Zion here we come...

Monday, July 25, 2011.  We are headed for Zion early in the morning.  Got lunches packed, water in backpacks and all the kids in 2 cars and headed off to Zion for the day.  Everyone was so excited.  It took forever to get there...about 1 hour.  We went through 2 tunnels and honked the horn both times.  The 2nd tunnel was really long, Mark didn't like that one.  The kids loved it! 

Backpacks on and ready for the 1st hike. 

Kacie, Cora, April, Addie, Jake

Clay & Brodie

We are spread out all the way down the trail.  We are headed for Emerald Pools, about a 1/2 mile hike.

Brodie saw the lizzard and caught it.  It bit him when he grabbed it.  I would have screamed and throw it.  But, boys think that is cool.  Cora, April, Addie, Kacie, Clay & Jake.

The amazing scenery...

more...beauty...

This is up by the Emerald Pools.

The rocks are raining from the natural springs in them.  Our little group is behind the water...

A better picture of our group.  MaryAnn took some of them up higher.  Mark & I took those who didn't want to go higher back down.  While we were sitting on the rock waiting for them.  Cora, who is always saying something funny.  Said to me, "We are all going to need to take a shower when we get back."  I said, "really?"  And she said, "yup we stink".  Then smelled her pits.  That girl cracks me up!

We saw a cool roak to sit in for a picture on the way down.  Brodie, April, Cora, Grandma (Cindy)

We also saw these 2 deer on the way down.  Way cool to see wild life right on the trail.

This is at the top of Weeping Rock.  The rock is always raining.  Way cool to see.  It is a short hike up there, but quite steep.  So, the weeping rock feels pretty good.

Grandpa (Mark), Brodie, Addie, Kacie, April, Cora, Clay & Jake

Mark & I, at Weeping Rock...

When you come down from Weeping Rock, you can play in the river for a bit and cool off.  And that is just were everyone went.  They are trying to catch pollywogs. 

And...Kacie got one. 

They must be over by the rocks....they are lined up and ready to catch them.

More fun in the river...

We got them out, and headed back to the bus for the next hike.  The best for last...the river hike.

This little guy was along side the trail.  They are not afraid of humans, one was laying in middle of the trail when we were walking there also.

On the trail again...for the River hike.

I love these red rock mountains!!!

Isn't this beautiful?

Mark on the trail...

We made it to the river.  OH, MY GOSH, did the kids have fun here!  In the center it is pretty deep and they can't touch.  So, at first it was a little scary to get to the rock on the over side.

Brodie on the rock, Jake swimming, Addie, Kacie, April, Cora & MaryAnn

Kacie, Jake, April & Cora

Mark took some amazing pictures!

Me, April, Kacie, MaryAnn, Cora, Addie

Jake it ready to splash and Brodie on the rock

Brodie ready to splash!

Clay just before he hits the water...

Another cool shot of Jake, just before landing...

Another cool shot of Clay going off the rock.  April and Kacie are getting closer to the rock...

Cora was a little upset...she wanted to go over to the rock so bad.  But, Mommy would not let her.

Grandpa was splashing water on MaryAnn and Addie...

Another action shot of Jake...how cool is that?

Addie and Kacie made it to the rock.  And there goes Addie...she is a brave little girl!

Kacie is taking the plung...

And there she goes again....Addie and April are waiting there turn.

Another cool action shot of Jake.

this is a cool action shot of Addie...she is so cute!

April's turn to jump!

Then we decided to get the kids out of the water and head back to the truck.  We still had to drive home that day.  They had a ton of fun in the river and on the hikes!  And we had a ton of fun watching them, and being with them for the weekend.

On the way back to the truck, Cora and I walked together.  I tell you that girl was a trooper, she walked by her self 99.9% of the time.  A few times her mommy picked her up for a few minutes.  Then she would walk again.  On the way back, she said, "I wish we had a stroller that folded up, so I could ride in it."  We stopped a few times on the way back for her to get a drink of water and sit down on the side of the trail and rest.  It was fun walking back with her.

Our picnic at the end of the day.  We aren't even by our trucks, they were in the sun.  So, we sat on the road and ate our lunch.  We were all starving and very tired from the fun day we had.  We had a great person taking amazing pictures for us.  Thanks Mark!  I love you lots!

We packed up, said our good-bye's and headed for home.  What a fun weekend!