First Day in Zion!

So, its just a fact of humanity. Moms don't get to sleep in at home, and they don't get to sleep in on vacations. It's a tough reality to face, but there it is. However, that "downer" actually becomes a blessing when you get up early, and then have the chance to snap photos like this....

Our first day in Zion started off just the way we hoped, with our family!

Ok, this baby is delicious. Forget breakfast.

Well...Grandma did do a birthday pancake bar just for Cleve's birthday, so, yeah...I'm going to take that thing about not wanting breakfast back......

The birthday boy! 4 years old!
And despite this tasty photo op, an imminent present arrival
right after this photo meant this yummy plate of food never got eaten.

In my family, a birthday without balloons is no birthday at all. So, here they be!

Katie Rose and I made cakes in the dutch oven!

YUMMO!

We were also celebrating Bree's 5th birthday
(she turned five on the 18th)

As luck would have it, I forgot candles! Luckily, the close by store had candles, but only the magic ones that relight! So, it turned out to be a good thing that I made the third cake, because Cleve, in order to get those candles extinguished, resorted to spitting them out. What did we do with the gorgeous, spitty cake? We generously gave it to the boy scouts in the camp across from us : )
(Look at Kyle behind Cleve, "blowing" out those candle right along with his brother!)

Happy Birthday my gorgeous sweet boy!
We love you so much!

Zion Part Two

All riiiiiggght, first hike of the trip!
Zion has an awesome bus system, fun, free, beautiful!
No seat belts, so its kid friendly too!

Katie Rose, you are seriously gorgeous.
I miss you so much already!

You know, this kid has it made on hiking trips.
A comfy seat, shade, and he can even catch a few zzzs!

Kurt always likes to "help" Grandma when we are hiking

The scenery here is so beautiful, it feeds you. Each hike should come with a calorie guide. This was the Emerald Pools hike - 250 calories, 250 fat calories.

Hey sis!

So. when is it MY turn, I ask?

Ma and Pa Segalla

Man, in the un - photographable heat of this trip, this water coming down was like Heavenly Father hitting us with his merciful spray bottle.

Ok, so HOW cute is THIS!!!!!!
I wanted to buy it so bad, but Joe wasn't around to ask if I could spend a ridiculous amount of money on a baby park ranger costume, so I didn't.
Later when he saw the picture, he said, "Why didn't you buy this?"
Seriously, I might go back to Zion this year just so I can rectify that mistake.

The end of the hike is always the best.
We didn't summit a crazy peak or anything, but we got to sprawl lazily on a gorgeous green lawn in the shade and munch on junk food while being together. Seriously just as great!

And Joe is always the main attraction for my boys.

"Yeah, I know I'm the greatest Dad that ever existed" (You really are)

Arrrggghhh! So, when we got back to camp, the squirrels had landed! If you had to choose to face a Zion squirrel or Chuckie, Id recommend Chuckie. These squirrels are ruthless. They will chew THROUGH your tents to get to your food! A lesson we learned this year. Just like us, they went straight for the chocolate! Mmmmmm....chocolate... :)

Right about now, we are all thinking, "Aw man, only one more day!"

Zion Part Three

Our last day in Zion started out with another hike,
Can i get a whoop whoop?
Hiking rocks, baby!

Kyle had finally had enough of riding the tram in a backpack.

Laughing boy en route to Weeping Rock

This scenery is clogging my arteries

Disneyland.....grocery stores...the park.....Zion...
...rails are made for climbing, baby!

Awww.....cousins are so much fun

I asked Kurt to give me a great looking camera mug, he obliged and stuck his finger up his nose and would not take it out, no matter how many threats I gave. Finally, I gave up and so I say, isn't the scenery behind them awesome?

Seriously folks, get high on nature, won't ya?

The ONLY family picture of the trip with me in it NOT looking like
"someone ate Melanie!"

Buses are awesome

So are toothy (or toothless) grins

When we got back to camp later that day, it was sweltering. I could feel my ears sweating. Kids being the resourceful geniuses they are, the chitlins came up with the idea to make use of the spigot, with no inspiration whatsoever from the adults. Suddenly Zion became home to a water park.
Are these kids ready for a think tank yet? I think so!

We had filled the cooler up for Kyle, but someone else rather enjoyed the mini spa.

Sigh, and that was the last day. So long Zion, we will miss you!

When we got home, Cleve had one more thing waiting for him. Real tools, that just happened to be mini! Real gloves, real metal mini hammer, it is such an awesome set. Joe looked high and low until he found these.

As Grandma sings to the kids, the party is ooover, its time to caaaall it a daaaaay, Now, back to work!
(Incidentally, at the canning the next day, a
lady in our ward stepped on this very nail
and it went like, an inch into her foot! Sorry Sister Tahauri!
But the nail was fine, good work Cleve!

The "After Party"

So, as with all cool events, such as our camping trip, there was of course, an "after party." Symbolizing the fact that we were finally able to take showers after our trip to Zion, we had a pool party!

The sisters -in- law. Pretty nifty crew, I say.

Megan the adorable.

Kenziekins the beloved.

Sara the sweetie.
These are just three of my 5 gorgeous nieces!

While the pool was fun for a few, the real club scene was in the spa!
Can't beat warm water filled with non-potty trained babies!

Well, this was an unplanned moment.
I caught Joe in the process of simultaneously diving to redirect a
pool floundering Kurt, and also kicking the heck out of the spa folk!

Moments after rescuing the child, Joe reinstilled his sense of security.

My kid is a tank, look at that splash!!

Pretty awesome day!