years of Grand Canyon's geologic history. Walking the trail gives you a visceral appreciation for the magnitude of geologic time. Bronze markers mark your location in time; every tenth marker is labeled in millions of year! Along the timeline trail are a series of rocks and exhibits that explain how Grand Canyon and its rock formed.

Portal signs welcome visitors to the exhibit at the entry points to the trail, Yavapai Point and the west end of Grand Canyon Village. The rock column holding up this sign shows Grand Canyon's rock actual layers, brought up from deep in the canyon.

Placed at their "birthdays" along the trail are about 50 samples of Grand Canyon rocks brought to the rim from deep in the canyon. Many show spectacular features, like 1.7-billion-year-old folds, 1.2-billion year-old mud cracks, 800-million-year-old algal reefs, or 270-million-year-old fossils.

Viewing tubes along the trail link times on the timeline to features and rocks down in the canyon. Waysides tied to the timeline explain the key events that lead to formation of Grand Canyon's rocks and the landscape we see today at Grand Canyon.

 Other fun along the trail and the end of the trail markers.  We made it!

Happy #3 Koen

It was fun to get together with the the Borrowman clan to celebrate Koen's birthday last week.  He's now the ripe old age of 3.  He was pretty excited about his new tool set.  I don't think he was too excited about new Sunday clothes (very understandable), but he sure looked cute in them.  He was excited about the 3 packs of Smarties we added to the birthday bag!  Happy birthday Koen - we love you! 

UEA - here & there

We tried and tried to plan something major to do over UEA - my two whole days off from school.  Plan after plan just wouldn't work out. Finally we just decided to have fun doing some everyday things that we enjoy...spending time with people we love...throwing in some outdoor time in the beautiful fallish weather. It turned out to be a great time. We started the fun on Thursday with a Grand 'Edventure' with Brynnli, Tavin, Kennis and Gaige.  We had hoped to include Kaebri and Tasia too, but since we were so last minute in our planning their other grandma had already claimed them.  Our last Grand 'Edventure' to Kolob Arch was a pretty strenuous, so we decided to do several mini-hikes that were pretty tame this time.  

We started at Snow Canyon doing the little hike to Jenny's Canyon.

 Then we trekked over to Pioneer Names.

 After that we did the hike up to White Rocks.

Then it was lunch time.  We had a picnic in a shady glad below Baker Reservoir.  (We got to see the wagon train in route on our way there.)

After lunch we hiked most of the trail between Baker Reservoir and Brookside.  There were a couple of gorgeous waterfalls along the way.

On the way home we stopped for swirl cones from Arctic Circle.  The kids decided that was the perfect way to end a good day of hiking! One day of UEA well enjoyed!

Friday and Saturday we made a trip up to SLC.  While there Bean took us on a tour of the new Central Bishop's Storehouse and Deseret Transport facility.  It is a huge, amazing place.  Two stake centers could fit into one of the walk in freezers.  I don't know why anyone would want to have stake conference in a freezer, do you?  In the evening we got to go to Jay and Brynn's new house - it's the first time for me - and join them and the Weavers for Jay's third birthday get together for the week.  They treated us to a fantastic dinner.  Jay used one of his birthday presents, a stove top smoker, to cook up some soooo tasty pork.  Juge and Brynn finished up the meal with other yummy things.  Then we had a good time visiting and eating birthday pies.  It was so fun to see everyone and to see the beautiful new house too.  Madi and Sarai even liked us after a little while!   (I was too busy enjoying visiting and forgot to take very many pictures.)

The birthday candle blowing pictures are always so flattering!

On Saturday we went for a couple of little hikes - Neff  and Bell's Canyons.  We didn't have time to do all they way on either of them, but it was so pretty with the leaves turning.  There were lots of people out enjoying the beautiful day.  Thanks to all of you for spending time with us on such a last minute trip!

Family stuff - moving, eating, visting

Saturday was a busy day helping pack and move the Ferf and Ryan from Toquerville to Ivins.  It's not all done, but we made a pretty good dent in the project.  Brynnli told her Grandma B. that it's a "dream come true" to live so close to so many cousins.  They are pretty squeezed in, but with an attitude like that I guess it won't matter.

Sunday was the monthly family feed.  Moss and Christie hosted and provided very tasty creamy potato soup for the main course with the rest of us adding our part to the meal.  Weed was able to feel good enough to come as long as she could lay around some.  We were glad for that!  Derek is turning into a regular house husband helping her out until she gets past this - hopefully soon.  (We are so excited to have two more grand babies getting ready to make their appearance.) It was fun eating and visiting with everyone and especially fun to watch the the three little boys playing together.  They all got on the tramp and ran around and around screaming at the top of their lungs...very loud and boyish except for the high pitched voices.  What a good bunch we have! 

Brady and Ellie getting Ursala's autograph

On Monday Lou and Bryan came down to take Brady and Ellie to see The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn.  They loved it. (I wish my grandkids had a rich grandma who could have taken them all to see it.) Afton went to sleep and stayed with us.  She only screamed a little when she woke up and mom wasn't there to snuggle her and then went back to sleep.  It was fun to see her smiling in the day time and crawling all over the house.  Brady and Ellie had a grand time playing with our neighbor boys and the Legos.  They also were lucky that the weather turned warm enough for them to visit the Town Square and play in the water.  Afton was quick to become a fan of that.  Good times with family...they are the best!  (I snagged these pictures from Lou and Bryan - thanks for sharing guys.)

Duck Creek feast of colors

Twisty trees

We were afraid we would miss the leaves if we didn't get up to the mountains, so right after work we got in the car and drove up Cedar Canyon and on to Duck Creek.  Down lower there are still lots of greens, but up by Duck Creek Pond and Mirror Lake there is a feast of color.  It smelled delicious with the air fresh from recent rain.  It was hard to stop taking pictures.  Glad we didn't miss it.  It made for a delightful and refreshing FHE.

OK, whenever I am out in the beauties of nature this Primary song always comes to mind.  Here's my remake and some sweet videos of the original.

Whenever I hear the song of a brook, or look at a star lit sky,

Whenever I smell a cool desert rain, or a soft piney breeze brushes by,

Whenever I hike through evergreen dark, or white of the tall aspen tree,

I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me.

He gave me my eyes that I might see the color that cool autumns bring,

He gave me my ears that I might hear the cadence as waterfalls sing,

He gave me my life, my mind, my heart: I thank Him reverently.

For all His creations, of which I'm a part. Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.

http://youtu.be/ywre1m9yu_0

ttp://youtu.be/YrO31qb8NQw