Jason's socially-distanced 40th birthday was definitely different than we anticipated. Instead of hosting a giant party, we spent several days camping as a family at Snow Canyon State Park in Southern Utah. His birthday cake turned out to be spider cake cooked in a dutch oven. Frankly, I think it's tastier than buttercream.
Southern Utah means red sand everywhere. It's a love/hate relationship, but the love wins.
Our campsite was pretty dreamy with those cliffs in the background. We were fortunate to sneak in our trip when we did. The state parks closed to everyone except county residents just a day after we left. St. George feels so much like home that I think we are still locals at heart
In addition to clean bathrooms with flushing toilets, our campground even had power to charge our laptops and phones. This was especially important for Jason who woke up each day before dawn to work remotely so that he could still spend the day with our family. He's amazing.
Playing on the Petrified Sand Dunes.
Timing our jumps can be tricksy.
Silhouetted success.
A Hamilton hat, a Krakens T-shirt, West High A'Capella sweatpants, and a Captain America disc. Add some cool shades and this pretty much sums up our teenage Brooklyn.
Lights out. We could see so many stars!
Good morning!
Annika always manages to weasel her way into someone else's sleeping bag.
Hanging around camp the next day.
Talia's a little topsy turvy.
Annika and Eli excavated Vesuvius Junior. All was fine and well until Annie buried Eli's baseballs. We had to borrow a shovel from the camp host to finally find them all.
Oops!
We went on a hike looking for some petroglyphs.
Found a cool tree...
...and some rock carvings too.
Eli's turning into a great little whittler.
More pictures from back at Snow Canyon.
...to West Canyon Road
(or the wash below it)
...to the Lava Flow Trail
with its fun lava tubes.
Check out Daddy Jason's juggling! He's a man of many talents.
Our path home took us from the Butterfly trail back across the Petrified dunes. So much to see in one hike.
Like mochi marbles!
Nothing like a long hike to work up a good appetite.
Other trip highlights: caterpillars. Annika was ecstatic to find these silk worm nests. She'd fallen and skinned her knee just a moment before, but decided it was worth the pain because otherwise she might not have noticed these animal friends.
On our final day, we headed to Pioneer Park in St. George. It brings back so many memories to think of the days when Brooklyn, Talia, and Eli were tiny and exploring these same rocks.
For dinner we dined on Peruvian cuisine from Viva Chicken, literally eaten curbside on the parking strip since Jason needed the car. A bit chilly, but delicious.
Since no trip to St. George is complete without a trip to Zion, we drove through Kolob Canyon on the way home. So stunning.
And there you have it! Our last minute getaway to celebrate four decades of Jason. Nobody is flawless, but my hubby comes close. Corny as it sounds, the expansive grandeur of these canyons echoes what my heart feels for you, Peanut Butter. I don't have the words to express it, so I'll let God try instead.
With love forever and always,
Jelly
1 comment:
A very nice tribute to Jason Wayne Wheeler. Congratulations on staying alive by breathing for 40 years, among other things, Jason. Also, Snow Canyon is such a diverse, beautiful and special place. I can see why you all love So. Utah so much.
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