Hangin' Out in Utah

Parker & I spent 10 days in Utah- the longest stretch of time
since we moved in 2001. It was kind of momentous.

To celebrate, Dad made homemade Butterfinger and root beer ice creams
with the old ice cream maker. I think the thing is something like 50 years old.
Maybe it was discovered when Utah was settled. I don't know.

Parker at the Utah Planetarium, exploring Mars.

A lesson in car repairs...which Parker doesn't seem too convinced of.

At long last, Parker got to ride in one of those motorized jeeps.
Every kid in America always wants one of these things,
and most parents roll their eyes when they see them going for $100 at the store.
Addie's jeep came from the thrift store, lucky girl.
I think Parker bent his legs in half and just ignored the pain so he could fit inside!

As if it wasn't cool enough to watch a movie at the Planetarium,
they also gave us these awesome and extremely flattering sunglasses.

Dynamic trio: Addie, Parker & me!

One night just us siblings went out to dinner. It was a blast!
We couldn't stop laughing the whole time.
We can't wait to do it again, when the other 2 brothers can join us.

This was the night where Candace bowled in slow motion
with a 6 pound ball the entire night and yet she beat ALL of us.

The kids chillin' at the aquarium....

Did you know Nemo's dad lives there?

Also spent some time at the man-made beach in Herriman.
This is the day my freckles came out- the ones I hadn't seen in years.
Or maybe Candace's freckles are just contagious.

Chefs Addie & Parker, at your service.

Attempts at a sibling picture....eventually we got a normal one.
But obviously it was not as interesting as this one.

Parker & Grandpa after one of their rides
into the sunset on the motorcycle.

We are FAM-I-LEE....

Parker & I finally made it to a Williams' family reunion!
Just feast your eyes on all these relatives!
2 are in utero, and I think about half a dozen
couldn't make it for one reason or another....Our four families rented cabins on Fish Lake,
high in the mountains of southern Utah.

We weren't exactly "roughing" it...The cabins were fully furnished and featured a large kitchen,
huge deck facing the lake, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and cable.
A must for the HGTV aficionados in our family.

If you squint, maybe you can imagine Scott (in CA) and Jeremy (in VA) in this picture.
(Photoshop magic is forthcoming!)

There was a whole lotta fishing and a whole lotta talk about fish,
but I only saw two of them the 3 days I was there:This crusty one my sister kept throwing rocks at, to see if it was "hard" or "squishy."

And this one. My uncle Dave caught the only note-worthy specimen.
Fortunately, we did NOT have that for dinner!
(Although one of the pregnant cousins did.
I'll have to attribute the consumption of something
that disgusting to hormonal fluctuations.)

Me, cousin Alyssa, and baby (well, she used to be!) sister Candace.

(The whitest leg is mine.)

I don't even know how many chairs that is.
It's where we sat and ate the dinner grub together
and played games during the last night.
(It was also where the highest concentration of mosquitoes could be found.)
We missed having Grandma & Grandpa there with us,
but Grandpa was still recuperating in the hospital.
I would have loved to hear Grandma's quiet voice
singing into the darkness: "I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills....."

Arizona!

After more than a decade,
I finally made a trip back to my birthplace: Arizona!

First stop: Grandma's house in Sierra Vista
(about 90 minutes southeast of Tucson).

We arrived during monsoon season (my favorite!)
and the flowers were exploding with color.

Every afternoon, the clouds rolled in
for the the daily downpour.

We saw a rainbow (or double rainbow) each of the 3 days we spent there.

Ahhh! There's nothing like an Arizona sunset.

Bisbee, AZ: Queen Mine copper mine

The mine was active up until the 1970s.

That's right...it was 50 degrees underground.
On a hot July day in the middle of the desert.

Mining gear required for the excursion

Tombstone, AZ: the town too tough to die.

When they talk about the wild, wild west,
this is the place they're talkin' 'bout.

Huachuca City, AZ: We also visited Kartchner Caverns,
a GORGEOUS cavern where we couldn't take any pictures :(

The surrounding state park shots will have to suffice...

Thomson Draw, AZ: At long last, Grandma's cabin-
a place synonymous with happy childhood memories!
It was so good to be back!

The all-terrain pickup was new, though.

Grandma actually taught Parker
how to operate it himself (BRAVE WOMAN.)

Payson, AZ: Parker is posing on the very same wall
where I also had my picture taken as a 10 year old.
This was my last home in Arizona before moving to Utah.

The view from the Mogollon Rim- 9,000 ft above sea level. Whew!

One last stop: the fish hatchery outside Payson.

These large containers are filled with thrashing trout and bass.