Brian Head with Morris Fam - July 4th '12

With Logan's birth, I have totally gotten off on my blogging but I am making a priority now and so with that comes by backtracking a bit...

We went to Brian Head this summer over the 4th of July with the Morris crew.  It was so much fun and we were lucky enough to have EVERYONE in the family be able to go.  We all stayed in a home together and got to play games at night with just the adults like in the "days before kids" and do so many fun things with the kids too!

 

 The morning of the 4th, we all went out for a nature hike and grandma was able to find all the grand kids "walking sticks" to take with them.

*My kiddos, grandma and cousin Hayden*

 Eating some lunch with the cousins  - I love this one of Jax and Hayden talking - so sweet!

 Family 4th of July photo

 That afternoon, grandma Ranger found a weird looking beetle and all the kids were fascinated by it!

Thanks for being so willing to hold icky bugs grandpa!

 The night of the 4th, we all went down to the "city" and watched fireworks together. Before the show began, the kids played at a little park - they loved going down this together - so fun!  I cannot believe how strong my little ones are to hold on to these things!

 Andrew and Kisty ready for the show to start - not sure where Ethan was???

 Jon, Erin and cousin Cole

 Uncle Marc, Jax, Austin, Rio and daddy playin' phone games while waiting

 So happy to take this pic right Austin?  It was a little late after the fireworks :)

 The next day, we went on an awesome drive through beautiful southern Utah and stopped at this lookout point - we live in a beautiful place!

 We then stopped at Navajo Lake to enjoy the warm water... not so much... this lake is COLD!!  But the kids didn't care at all.  They started off throwing rocks in the water and then...

 ...played with their water blasters in the water with their swimsuits on but still had jackets and then...

 ...the jackets came off and into the water they went!  Thanks grandma, daddy and Marc for enduring the cold as well

 All my kids love the water but Rio loves it the most!  She didn't care how cold the water was, she was going to swim all by herself with her "floaty" - Uncle Marc helped her out

 Cousins Tyler and Hayden joined in the fun too

 The water fun didn't last too long so onto the rocky beach they went, towels and all!

*Austin and Jax in front, Tyler, Brinlee & Hayden in back with Uncle Mike, Uncle Jon, Aunt Erin and cousin Cole behind*

 We stopped to eat some lunch in the back of the car since it was so cold to sit all the way outside :)

 Next, we went onto a hike to Cascade Falls.  Austin and I stayed back and didn't get to join everyone - he had fallen asleep in the car and well...I was 7 months pregnant and didn't think a hike would be the best choice to make :)

Cute Rio posing for the camera with her walking stick - Spence said the kids did so great and walked the entire time! Such troopers they are!

 Uncle Andrew, Aunt Kisty and cousin "Efan" (Ethan)

 Uncle Marc and Jax at the lookout for the falls

 Tyler, Rio, Jax and Brinlee looking at the waterfall

 Beautiful...

 More Beautiful...

 Most Beautiful!  My sweet family

Jax looks a wee bit tired, don't you think??

 Our next stop was the "Ice Caves"

Austin had woken up by now and so I took him to the caves but couldn't climb down into them so daddy and Marc went with him.  He loved it and thought it was so cool that he was the only one who got to go since by now Jax and Rio had fallen asleep in the car

 Thanks Aunt Erin for your help across the icy ground

 That evening before dinner, our creative and fun grandma made a scavenger hunt for the kids to go on so Aunt Kristin was reading the kids their first clue

 Austin had just found his clue and they were headed to the next stop...

 I was reading Rio her clue, she was so into the hunt :)

 Cousin Brinlee got to the prize first!  They all found their treasure behind this tree and were so excited!

Thanks grandma for our treasure - Fruit snacks!!!  The best treasure of all :)

*What a great family va-ca we had!  So great to spend time with our family this summer in such a beautiful place*