10/18/15 Columbus Day and 27th Anniversary Trip to Brian Head, Utah

Waiting for dinner at restaurant in
Brian Head, Utah

October 18, 2015
Busy week! Monday I had off for Columbus Day but the kids had school and dad had to work. So I had a nice quiet morning and then after everybody came home we had Marlee over for Pizza and pickle ball. She came about 4 p.m. and helped us make the calzones and then when Dad was done working we ate and played bounce off for a little while. Then we went to the Green springs park and played pickleball until about 9 p.m. She stayed and watched the voice until 10 p.m. and then we sent her home and the girls up to bed. We all had a nice time and it was fun to visit with her! Forgot to take pictures again so I'll have to have her back again, haha!

Waiting for dinner at
restaurant in
Brian Head, Utah

The girls stayed busy with the usual piano, church volleyball and YW this week while Dad had early games Wednesday and was super busy with his sports stuff. Holly and I and the Riley girls spent Wednesday evening at the pool - doing laps. I am working on the lazy man iron man with AJ again so I needed to get lots of swimming in. The girls decided to come and do my laps with me. It was fun! We got kickboards and noodles and just kept going lap after lap after lap for about an ho
ur. The pool was pretty empty so we got to run up and slide down the big slides a few times in between some of our laps.

Enjoying pastry at German Bakery in Glendale, Utah

Thursday morning I got the van some new brakes and got ready for our Anniversary trip. The girls spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning at Gma and Gpa Griffin's. I think they had a great time -- they came up to Cedar City with us on Thursday and we ate at Sonny Boys. Then we went and showed the grandparents the lake on the hill and found the temple grounds. They went back home and watched movies, did sewing projects (pillowcase for Holly), went to laser mania, mopped and vacuumed and did yard work. They stayed plenty busy and had lots of fun from all I've heard!

Getting ready to head up the mountain to Brian Head
from Sonny Boy's in Cedar City

Dad and I rode the motorcycle to Brian Head. We had a cute room with a little mini kitchen and movies and games and stuff. They really packed a lot into a little hotel room. We had a lot of fun watching movies and playing games and swimming. Since we were on the motorcycle we didn't have a lot of room for "stuff" -- or extra food. So we planned to eat out. When we went out Thursday evening to find a restaurant there were none outside our hotel! Everything was closed by 7 p.m. Ha. So we went back to our hotel who thank goodness had an overpriced restaurant and we got pizza and nachos. They were good but since it was the only place on the hill serving food and they were short staffed it was SLOW!

Ready to roll!

The weather report kept saying flash flood watch and rain expected Friday night and Saturday. Coming up the mountain was very steep and windey so we really didn't want to come down on slippery roads (not to mention that it's not that cool to get all wet with no rain gear/protection!) So we decided to leave Saturday and not stay the night (which we had already paid for). Oh well. The price we paid for the room for 2 nights was about the same we would have paid anywhere else for one night anyway. Just figured better safe than sorry. Instead we decided to take a long ride and go through Cedar Canyon down to Orderville, Glendale, Carmel junction and back through Zion National Park. It was a beautiful ride on a bike. The leaves were changing and the colors were bright and awesome.

We found a little German Bakery on the way down in Glendale that served very overpriced and delicious sandwiches and goodies. So we split a sandwich and some pastries out on the porch of the restaurant.

At the lake on the hill in Cedar City

We got home and fortunately beat the rain storm so arrived dry! We called and let Gma know we were home (so she wouldn't worry!) but that we were going to continue our weekend as a staycation and please don't come around and we'd still see them as planned Saturday.

Our house is so much more comfy than a hotel anyway! We had great left overs in the fridge that we warmed up and watched BYU game with in our comfy couch! Dad dictated some of his life story (a little project we are working on) and we went for a walk. It was just a nice quiet evening.

Saturday Holly went to best friend's animal sanctuary out in Kanab with the girl scouts and I picked up Katie and did a little shopping and then we went to soccer with dad. Watched Desert HIlls girls win and move on to the next round of finals.

Waiting for the tunnel in Zion National Park

Katie sewed an apron for me -- which is amazing because she actually got the sewing machines to work!!! She has several other projects lined up now that she knows the machines work!

Waiting for the tunnel

And we made cheese stuffed meatballs for Sunday dinner. Then we mowed the lawn and dad made delicious little mini pizza muffins and I made some cream cheese stuffed snickerdoodles.

Fun week! I should skip work more often!

Thought of the week:

"The repetition of small efforts will accomplish more than
the occasional use of great talents."
--Charles H. Spurgeon

Great views while riding!

Looking cool in Zion

I think this is so true. As I get older I can truly see the progress of little efforts. Something that seemed impossible becomes possible and sometimes even easy with continued efforts at trying. It is often easy to get discouraged and not want to try but if you just keep at it you can accomplish great things!

I love you and am so proud of you for working so hard and doing so great. What you are doing is not easy but it will bless your life and the lives of so many others forever.

Can't wait to hear from you! Love you!!!! Mom