Home Sweet Home

After more than 4 weeks spent with family and friends in Ogden (Utah, that is) we have made our way south again and it is good to be back, with views like the above to welcome us. My love affair with the red rocks, green brush, and blue sky deepens as the seasons change.

Yesterday's adventure started with a plan to visit a local rock formation. Some kids from town had climbed up the formation and piece by piece assembled a trampoline on the top. On the top of this particular rock is a large pit, the obvious place for a trampoline.

Jenna and I thought that sounded awesome and decided to take the kids out. AFTER we told them our plan we received further information, frightening information about the steep climb and possible loss of life. Cautious, but undeterred, we set forth to see if "the moms" approved or if it was just too dangerous.

It was just too dangerous. After inspecting the site carefully, we decided a higher kid-to-adult-ratio was required and perhaps some rope! (Jenna and I have made plans to attack this later this week with "the dads" in tow - hope they agree!)

Plan B: Geocaching

This was a first for my family but the LaRoses had it down. Using a GPS and coordinates from the Internet, we found small boxes filled with a sheet of paper recording the other visitors to the site and small toys for the kids. When you take a toy, you give a toy back to the box for the next set of searchers. Here, Jenna is explaining the system to the newbies.

We found the first pretty quickly. McKayd has the treasure this time, good thing he shares nicely.

We drove about 15 miles farther to find our next site. Parker and his friends had brought along a water balloon sling shot (I don't ask anymore) and it came in quite handy at shooting small stones into the cliff face.

Parker, Shandon, and McKayd plan their next shot while the moms yell at the other kids to clear the area (honestly, at one point Spence was right next to the cliff face! One questions the longevity of our lives here.)

Whitney got to hold the GPS for a bit and went crashing through the wilderness to the next target, her friend Londyn happily along for the ride.

I had to snap this quick shot of the view from the site. I just love the bright blue sky with cotton-ball clouds. It was a pretty hot day but we came prepared with hats and lots of water. No ER visits included in this escapade.

Do you love how little girls hold hands to play? I do. It just warms the heart to see such open friendship. Maybe we should all start holding hands a little more often. Such a simple gesture that says so much.

The GPS led us up the side of the hill below this formation called "Indian Face" or "Standing Indian" (depends on where you are standing what seems the most apparent, here, just "big tall rock" might seem more apt). The box was hidden in this recess and the kids had to wiggle inside to get it out. I just thought of snakes - Yikes! Good thing I thought of that now!

Spencer found the box first and brought it out for everyone

then dumped out all the treasure. I choose not to see greed in their faces, just enthusiasm.

I even got down to check it all out. The list of other visitors is so fun to read. It varies from locals like us to others from Asia, Europe, and all over the United States. Thanks again to the LaRose family for showing us how things are done around here. Jenna has been setting me straight on things all year and I am practically a local now.

Like I said, home sweet home. Not sure what tomorrow holds in store but I am certain it will be an adventure of one sort or another.