Spring break part 2 -the misery of it all:)

During the last session of General conference we left Jodi's house - we figured we could listen to the rest of General conference while we drove to our night- time destination.  And we WERE able to hear all but the last ten minutes before we lost the signal. HOWEVER, we were painfully reminded how important it is not to try to travel on Sunday when at all possible:

I know.... I KNOW!!...but we rationalized our way into doing it because spring break around here always has conference right in the middle.  This was our rationale: If we did the camping part first, we were afraid that we would all be too tired and grouchy, stinky and dirty to listen to conference afterwards... AND we were spending time together as a family...  AND there didn't seem to be any other time to do it...

But halfway between Price and Green River a light came on that said that our car battery was low.  Then it kept getting lower.  Shawn and I looked at each other and said, "this is what we get for traveling on Sunday!" Which we try to avoid but sometimes do on our way home from visiting family in Oregon and such, but somehow it felt different since we were on our way to a camp out.

(Some of Caden's entertainment while we waited...and waited....):

Some of Caden's entertainment while we waited...and waited...

LUCKILY we were able to make it back to Price and LUCKILY a car parts store was open and they were able to change our alternator, which had given out, so that we didn't get stranded somewhere in the desert far from all civilization and no cell phone coverage!

We pulled into Goblin Valley after dark that night, set up the camper and had a decent night of sleep.  HOWEVER the pregnant lady in the group realized that while she HAD taken into consideration that she probably wasn't big enough to be uncomfortable camping out yet, she failed to consider that she needed a bathroom several times during the night, and the bathroom was a long quarter mile walk from our designated camping site. hmm...cozy...The pregnant lady, who happened to be me, just in case you didn't clue in, ended up lying there in misery until 3:00 am when I felt Shawn stir around a little.  Then I asked him to accompany me on the trek to the bathroom.  When we got back from that invigorating little walk, Abram had a coughing attack for half an hour straight, but when he finally quieted down we fell into a deep sleep until our early bird Caden got up to get the camp fire going the second that 6:00 rolled around.  He actually has to force himself to stay in bed until then most mornings.

Our camping spot:

pretty, isn't it?

After a fabulous breakfast prepared by Shawn;

we set off to explore Goblin Valley. It is beautiful and amazing!! Our first attempt at exploring it was foiled three different times by family members needing to go to the bathroom, unfortunately not simultaneously.  (Little boys and pregnant ladies can't plan for these things) So, after trekking up a hill to an outhouse, we would get back to the valley only to have to trek back up again. Meanwhile, those left in the valley were told not to venture far, for fear of losing them or not being able to catch up to each other! When we finally all finished with the trips to the bathroom, a huge wind/sandstorm came up. SOMEHOW, with crying little ones, limited visibility and painful sandblasting-on skin and in eyes- we made it back to the car. Shawn read a book out loud to us as we waited it out and in about half an hour we were able to head back out to explore.

Caden and Maddie:

Me:

l-r: Caden, Isabelle, Nolan, Kami, Abram and Maddie - we found all sorts of caverns and the kids were mountain goats climbing everything in sight:

Isabelle:

The valley is actually made up of tons of formations like these

The "Three Knights" above.

Around lunch time another storm started brewing.  We made it back to camp just as it started to rain...and rain... and rain.  Well, I guess it WAS spring break!! After sitting in our camper eating lunch and reading our book for a couple of hours while it poured rain and got colder and colder, and more and more miserable we decided to drive over to the ranger station and find out the forecast for the next day.  We had hoped to visit Arches State park the next day, but when we found out that it would be more of the same weather, we took a vote, packed up and headed for home. Another time, I guess!

We were well-equipped for a long, late drive home with lots of books on tape.  We listened to all of Maniac McGee, some Agatha Christie mysteries, Louis Lamour, and Sherlock Holmes. We stopped for dinner at IHOP - I don't think I have ever let any of us out of the house looking the way we did...hair uncombed, no make-up (on me and kami), shorts on Isabelle and Abram -even though it was snowing at the time- because all of their pants were either muddy or dirty, and no shoes on the three younger kids because they couldn't resist the red mud when it rained and they were CAKED with it. We were a motley crew indeed.

Whew! Athough it was miserable staying awake late into the night after being on sleep deficits for days, it was so wonderful to arrive home and crawl into our cozy beds and to wake up and get everything put back together before school started again today.  It was nice to cut everything short after all:) Lots of memories, and sometimes when events don't go perfectly those are the best memories to recall and laugh over!!