Aronson Family Vacation 2011: Part 3

We did not have enough time in Bryce Canyon. That is one big old canyon. My sister Jen described it to me as "turning the corner and seeing the surface of Mars". That's what it looked like! When we were driving into the canyon all of the familiar Utah landscape stopped, almost in a straight line, and turned into oddly shaped red rocks. Fascinating.

Want to hear what else is fascinating?

The odd mix of German and Japanese tourists all over the place.

Why German and Japanese?

Why not French and South African?

Or Brazilian and Canadian?

Anyway.

We spend our last night of vacation at Ruby's Inn. That's the hotel with the grocery store, general store, two restaurants, camp grounds, hotel and Laundromat. Our room was ground level and Jake enjoyed staring out the window at the German/Japanese people. Our poor little toddler started to crack during that last evening. It started after he went swimming with Daddy and Hayden. Daddy was disturbed by the quantity of Speedos at the pool being worn by older gentlemen who refused to go into the water. They just enjoyed standing in 18 inches of water, staring, with their Speedos barely on. Jake had his own special retaliation when he got back to the room. After his bath, he didn't want to put clothes on. Instead, he stood naked in front of the window, giving European passers by a good show. The horror.

We did get to see some of the sights though. Beautiful scenery. Vast beautiful scenery that needs more than a day to see.

(Blanket had a nice vacation too. Here he is lounging on a gnarly piece of wood)

Jake continued his descent into vacation denial with a refusal to get off a trail. We could not climb this particular 4 hour trail because we needed to eat. And because he is only three years old. He did not care.

I'm glad Hayden and Daddy posed because Jake couldn't stop pouting. He's pouting here. That's all. He's NOT doing what he looks like he's doing.

That last night, after the naked incident, Brandon went on a solo ride on the ATV.

He saw a deer just as the sun was setting.

He got a beautiful shot of the moon rising.

The next morning we weighed our options and decided to go for a ride on the ATV trail instead of doing a hike. We decided this because we wouldn't have to carry Jake on the ATV trail when he eventually had another vacation meltdown.

We chose wisely. No one else was on the trail, the weather was perfect and we had a great time.

What we learned on this trip is that three location changes in five days is no good with a toddler and a tweener. Too much to do, too many different places to sleep. I learned I like fishing, but hate watching Brandon fall off ATVs. Hayden learned that the Internet can be a luxury instead of a God given right. Jake learned that fire is fun. Brandon learned that he wants a new car that can pull a trailer and a couple of ATVs.

I also learned that the farmers that live on Highway 89 just outside of the entrance to Bryce are pretty funny. Twisted and funny. This is what I saw to my right while we were stuck in construction traffic on our way home.

Can't beat that. That, my friends, is funny stuff.

Aronson Family Vacation 2011: Part 2

So if we decide to travel that way again, we will spend much more time at the Paiute Reservoir. It was beautiful and peaceful and darn huge. We started to fish, then got distracted with the boats and how much we wanted one. Then we went on a ride on the dreaded ATVs (nice ride though so I started to get a little less afraid). The view from the top of the reservoir was gorgeous. We never did give fishing a long enough try so we didn't catch any. I don't think we'd be able to eat one anyway, because we'd have to kill it. I was unaware that you kill them by smacking them in the head with a club or against a rock.

But I want to go back, rent a big boat, wear a swimsuit, use a fishing pole for more than ten minutes, and bring someone to club all the fish I catch to death. Good times.

Aronson Family Vacation 2011

Brandon and I had many discussions about where to go on vacation this year. We agreed that it would just be the four of us and that we didn't want to go somewhere with warmer temperatures than Herriman. So I suggested Bryce Canyon because even though it's further south, it's a higher elevation so it would be cooler. Brandon wanted to go on an ATV vacation. So we split the difference and spent the first part in Marysvale Utah, then headed down to Bryce.

(This vacation also checked off another item on our 'We are crappy Utahans because we never visit any of the places our state is famous for' list)

We stayed in a cabin just off Highway 89. Let me explain a few things about this cabin and I. Even though it was just as the website explained it, I still was in denial once I arrived. I didn't think I was a picky princess kind of traveler, but I apparently am. The cabin was an actual cabin, and although it had all the modern amenities of home, it also had walls with cracks, mosquitoes who loved me, and dirty floors. I will admit it freaked me out. What also freaked me out was the group of nomads who were staying at the cabin next to us. Every few minutes another tent would be set up in the yard. The tents kept appearing closer and closer to us. That cabin was huge and slept like 10 people, but their group was so large that they had to also sleep in tents. Many, many tents.
The cabin did have its good points. It was right next to the Sevier River so the boys could practice fishing.



They didn't catch anything, but neither did anyone else who tried so they didn't feel bad.

The boys played games

Jake looks so super cute in this painted tub.

Blanket had a good time on vacation.

We had a better time the second night. River rafting was so much fun. We went with a guide named Captain Don from ARK, just across the street from our cabin. He was just as much fun as the rafting. He's a God loving man. He quoted the Old Testament, and sang his praises to God while he told us about the river. Jake completely loved him. He was a good audience to Don's musings. I highly recommend it. (no pictures of this though, too scared to use the pricey camera near water)

We used the charcoal grill to make killer hamburgers. We lit a campfire and introduced the boys to lighting things aflame. Our intention was to introduce them to S'mores, but flaming marshmallows were too much fun to eat apparently.

(I like charred marshmallows though so I made myself sick by eating most of them)

Hayden added roasted hot dogs to the list of 9 things he'll eat

I'm not shy about my love of S'mores. Here I am clutching the bag of marshmallows, worried they'd take them away from me.

The lack of Internet, cell service, clean floors and dishwasher started to get to Hayden and I.
We also had an incident. Well, Brandon had one. I have lovely parents who allowed us to borrow their car so we could tow a couple of ATVs from an equally lovely co-worker of Brandon's. Our first night there, in front of the nomads at the next cabin, Brandon gave one of the ATVs too much gas as he was driving back up onto the trailer, causing it to fly over the opposite side of said trailer. It flipped over, still running onto Brandon on the gravel.

He's sporting his minor injury below.

He wasn't hurt badly, but my nerves were shot. Those ATVs scared the crap out of me the rest of our trip. All I thought about was watching that machine flip over onto my husband. So, because he is a good man, and because he loves his ungrateful chicken wife and kids, Brandon let us spend our last night at the cabin at a Marriott in Richfield instead.

Here is the lovely king size bed with my beloved Marriott pillows. Everything there was gorgeous and up to my previously unknown picky princess standards. Go free breakfast!

Here is Jake 'calling' Grandma for the 40Th time, asking if he can come to her house. His next vacation will be to her house since it was all he talked about.

....part two of vacation coming soon.....

Kid Wash

I made this! All by myself! It's a Kid Wash! Well, I had help from my mother and our next door neighbor who let me have the missing PVC cap I forgot to buy. I am so exhausted. If it weren't for my mother, it would not have been possible. Thanks Mom!

The kids in the neighborhood loved it too. If I had more energy, I'd say more about it.

Too tired to type.............

Heritage Park

We took the boys to Heritage Park this weekend for some pioneer fun. They had such a good time that when we left, Jake passed out in the car five seconds after we put him in it. Here are some of the pictures!

(sleeeeeepy)

(Brandon made a goat friend)


(This was the best playhouse)

(Boy those pioneers sure were shorter than us. Ha ha)

(My little cowboy)

(What the heck is he thinking in this shot?)

(Brandon helped Jake play with the hoop)

(This is what happened if Jake tried to play with the hoop himself)

(Hayden was really good at it)

(Work my little toddler, work)

(Earn your keep, son!)

(Plowing)

(This one may have been better at plowing, that's all I'm goin' to say)

(Pretty view of my boys, the pond and the city)

(Tiny train all to themselves)

(He's cute. I know it, you know it.)

(We made it!)