Durham Family Cedar City Trip

Since I can remember, our family has gone to Cedar City for the Shakespearean Festival. I have gone through many phases of this trip. Phase one, not remembering anything except being dropped off at the childcare center while the adults went to plays. Phase two, staying at the hotel and running a muck around the hotel with the other kids we had there. Phase three, being old enough to GO to the plays, but not understand them or understand why I had to sit still for so long. And phase four, adult only trip, nothing but relaxation in between plays and an appreciation for Shakespeare and his poetic language.

Now we are on phase five, complete go-go-go trip with getting kids dressed, fed, to sleep, into swimsuits, to the festival, to the childcare, hurry to the play, pick up kids, back to the hotel.... etc.

Nevertheless, it was so much fun and I am truly grateful that my parents are keeping the tradition alive. Grandma was an excellent hostess, keeping the kids entertained with generous amounts of gifts and snacks and plenty of hugs.

The festival has changed somewhat, the accents aren't as predominant as they used to be, and the tart wenches look like they are fourteen years old. However I am pleasantly surprised by the talent and my ability to absorb the plays for what they are and how they were performed. We saw Great Expectations and Merchant of Venice.

Playing "Mrs. Haversham" in Great Expectations, was Ellen Crawford who has played many roles on television. I recognized her immediately as one of the witnesses on Boston Legal, because Josh and I have been watching season after season lately. She played the housekeeper that may, or may have not murdered her employer. She sure did enjoy the festival though.

We usually try to make a trip up to one of the MANY national or state parks located in souther Utah. This trip we went to Cedar Breaks. It was quite beautiful with the gray overcast clouds and the bright red rock. I always find the outdoors breathtaking and consider dropping everything to come be a ranger.

Unfortunately Jack hasn't learned that appreciation yet and was being quite a stinker. But her reminded me a lot of myself, the first time I went to Yellowstone and couldn't stop complaining about one thing or another. And Josh was stuck on a phone call for the entire visit to the cliffs. But I captured it all on camera... so they can all enjoy it LATER.

Again, the beauty is indescribable, hence the pictures. I truly enjoy the air, the quiet, the smells and the tiny wildlife than surrounds you in these parks. It's like my Disneyland.

Carter, Laura and Dad. There they are.

Then we had a picnic at Navajo Lake. It was very peaceful and everyone had a good time whether it was throwing rocks into the lake, hitting golf balls into the lake... or fighting over hostess cupcakes.

The kids really enjoyed the Green Show and had fun dancing around with the "players" or whatever they are to be called. I enjoyed my tarts. All apple, summerberry, cheesecake and raspberry ones.

This girl is super awesome because she has a brown eye and a blue eye. Tessa and I had some good times together. We watched Toy Story together till midnight. Her favorite character is Slinky, the dog.

And this is Sadie. She looks like she's been abandoned at the Lake, but she hasn't.

All in all it was a wonderful trip and I had a great time. I can't wait to move onto phase six, where my kids are old enough to either keep themselves company while Josh and I go to plays with other adults, or old enough to want to join us.

Perhaps that's phase seven. Or eight.

River Trip with a Bunch of Strangers

This last weekend I was lucky enough to go on a "girl's trip" to Jackson, and raft down the Snake River. At the very last minute, the only person that I actually KNEW dropped out, and I was left to make my very own new friends. I made sure to take note of all 20 girls' names, memorize them, and ask them questions about themselves. Maybe if I did these things more often as a teenager, I'd have more friends. Anyway.

(This is Nicole, she is a neighbor of a really good friend of mine, she was such a sport for dragging me along.)

We rafted 7 miles down the snake river, three different times. Each time was VERY different from the other. Sometimes it would be very mild, other times people got sucked into the rapids, other times we didn't really pay attention and ran into rocks. All of it was very fun.

We camped at Wolf Creek, just 20 miles outside of Jackson Hole. One night we ate dinner at El Abuelito's. It's a really good mexican place- that may have been "really good" because we were all starving.

I cliff jumped, which isn't a big deal for me because I love heights and water, but since I have had a child, I have this crazy sense of vulnerability that stops me from doing dangerous things.

But I did it.

The rest of the time we cooked and ate our own food, (provided by wonderful Nicole and Natalie..) and the rest provided wonderfully humorous stories. It was so much fun and I was very lucky to be included. So who wants to get together and do this with me?? Anyone?

Our "Family Picture"

We have never gotten a "professional" family photo before. So while in Florida, I had the tripod and my camera, I made an attempt.