Our Latest Adventure.........Boulder Mtn and Escalante

Pat overlooking the North part of Escalante National Park.

Last Thursday Pat and I were able to go have a few days together without the kids. Pat has been working so hard and we both really needed a break. Pat found a cute cabin down near Boulder UT that was the same price as a hotel. We arrived late Thursday night and woke up Friday to a beautiful summer day. We ate breakfast at the lodge, and then headed out to find a good lake to hike to, and fish. After inquiring and getting a map, we picked our trek. We drove to the trail, and hiked in about 1 mile. No luck, the lake was dry!! We then hiked back the other way past the truck, and another 3 miles to 2 more lakes. One was almost dry and the other ended up being really marshy. We had our waders, so we put them on and fished for a few. More bad luck--the fish would not take anything. We could see these massive schools of them but they were not eating. The fish were very large too. We think they were spawning. The mud in the lake was so thick and sticky it was hard to walk in, you would sink deep every step. At one point Pat yelled at me that he was sinking and could not get out, I looked over at him to see him sink about a foot in a few seconds. I was about 10 feet away so I hurried over, as much as I could in the lake and mud, and pulled him out. The water had been thigh high but when I got to him it was almost at his chest. That scared me so I got out. I didn't want to experience that. He trudged on a little while longer and then after a few we started the 3mile hike back to the truck. While we were at the lakes we used our water purifier and pulled the water out of the lake into our water bottles to drink. It's made for hiking and backpackers, but I had a hard time trusting it. I did drink the water though, because it got hot and I needed it. I was surprised that it tasted good and then it was easier to drink after that, but it was always in the back of my head that I was drinking lake water. We hurried back to the cabin, showered and then went out to dinner. When we got back we watched a movie on the laptop and then went to bed. We had another day of hiking ahead of us.

On our way to Lower Calf Creek Falls. The canyon in the background is the one we will soon hike up 3 miles to the falls.

The next morning we ate in our cabin, packed up, checked out, and then headed out to Lower Calf Creek Falls in Escalante National Park. We started that hike a little before 10am. We arrived at the Falls around 11:10. It was also a 3 mile hike in. It was so worth it though. I was so excited to go there. It has been on my list of things I really want to do. I was so excited that I was going to get to cross it off!! I never get to cross any of them off, so I was overly excited. Anyways, it was so beautiful. The water fall is 196 feet high and falls into this clear pool at the bottom. We swam in it even though it was FREEZING!! I haven't been in water that cold since I was a teenager and swam through a lake right when the ice was off. It was really refreshing, its in the middle of a desert and very hot there. There were about 25 other people there. We spent an hour playing in it, and after the hike out, we headed home.

The falls were so beautiful.


Me swimming in the COLD water of the falls. There were fish that would swim right up to your toes. A little freaky....

It was such a great trip over all. We really enjoyed each others company and talked and laughed our heads off. He really is my best friend, I love being with him so much!!

Its nice to be home..............I think

We are home! After 2 weeks of being gone, it feels good. But at the same time, I really miss being at my Mom's. I need her to move closer I think. Pat came down with his brother Steve and family on Thursday. Adam and Denise came too, but they drove separately. Friday we got up and drove 3 hours to Capinteria State beach, checked into our hotel, and then went and played on the sand and in the water the rest of the afternoon. It was a little chilly, but still fun. The next morning we decided not to stay because Steve's little boys had come down with colds, and they did not want them getting in the cold ocean. So we made the 3 hour drive back to my Mom's, and went over to my good friend Joni's pool and swam in the 95 degree weather. It was so nice and warm, and the pool was warmer too. Not the beach weekend I was hoping for, but oh well. We drove home Sunday.

We passed a burning SUV as we were coming into State Line. There were 2 cop cars sitting behind it. It seemed so dangerous to me, and I was surprised that they did not block off the lane right next to it either. You could drive right next to it if you wanted too.

This is on the way to Carpinteria. Autumn was able to ride with us almost everywhere we went. The girls love being together.

In the Motel 6 that we stayed at. They have remodeled the rooms since I last stayed there in July last year. It was nice and modern. The girls have a good time together, most the time.


Today, my brother Rob came over for a few and brought his kids to play with mine. I turned on the sprinklers and they played outside together. They were so cute. I screwed a sprinkler head to the top of our playhouse over our slide, so when we hook the hose to it, it makes a water slide. Rob's youngest son, Walker, loved it. He is 3 years old and he kept going on it even though it would shoot him off about 3 feet into the grass and then he would slide another 3 feet. It was so funny watching him.

It was fun to see them and hopefully we can see them again this summer when they come out from Cincinnati.

Crescent Bay Beach Fun

Tuesday we went to the beach with my brother Danny and his family. He wanted to take us to his favorite one. It is in Laguna, but it is called Crescent Bay Beach. It was so beautiful and dreamy. It has cliffs right behind it with big beach homes, and rocks jutting out into the water on either end of it. Its really neat. Here are some pics but they don't do it justice.

You can see the rocks on the ends. They have all sorts of sea critters in them. When the tide is out you can hike them and find lots of fun things to look at.

Here is another pic of it. It was so beautiful. It is kind of hidden too.


Here is a pic of my sis Melody with our kids. Danny and James are out in the water with the boogy boards. I was enjoying the view from my beach chair in the warm sun.

I just love the beach!! I think I will have to live on one someday to make my life complete. I am excited for this weekend. We will be going to Carpinteria State beach for the weekend with Pat and his brothers, and their families. They come here tomorrow, and I'm so excited to see Pat, its been 2 weeks almost.

In other news: My mom continues to get better each day and is doing really well. She has her next surgery on the 20th. I might have to come back again for her ---and the beach :)

This is what the kids have been doing on normal days when we can't go to the beach. One day they spent 5 1/2 hours out there. Thanks to Grandpa (my Dad) for getting it for them.