After a long week of busy-ness, it was high time for some unstructured exploring. They choose the waterfall every time and I don't mind one bit. Friends joined in the spontaneity, and in the end they didn't want to leave. As one of the mom's who joined us said, "they could stay up here all day".
I enjoyed watching baby Jofus explore for the first time on his own. Sadie made dinner for the fairies, and the boys were dirty and rowdy and happy. Grateful for the beauty that we have so close and the willingness of my littles to explore it again and again!
One of the reasons we moved to AZ was so we could take advantage of the relative closeness of family. 13 hours may not seem close, but it's a lot better than 25. So when your family is willing to meet you part way and cut your drive by 4 hours you jump at the chance. After a quick stop in St George, we headed up Cedar Mountain to stay at Hulet's cabin. One of my all time favorite places!!
I've been going to this cabin every simmer since I was about 10. The Hulet's are dear family friends and their mountain home holds a special place in my heart. This summer was especially rewarding for me because I got to see Ben at the same age I was when I began coming to the mountain. He was in heaven and did a bit of growing up this weekend. He did some real hunting, drove a four-wheeler, and showed some responsibility on the road with his siblings. My mom heart was happy.
It was exhausting, especially without Dean, but the chance to spend time with family and friends outweighed the drive. There are plans in the works for a "next time", possibly even a trip where everyone comes South and we show them our neck of the woods. However it happens, we just hope "next time" happens soon!
