Getaway to Zion

So we finally made it.
I wasn't sure that we were going to be able to make the trip.
But we got one glorious night in Zion.
And it was all I hoped it would be.

If you're planning on camping, the sites at the South Campground often fill up early in the summer.
We weren't going to be able to arrive til late afternoon so I reserved a site at the Watchman Campground.
I hadn't realized previously how far towards town the Watchman Campground is.
We stayed in the B Loop and had a great site right across from the river.
It was perfect because we were able to play around in the river for the evening.  When you've got a child who was raised in the desert, playing in a river is a pretty big deal!

The Virgin River was running higher and stronger than I'd ever seen it.  Michael and Kevin did some river re-routing. I'm pretty sure that Michael's favorite part was actually destroying the re-routing he had assigned to Kevin.  We really tried to give Michael a little more freedom than we normally would.  It's hard for me to accept but he is 8 years old now.  As much as I'd like for him to continue being my baby who needs my protection, he's more independent every day.

Michael climbed trees which is also pretty exciting coming from the desert.  I mean, our backyard has palm trees.  Not exactly safe for climbing.  He scared the hell out of me and scraped himself up pretty good getting down but I guess that's what boys do.  I should probably get used to it.  

Look how happy he is?!?!  Michael really needed this trip.  I think he was really happy to have one night where it was all about him.  No rushing off to feed or change the baby.  No shushing him because he's being too loud.  He's been amazing with Matthew but I still think it's been a huge adjustment having a baby in the house.  He needed this attention and freedom desperately.

Here we are at Weeping Rock.  This trail is steep but short and the view from the top is worth the walk.  The water seeps out from an overhang above non-stop.  When Michael was little, he'd get really upset and want to understand why the rock was crying.  Here's what I realized doing the Weeping Rock trail.  I am seriously out of shape.  I've conquered Angel's Landing before and I struggled to get up Weeping Rock?  Not cool.  

While having a picnic lunch we noticed this in the sky.  I've never seen anything quite like it and found it incredibly unique and beautiful until my husband mentioned that he hoped it wasn't a hole in the ozone layer or something like that.  Then it started to make me a bit nervous.  Okay... not really but I really should look into what this may have been.

This was seriously my favorite picture from the trip.  I don't know why.  Kevin noted that it's just their backs. But I love it.  Every time I look at it I smile!

We spent our afternoon on the second day playing in the river and a little tributary flowing into it.  We built dams, we destroyed dams.  We said the word dam a lot.  I got attacked by a Yucca plant.  I also got attacked by the sun.  Unfortunately, I'm the only one in the family that gets sunburned.  It's ridiculous.  My husband and my son basically look out the window and get a tan.  I spend 5 minutes outside and it's days of  aloe to look forward to.

We drove back to Vegas that afternoon.  Short but sweet.  And upon our return, we rushed to see our beautiful Matthew.  Matthew was spoiled rotten by Gramma for 36 hours straight.  He's changing so fast, I think he got even chubbier in the night we were gone!

All in all, I'm so glad we were able to go!  It's was the break we all needed!  It was an early birthday present for Michael.  It was the perfect over-nighter!