Our Weekend in Hatch

Twice a year Jason skips town for a week to fraternize with the other Rose Fellows.  The retreat is a bit easier to swallow this time around as they are discussing affordable housing solutions from Detroit and Cleveland, as opposed to last retreat where they tackled the same issues from scenic Puerto Rico.  Yet even though we know Jason is doing valuable work, we still miss having him around.

Instead of moping by myself this evening, may I share a few photos from our lovely getaway last weekend?  Some friends of ours, the Porters, invited us up to their parents' cabin in a little town called Hatch, near Bryce Canyon.  Aren't they the cutest family ever?

On our way up, we stopped for a short hike near Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Lanelle and her new baby, Elsie.

Brooklyn and Eli partner up along the path.

Talia with a touch of tell-tale sass.

Kara steals a hug from Brooklyn.

Looks like Jay made it to Cascade Falls!

Perhaps Moses struck this rock several millenia ago.

The girls point out the way home.

Stunningly beautiful.

It was delightful having this time together as a family before parting ways for a bit.

I wish I'd remembered to get some photos of the cute log cabin we stayed in. Still, this shot of the girls made me chuckle, as taken from the upstairs loft where we slept. Okay, so funny story. This cabin actually belongs to our recently-retired school principal. We just happen to be lucky friends and neighbors with his son and his wife, who invited us to mooch for the weekend.

The next day we headed into Kodachrome Basin State Park, famous for its monolithic stone spires, more formally known as sedimentary pipes.

Naturally we hiked...

and hiked...

and hiked. While the distance wasn't really that far, the hot sun, sandy terrain, and drooping kids made it seem longer.

Brooklyn wonders, Are we there yet?

Taking a break at "Indian Cave."

So where did the handprints really come from? I suspect cowboys as much as any Native Americans.

Lanelle with her beautiful baby girl.

Our kids certainly loved the chance to "practice" having an infant around.

Jay and Lanelle were the real heroes, pushing the baby stroller the entire distance.

I think their efforts would have felt more rewarding if Elsie had liked her chariot as much as her mother's arms.

In the end, though, it was all worthwhile. After all, where else are you going to see a ballerina spire?

With picture-perfect beauty like this, it's easy to see why they named it "Kodachrome."

Back at the cabin, it was time to break out the four-wheelers. Careful men, that's precious cargo you've got there! Here's Jay with Talia...

...and Jason with Brooklyn.

And one last hike through Bryce Canyon.

Sometimes when the baby cries, it makes you want to bawl.

Momma's magic touch.

Brooklyn decides our new baby needs a bit of comfort too.

Hey, if I can carry one, why not two?

Talia takes a good look at the wonders of nature.

Amazing.

One last family photo by the waterfall on the way up to Mossy Cave.

On the road home again.

Thanks, Jay and Lanelle, for the wonderful weekend!