Paul and I took a beautiful after the rains hike up to "Supe's pond" on the Red Hill.  I was wonderfully refreshing to see how vibrant everything was after the rains!  It made our day!

Sun and snow...love them both

Saturday dawned a bright, gloriously sunny day after a week of wonderful rain.  Don't get me wrong; I'm so grateful for that rain, but I do notice that I get a little bit downish when it goes on for very long.  Paul and I had lots of chores to do that morning, but both of us were so excited to see the sun that we both came up with ideas of how to get out and enjoy it.  In the end we decided we would go to Pine Valley first to see if there was snow and take  walk if it wasn't too deep while it was still the warm part of the day and then if there was still time when we got back we'd take a red hill hike as well.  When we got up there the snow was beautiful and not too deep, so we decided to walk the Santa Clara River Trail that goes through the picnic/campground/forest area.  There were people by the lake sledding down the hill.  It looked like so much fun!  We had such a beautiful walk.  It was a very wet snowfall and it was sticking in all the trees and decorating them!  It was just above freezing - too warm to X-country ski, but perfect for walking.  It was peaceful and so pretty.  We went to end of the trail and then as we started back it started to snow just a little and then more and more and by the time we got back  to the car it was really going at it.  It was a good thing we got back so we could get on the road home.  It kept snowing until we got down to Snow Canyon and then it was sun and rain washed red and white rocks.  Everything is so beautiful with the air pure and clean from the recent rains.  I just felt like smiling all day long!  Love this place we live with so much variety in such a small area!  I feel so blessed when I'm out enjoying Heavenly Father's beautiful creations. 

January birthdays

 Eden had the first birthday of the year and turned 17!  I can't believe little Eden is really that old!  She had a pretty exciting day before/day of getting a broken wrist while skiing with friends, getting off the mountain in snowy conditions and not being able to get in to the doctor until the day after.  Thankfully it was not a really bad break - no surgery or pinning.  We didn't get to see her other than on Facetime a week later when her present arrived in the mail.  

We got the Randall gang in one evening after putting it off for Bryan's grandmother's funeral. It was Bryan's 48th, Afton's 13th and Brady's 19th all in one celebration!  Actually got to see Brenden on the day of #15!  He's taking his permit test in a few days! 

Valley of Fire and other fun!

Friday we decided to get out of town to someplace in the sun (it has been raining a lot lately), and we decided to head down to Valley of Fire in Nevada.  It was a great decision.  The place is too hot to even think about going to later in the year, but it was perfect weather for our little trip.  We had been there  once long ago when it must have been too hot and didn't think much of it.  We just did a quick drive through then, but this time we saw nearly the whole place and did every little hike!  It was beautiful and so interesting.  So many kinds of rock and such beautiful formations, petroglyphs and historical things as well. (Sorry - got some picture repeats.)

Another so fun thing was going to a play by the St. George Musical Theater - Sound of Music.  At first I thought that I had seen this a lot of times before, but it was so well done and so fun that Paul and I both were really glad we saw it.  The acting, singing and dancing were all superb!  

Zade ordains Trigg!

 Sunday was a busy,  but wonderful day!  Derek let us know about Zade and Trigg's priesthood ordinations and we were able to attend.  Zade was ordained a priest by Grandpa Smith and then Trigg was ordained a deacon by Zade.  I think Zade was pretty nervous, but he did just great.  Wow, the grand kids are all growing up way too fast! So happy for both of these boys.  Also ordained that day that we didn't know about to attend was Koen - he was ordained a priest by older brother Gaige!  Too bad, no pictures of that one.

Snow Day fun!

We decided it was now or maybe never and spent a January Saturday up in the snow.  We checked the weather and the conditions sounded perfect for cross country skiing up at the Deer Hollow area. When we got there the parking lot was not accessible because of snow drifting, but there were some wide spots in the road that had been cleared so we decided to give it a try.  It hadn't been groomed, but there were some great ski tracks in place so we took off.  It was windy out in the open, but perfect in the trees.  It ended up being one of the least crowded and best conditions time we've had.  We skied out to the lake overlook and met some college kids out for their first time and took pictures for each other.  When we finished up we still had quite a bit of day left and after missing a turn we planned to take we decided to go over and see the snow at Bryce Canyon.  We thought about skiing there too, but it was not a good time there, so we just walked and enjoyed the beautiful scenery for a while and then headed home...and just in time.  A storm was coming up and we had some snow flurries on our way back home, but made it safe and sound.  What a lovely snow day it was!  

New Year's Day - Happy 2024!!!

 Jay and Brynn came down after Christmas for a visit. They left about noon on New Year's day.  It was a quick but fun trip!  We got to do a great hike, New Year's Eve and a little bit of New Year's day with them.  We taught the girls how to play the family traditional game of Hellsapoppin' the morning they left.  They are all almost old enough to enjoy it now!  

In the afternoon Paul and I went out to find the Cedar Pocket Sinkhole that a friend told us about.  It was SO BIG and really cool. Afterwards we took a drive through the Joshua tree covered desert down by the Virgin River to get back home.  It was a beautiful, desert sun winter day and it felt good to get out!  

Christmas Break hike to Pioneer Potholes aka The Vortex

On New Year's Adam (Saturday) we took a hike with whoever of the family could make it/wanted to come.  It ended up being us, Jay and Brynn and girls, Tasia, Zade and Trigg and the Weavers and Ferf.  It ended up being perfect, winter sun weather and was lots of fun! Moss and Christie and kids joined us later and then some of us (the adults) went out for a really nice evening at Red Lobster while the kids/cousins entertained/fed themselves at Moss and Christie's.

New Year's Eve - 2023

We had a fun little gathering with some family for New Year's Eve (Sunday) at Moss and Christie's again.  They are such gracious hosts.  It was Sunday as was Christmas Eve.  We all brought out yummy snacks and played fun games and watched the ball drop at New York!  That way we could all be home fast asleep at our regular bedtimes!  Sorry, but staying up until midnight is just overrated...especially the next day!  (We drank Sparkling Cider with cotton candy in it - new to me.  Yummy!)

Christmas Break Hiatus to Zion Park

 After the wonderful hustle and bustle of Christmas and before New Year's company and back to work as usual we took a little hiatus trip to Zion.  We staying in a little cabin.  We got the last one available luckily - even with our last minute planning of it.  We started out by going the a matinee move of The Boys in the Boat!  Such a good movie.  Then we went to dinner and afterwards we headed to Zion.  Our little cabin was snug and warm.  In the morning we beat the crowds to take the Emerald Pools hike.  So beautiful!  Then we drove over to the petroglyphs site on the east side of Zion and hiked all the way up the canyon above them until we could go no further.  MORE BEAUTIFUL STUFF with very few other people around.  Then we drove home over Cedar Mountain and stopped at a new restaurant that Juge and Lance gave us a gift card to for Christmas - 2nd East. It was really yummy food! We also took the drive up to the top of Kolob Fingers.  Loved our little get away!  It was so needed after the stress of Christmas, Grandma and Bean.