Angel's Landing

I'm still putzing along in terms of getting anything recorded about this year's family vacation, but don't give up on me yet.  I'm bound and determined to memorialize at least a few things about the trip.  I absolutely must tell you about Angel's Landing, now affectionately known in our family as "the place where Mom had a full-blown panic attack."  But I guess I shouldn't jump to the end of the story first.

Most of the people in our family are genetically predisposed to have a genuine fear of heights.  These would be the five people who have blood ties to Mike's dad.  Mike's dad is a brave, strong man who absolutely detests heights.  I don't know how his other six children feel, but I do know that Mike also much prefers to have his feet firmly planted on low, level ground.  (For example, it was I who painted the second story trim on our house on Freewater before we moved.)  Anyway, I don't hold it against Mike because I hate tight, crowded spaces, and so we've just adjusted and accommodated for each other's phobias over the years.

So, as we set out to hike Angel's Landing one morning, we knew that Mike would certainly not be going all the way up.  Adam, Matt, and Rachel also announced that such a jaunt would be completely foolish.  Karen was reluctant, but I was certain that I was going to be the heroic, brave one to make it all the way to the top.  No doubt about it.  Just hold on to the chains, and scamper on up to the summit.

The trip up was strenuous but pleasant.  Mike made everyone promise to stay close to the mountain and never venture close to the edge.  This picture was staged to look as if the kids were in danger, but they certainly were not.  Case in point:  Mike was taking the picture.  Anyway, we all felt pretty good about how we were doing.  I was very impressed that my heights-averse husband and offspring were moving along so bravely.

I was very much looking forward to getting to the top and scoping out the summit part of the climb.  I knew it would be kind of scary, but I also knew that there were chains to hold on to.  I was still convinced that I could do it.  I started to get a little nervous when we came upon this sign.  It's hard to read the words, but basically, you're warned that you're taking your life into your hands if you even think about going the rest of the way up.  "Hmmm," I'm thinking, "this may not be the best idea I've ever had. . . "

Much to my surprise, when we got to the start of the scary part, Karen was excited to give it a try.  Her willingness strengthened my resolve, so we decided to head on up.  No one else was remotely keen on the idea, and issued rather fervent "I love you's" before we headed up.  So, I let Karen lead the way, and off we went.  This was going to be so cool. 

I have no idea how far I made it up when the fear completely took over.  It felt like 5000 feet, but it was probably about 20.  Oh, my word!  I could just feel the mountain slipping away from me, and I KNEW I had to turn around.  My heart was pounding, and I was lightheaded and near tears.  Every cell of my body was begging to go back.  We had to wait for a minute or two for people to pass us on the chains before we could descend, and it seemed like an ETERNITY.  I'm pretty sure I've never been that scared in my life.  Karen was kind, but I really think she would have made it up if she'd had someone brave enough to go with her.  Andrew's done it before, but he hadn't arrived on the family vacation yet.  Maybe they can go sometime in the future.  I will never try it again.  Period.

The trip down was less pleasant than the ascent for me because my knees were still shaking and my nerves were shot, but it was still fun.  Walter's Wiggles, the famous switchbacks, seemed a little more narrow than they did on the way up.  Mike wanted us all to pause so that he could take our picture.  I just wanted off the steep part of the mountain.  Seriously, I simply wanted to book it down.

Once we got to some less steep parts and my pulse had dropped below 200 again, I realized that we were in one of the prettiest places on earth.  This was my first trip to Zion National Park, but I hope it won't be my last.  The rock formations were breathtakingly beautiful, and the rivers that ran in the bottom of the canyon were picturesque as well.  It was really, really pretty.

There were some neat little cave-like spots along the trail, and we got some fun pictures there.    It was also very cool in those places, and sometimes I wanted just to hang out in there for quite a while before I headed down.  (We tried to hike in the morning, but inevitably, it was plenty warm when we got through.)

Once we got to an area by the river, the boys decided that they weren't quite cool enough, and they both agreed to immerse themselves completely in the rather chilly water.  Brrrr!!!  They claimed it was awesome, but I think Adam, with his 2% body fat, had a little harder time than Matt did warming all the way back up.  They invited me, Mike, Rachel, and Karen to take the plunge with them, but we declined.  Sitting on the shuttle bus while dripping wet just didn't really appeal to me, no matter how hot it was. 

So, there you have it:  I joined the amazing Young family by marriage, but one of the days I became an official Young was the day I chickened out on Angel's Landing.  People tell me that the view from the top is amazing.  I will take their word for it and look at pictures on the internet. . . with my husband, children, and father-in-law sitting right beside me on solid ground.

Trip to Zion, Part 1 of ?

We've been back from our family vacation to southern Utah for nearly three weeks now, and after looking at the hundreds of pictures we took, I've been pretty clueless about how to tell the story of our trip logically.  I don't want it to read like a travelogue, but I don't want to sound too scatterbrained either.  My OCD nature and my English degree sometimes prevent me from just letting loose, but I'm really going to try.  I know my missionary parents love to read about every single thing we're doing, but the rest of you can feel free to just skim. 

Vacation Advice:  Rent a House

Mike usually plans the details of our vacations, so I'm not sure exactly how he stumbled upon the idea of a rental house.  What I do know is that it has been awesome since we switched from booking two or three hotel rooms to simply renting a vacation home.  We've also discovered that the price is comparable if you're intending to stay a week or so.  We've rented a couple of different condos in McCall, and we loved it both times. 

This time we opted for a luxurious home in Virgin, Utah, about ten miles from the entrance to Zion National Park.  Good choice.  It was wonderful to be able to come "home" after our activities and simply relax into such comfortable accommodations.  I highly recommend it.

I don't want to sound like a travel agent, but consider the cost of eating out when you budget for your vacation.  That makes the cost of a rental home even more attractive when you don't have to pay to eat out two or three times a day.  This home had a super nice kitchen (way nicer than our own) and a couple of comfortable places to eat, and we cooked quite a few meals right there.  It also had two gas barbeques on the back patio, and even though it was blazing hot by dinnertime, we cooked out two or three times as well.

I've also come to love the convenience of having several places both to gather and to get away from each other while on vacation.  I've learned that we don't typically spend 24 hours a day together as a family, and sometimes it's nice to have somewhere to "get away" from the getaway, if you know what I mean.  When everyone has a private place to chill and to rest, it just makes the vacation seem a little more restful.  Besides, I'm claustrophobic, so it's good for my psyche to have room to spread out.

Oh, and the other cool thing is having more than one or two bathrooms.  Seriously, do you know what it's like when you go back to the hotel and everyone has to use the facilities at once?  That's always fun to try and prioritize.  (We've learned that there's usually a "spare"  bathroom in the hotel lobby.) 

Perhaps the greatest thing about a rental house is that you have a nice place to gather, not that it's not fun to sit all over the beds and the air conditioner/heater and such in a hotel room.  This house had a couple of gathering places:  the great room, where we watched some World Cup games on DVR, and an awesome media room, where we could all lounge around and watch fun movies.  This place had about 40 or 50 to choose from, and we brought some of our own as well.

Anyway, I didn't intend for this to be a travel brochure, but I do feel grateful that Mike found us such a nice place to stay.  When it comes right down to it, the vacation's not really about where you stay, it's about the people that you're with.  However, I have found that when everyone's comfortable, the vacation just goes a whole lot smoother.  Experience is a great teacher. . . but that's probably a story for a different post.

Always Part of the Family

I've learned in the past few years that it's an especially big treat when my chicks that have left the nest rejoin the flock for at least a few days.  When we were planning this summer's trip, we realized that it would be very much to our advantage to vacation where Karen and Andrew and Rachel could join us for at least a few days.  The three of them are so incredibly busy right now, but we did get them for about three days each, and part of those days even overlapped.  Jackpot!  It's always fun to have EVERYONE together.  I felt incredibly blessed.

I've also discovered that a family vacation is a fun way to get to know your in-laws better.  We have loved Andrew from the moment we met him, but we love him more the more we get to know him.  Karen did a good job finding him, and I'm glad he has some persistence and patience.

I've written very little about the actual adventures of our trip, but I should be able to record a little more in the next few days.  Adam is gone to cross country camp, and Matt leaves for Helaman's Camp in the morning.  Mike and I get to be empty-nesters for just a couple of days.  Awesome. . . except that I am working on Friday and Saturday.  Should be fun anyway. 

Last One Standing

Okay.  So, it's been a while since I posted.  We got back about ten days ago from a wonderful family vacation in southern Utah by Zion National Park.  Awesome!  There's simply nothing better than spending time with people that you love.  I've also found that you HAVE to get away from home for that reunion to be truly effective.  Yes, people still found us--the hospital called like four times on my cell phone--but it's so good to get away from the daily demands.  I highly recommend it.  (I'll post more about our trip later this week.)

Just one bad thing happened while we were gone:  we found out our good friends, the Holmsteads, were moving to Florida.  What?!  Talk about being blindsided.  Oh my!  Steve found a new job in Fort Lauderdale, so they are off on a new adventure.  I was devastated when I found out they were leaving, but the good thing about it is that it all happened so quickly.  We got back on July 1st, and they flew out yesterday morning.  It was kind of like ripping off a band-aid quickly.  If it has to happen, it's better to get it over with fast.

We have been friends with the Holmsteads for a LONG time.  We moved to Boise sixteen years ago, and they were one of the first families we invited over.  I loved them instantly.  Their kids--Heather, Devyn, and Derek--were the same ages as our kids, and Kendra and I are just three weeks apart as well.  Steve and Mike share the same birthday, just a year apart.  We've been blessed to watch our kids grow up together, and I honestly feel like Kendra has been a second mom for my children.  I trust her implicitly and used/abused her frequently.  (I hope that's not why they left.)  It was tough to see them go.

To be honest, I feel a little like I'm the last one standing or something.  My good friend and next-door neighbor (the middle one in the photo), Kathy Sanders, moved to Idaho Falls almost six years ago, and at that time I felt especially blessed that Kendra was still close by.  Now it must be time for me to grow up or something.  There have been lots of tears, but my sister helped me to realize that the pain you feel when someone you love moves on is a blessing.  It lets you know that you opened your heart to someone and had the joy of giving and receiving love.  So, I'm trying to keep a stiff upper lip and move on to the next phase of life.  I've learned that God always provides, but the Final Four party will never be quite the same again.

A.P.=All Passed

In other completely unrelated news, I came home from work on Friday and was met by a grinning Matt at the door.  He was holding the results of his three A.P. exams in his hand.  He was thrilled that he passed English, Chemistry, and Calculus.  I was proud of him, and I'm guessing that his grandparents would be pleased as well.  Since this blog is largely for the four of them, I thought I'd pass on the news.  Good job, Matt!

P.S.  I had to look for a while to find a picture of Matt where he looked semi-serious with his "game face" on (and, yes, he's obviously posing here.)  He is a pretty laid-back kid, and I've always been grateful for his fun-loving nature.