Trip to Tuacahn

A little vacation time was desperately need for my mom and I. And so we took it. You know it is a going to be an awesome trip when you see a zebra at your rest stop... not kidding, a zebra. And an ostrich and emu... who knew you could find those in the middle of Utah? Don't believe me? Proof.

I did not know how tall those birds are! Pretty fascinating!

If only that were the only wild life we saw on this adventure of ours...

Mom got us tickets to see the plays at Tuacahn this year. Disney's Aladdin and Hairspray. Aladdin was the first night we arrived. We settled in, did a little shopping, ate at the Brick Oven (an all time favorite) and made our way into the sunset toward the outdoor theater. If you have never been to a play at the Tuacahn, you are missing an awesome experience. Outdoors opens up a variety of things you just cannot do in an indoor theater. They always put on a fabulous show! These were no exception! We did decide that October is the time to go too... the crowd is... older less rowdy, the temperature warm but not too hot, and it was fun to get away from the busy life back home for a few days.

I loved the 3 narrators in Aladdin. They kept the comedy subtle (sometimes) and the music was pretty fun. I even got a picture with the leading cast.

A crowd in the parking lot drew our attention as the dad fiddled with something in the gutter... with a stick... My first thought was "lizard" until I saw the legs... I had to zoom in for this one... more wild life.

Just looking at that picture make me squirm. And he was angry too. He stood very still with that backside in the air... eww... I'm just glad the other people found it before it walked by mom and I. We would not have been so calm about it...

We spent the next day shopping, and relaxing. I want to send a very special thanks out to our friends that let us stay at their pleasant little house while we were there! It was a lot of fun to to have a "home" for a few days. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

Hairspray was a blast! I may have liked it more than Aladdin (the jury is still out on that one...). The music is so fun, the cast was amazing, and the old commercials during intermission were amazing. I laughed so hard I was crying at one point, and I had the songs stuck in my head for the rest of the trip. No spiders after this play, though we walked into the parking lot with caution...

We didn't linger in St. George the next day. Mom wasn't going to keep me from my 3rd anniversary. Thank you, Mom for an awesome get-away. I can't wait until next year!

P.S. For those of you worried about my son, let your minds be at ease. He spent the week with his other grandparents... and I am pretty sure they spoiled him rotten. I don't think he even missed me... I am happy to have him back though. Thank you to Mom and Dad LeBaron for graciously taking him. It was a lot more stress-free knowing he was with you!

Ba {ll}

As he points to those magical spheres he excitedly exclaims "Ba-ow." Translation: Ball. It is our first word and I couldn't be more thrilled. Our little man is learning so much and is growing so fast. He will fold his arms (for about 2 seconds) when we say "we are going to say a prayer now" and when we are finished he will add his own "May-mem." Translation: Amen.

He loves to read his books, roll cars around the house, and help with the laundry and dishes. He is a good eater, though he only eats it if it looks the same as our food. He loves to walk, run, and go backwards and recently he started leading us by the hand.

 He is a water baby. We took him swimming at the hotel swimming pool and when he saw his flotation device, he couldn't wait to go down. He carried it all the way to the pool from the 6th floor! If we offered to take it for him (or even touch it for that matter) he would give us the "look" and pull it away. He is very helpful for sure.

The "look"

Oh the simple joys of a mother's life!

Life is Good.

There is so much to be happy about. There is so much beauty in the world. I find it tempting to focus on the horrible things happening around us. The charred mountainside and smoky air. It can be difficult at times to keep an eye open to the positive. That is one reason I admire my husband so much. He always has a keen sense of the "silver lining."

But I have been reminded... again... of the beauty that this world has for us. The sun shinning through the window, the bird's serenade in the cool of the morning. A slight mountain breeze teasing my curls gently as I chase my darling little boy. Fresh air this weekend. Quiet, natural beauty.

Life is Good. What more can I say?

90 Years for Grandma S.

This is a special year for my family. Both of my Grandmothers are turning 90 years old this year. My Grandma S. actually turned 90 on my birthday (special, right?!) this year. She is an incredible woman. The extended family got together for a reunion-type party at the old family ranch to celebrate this monumental milestone for her. It was fun to see the cousins that I have not seen in at least 5 years. My husband was also able to meet most of them for the first time. Thanks to my aunt and uncle who hosted and organized the event!

I also got to see my brother (who is away for the summer working) again. I miss seeing him as regularly as I am used to. He seems to be doing well and having a great experience waiting at a "resort" near Zion's National Park.

There's something about Kanab that seems to make the stress of life and reality disappear for the weekend visit. The small town pace is slower and nice to experience every once in a while. My brother also treated my husband and I to Disney Pixar's Brave. (yes, opening weekend for $5 per ticket) We enjoyed the movie, but almost as exciting was the wall of family pictures in the theater's lobby.

The local theater is built where my great-grandma's house used to be. In fact, they used the bricks from the old house on the outside of the theater, and the window frames from the house are throughout the theater. The one wall has pictures of my great-grandma and great-grandpa and their children (yes, my 90-year-old grandma as a little girl). We also found a book with their personal histories in it. So naturally, we asked the managers (and hope to get a hold of the owner) to possibly get a copy of the text to compare with the ones that we have already.

Awe, the giant bear at Denny's Wigwam

New teeth = fun to eat corn on the cob

The well water was COLD, but these boys didn't seem to mind...

Our first "happy meal"

It was an exhausting weekend.

Happy Birthday to you, Grandma!

A week in Washington (D.C.)

My in-laws gave us a wonderful Christmas gift. Complimentary airfare to anywhere in the country for a little family vaca. As we discussed where we wanted to go, it was suggested that Dad was going to D.C. for a conference and they wouldn't mind if we came along. So, we left Brayden with my parents and hopped on the plane for a week of fun in the nation's capitol! :) (My mom did offer to watch Brayden...)

After our oh-so-exciting experience with Delta last time (if you haven't heard our honeymoon story... you should sometime...) I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of flying with them again. Dad fixed that by getting an upgrade ticket to first class and he gave it to me! (so kind!) I told Bryce I would switch him when the pilot turned off the seatbelt sign... which he didn't... *smile* (I paid him... *wink*) It was quite an experience...

We landed around 3:00 EST so we had some time to see a few sights, get a little east coast clam chowder, and snap a few pictures of the monuments at night! What a pretty sight! (p.s. I LOVE my new camera!)

On the way back from our tour of the warm memorials we took a short cut through a field. Little did we know the other side of the field was completely fenced off by a 7 foot chianlink... What other option did we have? That's right, we all (yes all four of us) climbed over the fence. The only thing between us and our hotel was finding the metro station... which disappeared. Funny enough we walked right by it at least twice... we finally figured it out with 2 minutes until the entrance closed. phew! That is the way you start a vacation! 

When I was asked where I wanted to go, the first thing I wanted to do was the International Spy Museum. It is a blast! They instruct you in the skills of espianoge, give you a "cover" (that you must memorize and remember throughout the exhibit because there's a test at the end), and let you explore exhibits covering everything from disguise to famous people you didn't know were spies. There was even an air duct that you could climb through, you had to be very quiet. You can't help but feel a little paranoid after going though... The rest of the week we would pass someone on the street and Bryce would say "he's a spy..." Naturally, no photos allowed...

We also took a tour of the capitol building with an intern from Senator Hatch's office. It really is a facinating building and it is fun to see where laws are made and passed.

The underside of the rotunda

The original Senate room

Day 3 took us to Gettysburg (my other suggestion). We bought ourselves an audio tour and book (so if anyone plans to go, give me a call! I have it!) and after we went through the visitors center and museum we took it to the field! It was a lot of fun to share one of my favorite places with my new family.

The cemetery where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address.

On Sunday we found a ward that meets in one of the oldest chapel buildings in the country. They even had a little frame with original wood from the Smith cabin on the wall! They were such a wonderful friendly ward. We then toured Mount Vernon. This is seriously one of my favorite places in the world. (Monticello is up there too...) It is so beautiful and peaceful and George Washington is truly an American icon, hero, and all-around good man. As my dad put it "Him and Bilbo Baggins... the only two men to willingly give up power..." Well said. :)

Mount Vernon

The rest of the week we spent at the Smithsonian museums and other sites. We saw pretty much everything...

Natural History Museum

Dorothy's Slippers in the American History Museum

Arlington National Cemetery

On Wednesday we got tickets to see 1776 in Ford's Theater! It was a highlight of the week! We had balcony seats that looked straight across to President Lincoln's chair. The play was fantastic too! I am so glad we were able to go!

Sketch of the assassination

Lincoln was sitting there...

The stage!!!

Brayden sent us pictures all week updating us on how he was doing and what he was up to. It was good for me (I missed him a lot!) and, lets face it he's just darn cute!

Dear Mom and Dad, Stay Hydrated!

Dear Mom and Dad, I now control the remote

Dear Mom and Dad, Look at my new play area!

Dear Mom and Dad, I love you!

Dear Mom and Dad, Can't wait to be in my own bed again.

Dear Mom and Dad, They are feeding me. 

We finished it off by attending a session in the gorgeous Washington D.C. Temple. The best way to finish off a great week!

That's it in a very general nut-shell. Thanks again to my in-laws for the amazing time! It was fun to spend some one-on-one time with you.  I didn't think you needed to read every detail! :) Thanks for reading anyway!

Bryce, Zion's, and Family galore!

It is the phenomena we know as irony... When I have time to write on my blog, I have nothing exciting to report, and when life is exciting... there is no time to write... Thus, long periods between posts and even longer posts when it does happen! (I apologize in advance... I'm not sure how long this is going to turn out...)


If you keep up with the Nelson Nine you will already be aware of the awesome adventures we as the Scribners were able to share with them. I had so much fun exploring the natural beauty of the southern state with so many that I love. An added bonus was
the handsome man that seemed to be around all the time... :)

Bryce claims that his namesake canyon was named after him... but its hard to believe as he has not (in remembered history) been to see the hoodoos. We offered to empty a couple of seats in the Nelson vehicle and enticed poor Devin and Ashely to ride with us. We had some great conversation, and stopped at Subway where Devin converted Bryce to chipotle ranch... When we reached the canyon, Bryce could barely contain himself. :) The remarkable thing about Bryce (the canyon) is that you can look at a hoodoo, turn the corner, look at the same view and it looks completely different! Awe-inspiring really. How could God not have a hand in this world? Needless to say, there were a lot of pictures taken. Ashley even found a good spot to do a little sketching.

We hiked for a good 5 hours, down 325 feet in elevation and then back out. The down part wasn't so bad... but the climbing out was more questionable. The arches along the trail were fun and a little short for poor Devin. But we had some fun spotting them in the distance. Every time I have been here we have hiked down in, to the "End of Trail" sign and then back out the same way. I have never been farther into the Navajo Loop to come out somewhere else... So we decided a new first was in order. You may recall my almost-trip to the Y... yeah... this time it was make it or stay stuck in the bottom of the canyon...

We made it back to camp a little tired and a lot hungry... had dinner and discussed dragon flies vs. mosquitoes with the Nelsons for some time. Mom's desserts really are the best (my roomies say "magical").

When it came time to go to Zion's the next morning, I questioned if I was really on vacation... But excitement for the river was thick in the camp as we ate some quick breakfast and packed for a day of water hiking! As we got to the trail head leading to the river entrance, the sun shone "uber hot" (as my brother described). We were all ready for some good cold water... the sun gods must have had it in for us, however. Just about the time we reached the river, grey clouds floated over us in the sky, blocking out some of the heat and sun. It got a little chilly as the wind blew straight up the little slot canyon we were hiking in. The water was as freezing cold as ever, and it was rather shallow. We had originally planned on hiking a good ways up and then ride the "rapid" parts, and deeper parts down with the current... I seriously questioned the idea... The cold didn't really slow us down... on the contrary, we played even harder and farther than we had in years past... :)Ben, Preston, and Devin found a large rock with water deep enough to jump into. They were frozen Popsicles by the time we showed up... but they wanted to show us what they found. We all took a couple of times jumping and then shivered our way back to the parents. To give you an idea of just how cold we were... I shall include a movie. (take note of how the camera shivers...and its sideways because there's no turning it when its recorded that way...)



All in all it was a successful day. I shivered a lot and ended up with some great bruises on my knees... but it was worth it. Later my dear mother pulled out a container of glow sticks with which we fashioned creative objects. Nikki make headphones, I twisted bracelets and necklaces for me and Abby, and Ben... well he's just kinda weird.... Bed time brought with it wonderful relief for achy muscles and I slept very soundly. A highlight of mine was the frequent roll of thunder while we were there. Usually at night, it was beautiful.

Breakfast burritos and packing awaited us in the morning. We were going up the state by way of the Freemont Indian park and Cove Fort. I believe the pictures explain the excitement of the Indian park...

Cove Fort is a favorite destination. They have really improved the places around it too! If you haven't seen it and are on your way down south, the trip is well worth it! There are metal hoops to chase around, a beautiful barn and blacksmith billows. The garden is beautiful (I'm inspired by gardens now...) and the spirit of the pioneer lifestyle is abundant... It really is quite amazing. This was another first for my dear fiance...


And here is proof that Mom cam with us... :D

The family reunion was lots of fun (Thanks Linda!) and it was great to see everyone and chat with most. I appreciate all the congratulations and well wishes. Bryce still wants to marry me even after experiencing the Barker side. ;) He says he had a great time and likes my family... so I guess he passed the test, or my family passed... I'm trying to figure that out... Success of the week proved itself once again in the wiped out posture of my brother at the end of Saturday...


Thanks again for all you do! And sorry for the long-winded post... until next time! -Jess *:P