Our darling kids at Snow Canyon
Above, kids at Upper Galoot. Below, us at the Pioneer Names in Snow Canyon
I can't tell you how much I needed this vacation! We headed to St. George for our Spring Break. The kids and I (and Max) left right after I taught a piano lesson on Monday....so around noon. Then, we made a stop and had lunch with Daddy before logging some serious road time.
The drive down wasn't stress free. We were racing to get down there before a big old storm hit. This same storm Mike texted me about that night that had dumped at least 6 inches in just a few hours.
In between Fillmore and Beaver, we ran into a dust devil that made the car shift about 10 feet! The sagebrush was blowing across the road from the left, but the dust was blowing across the road from the right! Freaky! At least it was small enough that by the time I corrected the car, we were out of the devil. The kids thought it was fun!
We hit really bad rain between Cedar and St. George and I was so white-knuckling it for that last hour. We were so glad to arrive in beautiful St. Gorgeous! A quick trip to the store and to Pizza Factory to pick up dinner and our vacation had begun!
(This is the greatest swing at a rockin' park! The kids loved it!)Tuesday, we did bigger grocery shopping and visited Aunt Kay and Uncle Bud! We just love them so much. They are the kind of people that make you feel welcome and comfortable and loved. We heard of Bud's new adventure to the top of the rock behind their house to post a new flag (they back up to Tuachan, so the rock is ginormous). We did some shopping to basically get Amanda some new shorts, but everyone walked out of the store with something. We spent the evening watching 'Loser' and 'Idol' without a thought about what time anyone should go to bed! Love it!
Wednesday, our friends headed out to come join us! While we waited for them, we hooked up with more of our friends (our whole neighborhood was down there), Amanda's bff, Maddy, and went to a movie with all of them. The troops arrived around dinnertime and we had a good time having spaghetti and then going to a park
and then chatting until around 11pm, when we figured the kids needed to go to bed!
and then chatting until around 11pm, when we figured the kids needed to go to bed!Thursday, Nicole and I took the kids to Snow Canyon.
Taylor was the only one to hike clear up to the pioneer names! 
Then, we played on the petrified sand dune. Spencer, Taylor and Brandon ran up and down that thing more times than I could count. 
Then, we had some lunch and went to the sand dunes where we buried everyone! Really fun day! Then, we ran home because all the Daddy's were coming that afternoon! Friday, a trip to the swimming pool and the park again (it was a great park!). Saturday, the boys golfed (brought home a lizard which the kids spent hours with), the girls shopped and then we went to Pirate Island pizza for dinner and then a little sushi run later! Sunday morning, sausage-egg mc muffins and a lot of cleaning! Emily & Nicole left about 2 pm, their hubby's and we stayed to watch the Master's and then took off. I dreaded coming home. I was really enjoying the relaxtion that St. George had to offer! But, I guess we have to get back to normal life.....
Sydney during the hunt. She was nervous because it was her first year in the big kid's group. She's not one to throw elbows during the rush. She did great, though!
Amanda during the hunt! Liz & Brinley in the background.
Here's Amanda's haul. It's she and her friends last year as they turn 12 before the next hunt! 
Mike was out of town, so he promised her for every goal she made, he would pay her $20! Enough motivation for her....she made two!
