St. George and Sunshine!

 

 As can be seen from these pictures, we had a lovely sundrenched trip to Mesquite Nevada and St. George.  The weather was in the low 60's and we took every advantage of the glorious clear blue skies and warm rays.  Oh, how I needed that sun!   Landen had a soccer tournament in Mesquite.   Their team played well and Lan had some great goals and passes.  It was so fun to see him running with that awesome backdrop. 

 Capriel doing a back handspring! 

 The girls while enduring a LOT of soccer games and driving got in plenty of backhandsprings and tree climbing and even some swimming.  We stayed in a condo which allowed for cooking and had some fun clubhouse amenities.  Craig and Lan would work themselves into a sweat playing the little basketball arcade game where you see how many baskets you can make on the tiny hoop in 30 secs.  I think Landen holds the record with 50 points.  Air hockey, mini golf, fusball, and pingpong were a few of the other activites we enjoyed.  Rhyse really got a kick out of minigolf and I enjoyed playing speed mini golf with the bigger kids.  Another HUGE asset according to the kids was the entire case of ramen that someone had left behind in the kitchen.  Instead of our planned lunches,  they cooked up large pots of the stuff.  We also had fun playing Farkle, ruckus, and just wrestling. 

 Dixie Rock is always a favorite place to play, explore, jump across chasms, watch rapellers, and just awe at the surroundings.  Rhyse loved hiking and was thrilled to see a little lizard. 

 Playing in the Virgin River in Mesquite.  Though it was fairly small and muddy, the kids loved playing with the exploding cattails, giving mud massages, taking cool leaping shots, and digging in the sand.  Our condo was in St. George and the tournament in Mesquite.  The trip between the two cities is about 45 minutes and includes a time change which took us by surprise and messed us up more than once.  Our first blunder allowed us an extra hour before a practice where we were able to enjoy a small historical museum holding relics of the early settlers.  The kids loved the indian coat made from hundreds of rabbits pelts, the old victrola (which they played) and I got a kick out of recognizing how many of those antique pieces i recognized from my own grandparents and even Mom's house.  I am so grateful to live in a time where so many modern conveniences make my housework much easier and quicker. 

 Aside from watching Lan play, my favorite part of the trip was our hike in the Red Rock Recreation area.  The sun was warm and the kids just scampered around exploring the gorgeous red sandstone natural playground, discovering caves, tunnels (some really narrow) and lots of water crossings and fun. 

 This was an incredible spot. Absolutely breathtaking.  It is an area which apparently has to be swum through in the summer months when the water is higher.  You can see Lan in the above picture surveying his drenched clothes which he'd just acquired by jumping across the river and falling back into it.  Needless to say the mountain January water was REALLY cold and was the determining factor in where we ended our hike. 

Talia was brave enough to hike around this rock face with the aide of a rope that was attached to the rock.