Potato Head Desperately Seeks Duct Tape!

Last night I dreamt I was a Potato Head.  Not gonna lie, it freaked me out a little bit... especially since I was desperately looking for duct tape and NO ONE would help me! I woke up mad at Hubby because he was one of the people in my dream who ignored my Potato-y pleas for help. This has happened to him before... I don't mean to do it, but poor Hubby is not unfamiliar with the rudeness of me waking up mad at him for something he didn't actually do! The truth is, I am certain he WOULD give me duct tape if I needed it, even if I was a Potato Head.  (Sorry, sweetheart.. you know how irrational my dreams can make me at times.)

Do you ever have extra-weird dreams when you're sick? Do you wake up mad at people who didn't actually do anything wrong? I can't be the only wacko that goes through this!

FYI- Moab Day 5 is written, I just have to add the pictures tomorrow and I will have it posted by the evening. Thanks for being so patient!

What kind of therapist would stand a chance of  helping me figure out what this dream could possibly mean?!

Delayed

Sorry for not posting Day 5 yet.  Is it possible that Ashley's stomach bug could have caught up to me one week later? I dunno if it's the same bug, but I am definitely not feeling well today. I promise I will get Day 5 written and posted just as soon as I am feeling up to it.

(There's a wicked cool spring storm thrashing outside my window right this very minute. It sort of makes me feel a little better.. I really dig the light show!)

Moab - Day 4

We are not wealthy by any standard. We work hard, budget like crazy, (seriously, you should SEE Hubby's spreadsheets!) and plan our outings to squeeze the most out of every minute possible. A long time ago we made the decision to buy the outdoor equipment that would supply the girls with wonderful childhood memories. It helps that Hubby is amazing when it comes to engines and maintenance so I knew our toys would always have the best of care. He takes care of the equipment and I take care of the emotions and overall well-being of our tribe of girls. It works.

Last year when we went to Moab, it was all about how much four-wheeling we could do while we were there. But the weather had other plans for us. It was so cold and windy that we escaped to sightseeing in the state and national parks just so we could be warm in the vehicle. In spite of the nasty weather, we did get in some wonderful rides, which is what convinced us that we wanted to come back to Moab to explore even more trails. With all of the rock formations and vast areas to explore, Moab is a wonderland for four-wheeler enthusiasts!

I cannot describe how excited we were when Mom told us they wanted to come to Moab with us this year. I hadn't been camping with my parents for many years and I hoped they wouldn't be so miserable that they'd never want to go anywhere with us again. We knew we would be scaling back our riding plans, but that was perfectly fine because spending time with family is much more important!  As the vacation days passed one by one, I hoped that Mom was enjoying a break from camp cooking and that she didn't think our campfire antics were too bizarre. The girls had done some riding on Sand Flats road, but never more than a mile or two away from our camp. On Day 4 we decided it would be okay to part ways with Mom and Dad for 3-4 hours to go on a distant trail ride that Hubby had researched in his trail guide book.

I cleaned up the breakfast dishes as Hubby checked the fuel and tires of the 'wheelers. He had the opportunity to use his super-neato Christmas gift from his equally super-neato wife when one of the 'wheelers had a flat tire. Oooh! You need a portable air compressor? Let me go grab that for you.. because I CAN! (Yes, I'm being obnoxious on purpose, but that's only because Hubby wrinkled his nose and yawned when he opened that gift on Christmas morning.. his ho-hum reaction to my wonderfully thoughtful and genius gift bummed me out!)  This bad-boy of camping equipment not only has an air compressor, it can jump start cars, has power outlets and an inverter, and it has a radio! Like I said, neato!

Unfortunately, our poor Ashley woke up with a tummy ache that morning. She was feeling so crummy that she actually asked for Pepto Bismol. Around my house, I am the only person who will even touch that pink stuff! Even after choking down some medicine, Ash was not feeling well so she opted out of the ride. Luckily for us, Mom and Dad said she could hang out with them while we were gone. If there hadn't been other adults to provide another option for Ashley that day, we would not have gone on our ride. Does that mean they were our camp babysitters? (I hope not because I don't want to be that person.. you know, the one who dumps her kids on the grandma any ol' time without a care or concern? That's not me!) Mom assured Ashley that they would have a quiet afternoon of shopping along Moab's main street. I saw two additional sets of ears perk up when shopping was mentioned. What?? There's shooopping???  Suddenly I had not one, but three kiddos that had opted out of our epic ride. Truthfully, I was not concerned about losing three of our six girlies to an afternoon with their grandma. How often do they get her all to themselves anyway? Plus, we picked up an extra rider when Ella proclaimed that she would rather ride than shop. Plans were set and now we just needed an hour to move the groups from point A to point B. Big group takes time to maneuver, remember?

The drive to the trail-head was really neat! We took the road that ran parallel to The Green River, and we saw cliff dwelling type houses that people were constructing, a ranger with a group of little kids at a tiny park with Indian petroglyphs carved into the mountain face, and some very interesting homeless-looking people hitchhiking to nowhere. Shaweet!  Mom and Dad followed us to the parking lot where we parked the trailer and we bid them farewell. It was nice that there was someone that knew where we were headed, especially since we were very close to the area where Aaron Ralston became trapped and had to hack off his own arm to save himself. (sorry if that was a bit graphic! If you haven't seen it, you should check out the movie about his ordeal. It is called "127 Hours")

I digress.

So there we were, all geared up and ready to go! We sort of had an idea what we would see on that ride, but I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the cliffs and the lush valley protectively nestled between the red mesas. As we traveled the dirt roads we were surrounded by unspoiled, picturesque landscapes. I could easily imagine ancient Indian tribes dwelling among the red cliffs and meandering streams. We stood eye level with some of the most amazing petroglyphs I had ever seen when we stopped at "The Birthing Rock" to take some pictures and I tried to picture the tribes that left the markings behind. I couldn't help but wonder what legacy we are leaving for those that will come centuries after us... certainly nothing so grand as those stories carved in stone.

I wasn't completely lost in thought during that ride, but I'd say it was pretty close to that. I found my thoughts turning inward and I was filled with pure gratitude for all the wonderful things in my life. How could I not be appreciative in a setting like that? There were points during the ride that became difficult to navigate but the girls were brave and, most importantly, they were very careful. I was so proud of them for having the courage to try this new adventure ... but mostly, I was just thinking of how proud I am of all of my girls. I will admit there were a few times when my eyes got teary behind my dusty goggles as I contemplated the threshold my family is standing on these days. Carley and Madi are weeks away from graduating and this may have been our last family trip where we were all together. *sniff*

After riding through beautiful canyons for 4 hours, we headed back to camp to wash the red dust from our pores and to see how the rest of our family had fared during the day. When we got there, Mom told us that they had just barely returned to camp themselves. Really? I cannot imagine shopping for 4 hours! (actually, I can barely survive one hour of shopping.. just ask my girls!) It didn't take Mom long to confess that they had also gone out to lunch at a little diner called "Smitty's Golden Steak Restaurant" that apparently had a gold miner motif. That was so generous of her to take three of my girls out to lunch! They had also done some souvenir shopping with my credit card, along with an understanding that the girls had a $25 limit each. Unfortunately, Ashley was still feeling ooky and Emily was now feeling less than skippy herself. Not good. 

After the grim experience earlier in the morning with Pepto Bismol, Ash wasn't exactly eager to try that tummy ache remedy again. Mom had told her that she had Alka-seltzer and at that point Ashley was willing to try almost anything. While Emily chose to sleep off the ick, Ashley prepared herself for some plop plop fizz fizz. She had no idea what she was in for!  What happened next created some of the funniest pictures I have ever seen! Kudos to Carley for capturing the moment so perfectly! Hubby doesn't even have to look at these pictures to laugh..just the thought of the hilarious face Ashley pulled is enough to start him giggling uncontrollably!

Mom and I got to work on the famous Dutch Oven dinner that my family insists on having every time we go camping, while Hubby decided to take his four-wheeler, Rosie, up Fins N Things. He had been nagging me for days to let him take the shiny new Jeep up the rock trail, and when I finally relented he admitted that he didn't really want to. He sheepishly told me that the only reason he kept nagging was because he knew I would tell him no. Scoundrel! 

As I prepared the Dutch Oven components, I looked up and saw Dad across the road, flying a kite. How cute is that! The dark clouds had rolled in earlier that afternoon while we were riding and the wind had definitely picked up. We were worried about getting rained on, but aside from a few sprinkles while we were trail riding, the rain stayed away.. thank goodness! The only bummer was that the 75 degree weather from the previous day had been replaced by an icy wind that cut our campfire time very short that evening.

BUT..... 

You know what they say about clouds and silver linings? The clouds that rolled in with the cold wind proved to be the perfect canvas for the evening sunset. We snapped picture after picture of the stunning colors that draped the evening sky.

We crawled into our comfy beds that night, after bundling up in many layers for extra warmth, and reflected on the amazing sights we had seen that day. I am truly grateful for the opportunities we have had to spend time out in the beautiful wilderness as a family. I hope one day that my girls will share these experiences and memories with their own families.. and maybe, just maybe... they will ask us to go camping with them! 

I did not take this picture. I googled it. This pic shows the stars, Milky Way, airplanes and lights of Moab

Day 5 is bittersweet... I will tell you about how we were sad at the thought of packing up camp, but thrilled at the thought of a hot shower!

Moab- Day 3

I was awake several times during the night, but it's not what you're thinking. I woke up for the sole purpose of telling Hubby how happy I was! Isn't that completely bonkers! The mattress did indeed hold air, the blankets were snoogly warm, and I was able to sleep on my back, unmoving, for most of the night! You may be thinking that's no big deal, but remember the fused back issue? I haven't been able to sleep on my back for over 11 years! But as the sun trickled over the horizon that morning, I jokingly told Hubby that I was considering getting rid of our bed at home because I had slept so well that night. Yay for me! Hubby also slept well that night and I have the picture to prove it. :)

That morning we were well rested and moving a little easier so the hot cocoa and breakfast was even better! It makes me laugh that some of the kiddos didn't stir until the tantalizing smells reached them, but I suppose that is the perk of being a teenager, right? Someday it will be up to them to cook for their own families, but right now they are my little ones to care for, even if two of them are eighteen!

I love how established campfires light up so easily in the brisk mornings. We had burned the coals so hot the night before that they were only resting.. as soon as the wood hit the hot bed, we were back in business with a cozy morning fire to accompany the cocoa, bacon and eggs. We also had a front row seat to the Fins N Things entrance so we watched the Jeeps, bicyclists and motorcycles approach the watery entrance with caution before heading straight up the rock. It was grand entertainment!

Linzie had talked us into letting her learn to ride the Raptor the day before and she was eager to hit the trails once again. The Raptor is my own four-wheeler and it is a bit more powerful than the Hondas the girls usually ride so until that trip, I hadn't really shared it with anyone other than Hubby. It took her some time to get used to the clutch and the different feel of the Raptor's gears, but I could tell she was proud to be doing something the other girls hadn't really tried, and it also meant that more kids could go on group rides together.

Back in my youth (forever ago!) we would go on camping trips and we had motorcycles to ride, but we never really camped anywhere like Sand Flats Road. I remember getting in trouble with fellow campers (can't blame them) for the constant noise and dust we stirred up as we rode in endless circles at the end of the campground loop.  Looking back, I cannot imagine how riding in circles was fun, but trust me when I tell you that we loved it! I can only imagine how awesome it would have been to have endless trails right outside our camp and the freedom that would have brought! Of course, I am certain that my cousin, Brandon, and I still would have found some sort of mayhem to stress our parents, but at least they wouldn't have had the Ranger breathing down their necks and issuing citations for noise.

After checking and refilling the fuel in the four-wheelers, the girls were off once again! We could see them from time to time, riding off in the distance. How I loved watching them having fun! At one point, Mom pointed out that they were circling a Juniper tree out in an open area. Round and round they went! I laughed out loud when I realized that Emily was the leader on that ride.. she deliberately circled the tree over and over to see how long they were willing to follow her! Haha! You gotta love that girl's sense of humor!

How do you eat Grandma's delicious cookies while wearing helmets?

THAT'S how!

 After the morning camp clean-up, we talked about heading into Arches National Park for a few hours. My niece, Ella, was with us on this trip and she had not seen Arches before and we wanted her to be as amazed as our girls were the year before. As you might imagine, it takes some time to organize and move a group as large as ours. Four-wheelers had to be parked, helmets stowed, cameras gathered from various safe places, drinks and snacks had to be moved to the vehicles and finally, seating arrangements had to be worked out. It's a process!


The only good thing about the truck being broken down was that I got to ride in the same vehicle with Hubby. I enjoyed talking with him and holding his hand as we wound our way through the campgrounds and past Slickrock, toward town to check on the truck once again. I am such a sap! In love with being in love.. I know, you don't want to hear the mushy stuff.. so suffice it to say that I was a happy camper that morning, sharing the ride into town with my sweetheart and a few of the girls.

We were surprised (and, admittedly a little sad) to learn that the truck was fixed! It was not the fuel pump as Hubby suspected, but something called an ignition coil. I don't pretend to understand auto-mumbo jumbo. I thought if the car was started then the ignition was hunky dory and all was right in the world. If that's the case, then tell me how a truck just stops running when it is cruising down the freeway at 75mph?  Hubby tried to explain it to me, but something shiny distracted me and I forgot to listen. ;) We only had to wait 30 min for the owner to return to the shop to write up the invoice so we could take the truck with us. We talked about killing time by going to Hole In The Rock, but ultimately we decided we would rather spend our money on t-shirts rather than admission to a house carved into a rock.

Mom suggested we go check out the little market store nearby to kill some time so we headed down the street, looking for adventure. Unfortunately, it was just a regular grocery store.. but that didn't stop the girls from spending over 30 minutes in the store anyway. They were enjoying the modern restrooms with flush toilets.. can you blame them? We were staying at a campsite with those horrible pit toilets.. *shudder*  The girls were actually gone so long that we started joking about how they must be giving each other "swirlies" and then blow drying their hair with the hand dryers affixed to the walls. I actually didn't mind that they took so long because I was enjoying people-watching! I'm not sure what it is about Moab that gives the atmosphere a carefree feel, but I was content as I watched the Jeeps drive past in a constant flow down main street.

She thought this sign meant "I love you" but she forgot to put out her thumb so what she was REALLY signing was "Rock ON!"  Rock on, Mama!

 Eventually the girls sauntered out of the store and we went to pick up the truck. It was a huge bummer that it cost over $400 to fix something that Hubs could have replaced for $60 if we had been at home, but under the circumstances there was nothing else that we could have done. The girls re-arranged their seating plans so that some of them could go with Hubby in the truck, and I held in the pout over not being able to ride with my sweetie anymore.  I always remind myself that one of these days the girls will be grown and won't be with us on trips anymore.. when that day comes, I will be riding in the same vehicle with Hubby, but I will undoubtedly miss my girls, so I focus on being grateful to have our family all together while we can.

Arches was great! When we were there last year it was freezing cold and we would dash back to the vehicle as quickly as possible so we could warm up again. That was not the case this year! We were enjoying the 75 degree weather and we took so many pictures of all the things we enjoyed seeing again. I think one of the most interesting people-watching moments had to be when we saw a German couple trying to parallel park a motorhome on a narrow loop... on the curve! Something about how the lady was yelling to the man in German just cracked me up! I'll give them credit for having guts, but I still wonder how the little car behind them ever managed to get out of that tight spot once the motorhome was parked!

I would like to give Mom and award for wearing so many white shirts while camping in red dirt. I think she must have a special force field!

Did I mention we were sunburned at this point? In spite of the sunscreen, several of us were sporting burned necks, faces, and ears. The chapstick made the rounds as we tried to keep the desert from mummifying our lips and through it all we just smiled. We were having a great time! Hubby also mentioned to me several times that he was impressed with the general good attitudes of the kids. When you have that many personalities in a confined space, there are bound to be clashes.. but the girls handled them with aplomb so everyone could continue to enjoy the vacation.

Burned neck, REALLY burned ears, and burned cheeks! Even with sunscreen.. :|

 We returned to camp in time for Hubby to set up his grill. (His favorite part!) Hubby loves all things food when on vacation and we just let him lead. He grilled up steak, burgers and bratwurst.. enough to feed an army. Seriously, where is this army that we keep preparing to feed? There was still so much leftover after everyone ate as much as they wanted. But again, Hubby was happy in his grilling element so it was all good!

 We concluded our day with sunset rock hiking near Slickrock, more campfire, more S'mores, more Russian, and contentment all around. We didn't stay up very late though because the sunburns made for sleepy campers... and we knew we had to hurry and get rested for the big day ahead of us!

I am so excited to tell you about Day 4!