Grand "Edventure" Hurricane Canal/Virgin River

Kennis, Gaige, Paul and I went on an exploration of the Virgin River area below Virgin yesterday. We had to start early because we needed to be back for yet another Blue and Gold Banquet.  We started at Falls Park, which was beautiful with very high water, and it was kind of cold.  We checked out the old bridge and dropped rocks off seeing a lot of nice places to play in the water when it gets a bit warmer.  Then we drove back toward Hurricane and took several dirt roads to overlook the river in different spots.  At one place we found a dam that we didn't even know was there.  They were just letting out a little bit a water below there, so suddenly the river became much tamer than at Falls Park. After a bit we parked and walked down about a very rough dirt road for a mile or so to get down to the river.  We explored and found an old Jeep, lots of fossils, a couple of old roads, a newly blasted road, a cave, and the remnants of the old Hurricane and LaVerkin canal/irrigation systems. We built a little fire in one of the old canals and had lunch and then hiked on a road and then went up and hiked a chunk of the Hurricane canal trail including crawling through a tunnel where it went underground for a ways.  We did about 5 miles in all and sung our way out the steepest part on to - "99 bottles of pop on the wall"- clear down to 67 bottles.  We had to whisper the last several verses when it got too hard to breathe.  Lots of fossils and pretty rocks were gathered along the road and brought home for mementos of the day. Since the Borrowmans are trying to reduce sugar intake right now we stopped for pretzels instead of ice cream.  The kids did great. We pretty much wore Gaige out by the end.  (He took a little nap on the way to get pretzels.)  It warmed up later in the day and we even waded the river once to check out a cave.  The consensus was that we should come back when it gets warmer and play in the water!  

Falls Park and looking over the edge

We arrive at the river

Silly faces, lunch, a fossil rock, many colors and rock topping

Old Hurricane Canal trail tunnel and scary bridge crossing

More trail, a rock construction, crossing an old dam to get to a big cave

Climbing out, looking back down to where we were, snaky root and a snaky pretzel, heading home

Valentine's/President's Day fun stuff

We had such fun over this holiday week end.  Jay and Brynn and the girls came down!  And after they headed out we kept on having fun with the in town gang!  Lots of good times!  And we love you all so much!

Jay has such a cute flock of chicks to fill his nest! Madi couldn't figure out what that thing was that Grandpa was reading - a newspaper?  What's that?  She took a better look with Grandma's glasses.  

We love sharing our amazing Red Hill back yard with the family!  

Moss shared his childhood forts with the next generation - 7th Heaven, etc.  Plenty of sun and red dirt make for good times!

We visited Paul's latest job, ate ice cream on the counter and swung with the cousins!

On Monday the Borrowmans, Smiths and Paul and I took in the new art display at
 DSU and had a picnic at a sunny park.
(Why is Koen never in any pictures?  Does he hide from me on purpose?)

And here are some pretty darn cute Valentine's from the out of town gang!  Missed you, missed you, wish that we could have kissed you!

Kennis is growing up...to fast!

We were a little late to the party because of some home teaching that had to be done that night, but we did get to wish Kennis a happy #11 on her birthday.  She's leaving that little girl stage and moving on to being a beautiful young lady...slow down!  We love you Kennis.  Happy birthday!

I think her favorite part of her present, besides the pretty dress that we put in on, was a framed copy of the poem she wrote and shared on St. George TV for the Veteran's Day celebration!  So talented, smart and pretty!

The Smith kids hang out

These guys (Zade, Trigg and Tasia got to hang out while their mom and Kaebri went to YW/YM activity and their dad was at work.  They love to have army adventures with Uncle Bean!  Paul and I hardly saw them except to eat heart shaped pizza and to make a few quick Valentines before they left.  

Chinle Trail - done!

We did it!  We finished the last part of the Chinle Trail on Saturday!  The total trail mileage is only about 16 miles, but we have just been doing parts of it between doing the other trails in the area: Coal Pits Wash, Scoggins Wash and Huber Wash.  It intersects all of them at their north ends.  It has been a work in progress over the last couple of years taking this long because of the interruption of knee surgeries.  We loved all  of the last 12.7 miles of it (we didn't have a shuttle vehicle so we had to go there and back.)  It has "ahhsome" Zion views and amazing petrified wood deposits.  

We started at Crater Hill trail head and it took about an hour to get to the Chinle/Coal Pits Wash junction where we ate lunch and enjoyed the water.  

Crazy broken rocks, Zion thru' a knothole, itty bitty tracks, our turn around spot up Scoggins Wash, a cool rock, Ahh Zion views.  

The "golden hour" views on our way out.  

A huge petrified log in many pieces, and end of the trail views.  

Family dinner February 2015

Today we started up the family dinners for this year!  It was great to come together and eat and visit.  If noise was a good indicator, the kids had a great time too!  "Celestial Chaos" is the term I believe! Afterwords the term is peace and quiet...but we love our chaos!  We kicked off with Kalua pork and everyone brought yummy stuff to go with it.  Love these special times with the folks we love most! We always miss those who can't make it for one reason or another.  See you all next month!  (Missed Sarai and in the pictures somehow.)  Oh, was it the Super Bowl today?  Guess we missed it.

More baptisms and finishing off the week at Pine Valley

Wednesday we finished up the names we have found for baptisms with Kaebri and Tavin.  We are so blessed to have a temple right here in town and just a couple of blocks away.  We did the usual baptisms and then twist cones and fries at Arctic Circle!  What great grand kids we have!

And Saturday afternoon after Eden's baptism we took a drive up to Pine Valley to walk the trail and see what snow there was...not much.  The lake is starting to thaw too.  We saw an amazing bald eagle flying around and turkey tracks all over the place, but they must have been hiding out from the eagle! 

Eden's special baptism day!

It was so special to go to Eden's baptism on the 31st.  It was just her and another sweet little girl.  It turned out to be just Eden when the other little one got a little too timid to go through with it at the last minute.  That was too bad...but she will be fine another day.  Juge and the other mom shared some nice thoughts on the Holy Ghost and there were other good things said/taught.  So happy to see sweet Eden take this important step on her way back home.  So glad we could be there and share the joy!  

At the church and back at the house celebrating the special day!

These 4 guys are the next ones up for getting baptized - just a couple more years til their big days!

That will be a great year!

Brenden - last of the 6 year olds for the year

Brenden was the final guy to turn six of the four guys turning six this year!  He had a party with friends, treats at school, probably a party at the Key family dinner,  one with mom and dad and Eliza at home on the real day, and a little one with us here at the house for FHE!  That was a very well celebrated birthday!  It was fun to have him just to ourselves!  Happy #6 Brenden!  We love you!

The blue frosting made for some colorful smiles on those of us who ate it!  

Brenden is always so sweet to share with Eliza.  She is so funny the way she loves "boy toys" and plays with them just like a boy!  She loves her "Buddy" brother and tries to be just like him when she plays with boy toys!