Hiking Ballroom Cave March 2011

No, I did not get the date wrong.  This was last year.

A year ago, Joe and Carol invited us to join them on a family hike.  We got together with James and Becky and family, and Sherrie and family, Kathryn and her kids, and Danny and Kristy.  Danny was about to be deployed to Afghanistan, Kathryn was getting married and moving to Flagstaff, and although we didn't know it then, James and Becky would be moving to Alaska in a few months.  It was a wonderful opportunity for all of us to spend some time together.  Some of us have hiked to Ballroom Cave before.  But it was much different then.  You will notice several large boulders, since the cave collapsed some years ago.  The ruins are still very interesting, of course.  We had a great time exploring. 

working our way up

lovely Livvy

silly Steven

Brittany smiles

It looks like Joe is pointing something out, but I couldn't tell you what it was

down in the remnants of the cave

Cole was busy carving (had me freaked out when we were hiking in treacherous terrain and he had a knife out, not to mention the fact that we weren't doing a very good job of "leaving no trace")

the sign says to stay out of the interior ruins; some of us were tempted, but we stayed out

Logan and Hunter find some more ruins

Tyler poses

Garrett, Brittany, Rachel, Oaklee, Calee, and Ashlee through the window

Ashlee and Rachel are close cousins; they were due on the same day, but Ashlee was born about a month early and Rachel came a week late

I love this pic; Becky is such a fun aunt!

this picture can't give you a full understanding of how steep the sand was that we were climbing down

maybe this one can?

Cole carving

Danny and Kristy

Alex and Jason (James in the background) snack break

posing for a pic

the whole crew, minus Danny and Kristy and I think Kathryn took the picture for us this time

being silly (and Cole saying "I don't know these people, and I am certainly not related to any of them")

We love having an awesome extended family.  We love that all of us get along.  We love all the good times we have together, whether it is inside or outside.  We live in a place surrounded by wonder.  Although I hear Alaska and Flagstaff can be pretty wonderful.  Afghanistan, not so much, but YAY for Danny getting to come home early!  And even though Josh and Sherrie live in St. George, we love that we got to see them more while Josh was helping with the construction of the LDS Stake Center in Monticello.  We love all of our family, wherever they are.

I hope you don't mind my catch up posts.  I have a lot of them coming.