Postcards from Southern Utah...

The kiddos had spring break last week - which means, we hit the road for a little family togetherness.

You know what I love most about mini-cations with my crew?  The memories.  They talk about the highlights from these little adventures we take together ALL the time.  They love the little parts like "Stopping at the gas station to get a 'Ginger' drink", all the way to the silly parts like, "When Ace had to sleep in the bath tub because he was coughing so loud", to the reverent parts, "When we hiked to the top of that big mountain and saw all the world below us."

On our trips we throw out the day-to-day schedule a bit.  We ignore hygiene a little.  We put aside rules and bed times. We laugh and swim and hang out a lot.  I don't nag them to hurry nearly as often and there is an aura of happiness and lightness in each of us that helps everyone get along and enjoy.  We say yes more than no.  We have few outside distractions and to-do lists and carpools are non-existent.  It's more than the sun and the water, it's the feeling of closeness - both physical and emotional - that makes me love these times.  It's a break from me .vs. them and we are all better for it.  

Family trips are one of our things - they aren't big or flashy - but they're ours and the memories we make together last a lifetime as they are already showing us.

Ace was convinced a giant craw-dad was nibbling on his hot dog.  :)

We visited our Wayne the Wonderful this past week and then spent some time in Moab.  We had one helluva night in a hotel room in Moab where Ace whaled his way to day light with an earache.  We tried out our new razor and our daring Daddy-o taught the boys about "spinning donuts".  We hiked through our favorite geographical feature... red rock.  We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for dinner twice.  We toted our three-month-old baby Boone bear along to see some of our favorite spots.   The boys were pirates then pilots then power rangers all in one afternoon.  :)

Please, oh please, let them recreate this picture when they are in their twenties!

It was nothing and everything all in the same breath.

You'll have to forgive me, I get very excited about time spent with my boys.  My heart can barely believe this little crew is all mine and these adventures are ours for the taking.

Thanks again, southern Utah.

We'll be creating many more postcards with you in the coming months.