Wednesday, April 6, 2011
This was our coolest day, temperature wise, in Moab. And it was also the day that had the highest chance of rain. So we decided this would be a good day to drive through Arches National Park and hike to Delicate Arch. Even though we have been to Moab several times since, the last time we were in Arches was in 2007 when Steve's sister and her family were visiting us. It was so so lovely to be there this time and be hiking when the temperatures weren't scorching. It took us a couple of hours to hike to the arch and then back down. Here are some of our pictures along the way. As you can see, Aubrey and Zac were still enjoying their new found friendship.
I can't tell you how good it did my heart to see them getting along so well 
Little Miss Addy Thing did so well on this long hike. Although about half way up she started getting tired so about every 30 steps she would do this: 
Her sisters posing with her on one of her many breaks
It got to the point that her little breaks came about every 5 steps so we had to find a way to help her along. Steve explained to her what a cairn is and told her that she had to be our leader. It was her job to find the next cairn and lead us to it. It was a job she took very seriously and was very excited about. There was no more lying down on the job for her. She was up and running from cairn to cairn. It became hard for us to keep up with her.
The endless walk. At least the weather was cool!
Emily
We were getting close to the arch but still couldn't see it. There was a little arch window up on a cliff that we climbed up to that gave us our first glimpse of our destination.
Aubrey looking at Delicate Arch from the smaller arch
Emily
Steve helping Addy down from the small arch that served as our window
We're almost there!
And we made it!
The last time I was here, I was pregnant with Zac. A lot has changed since then.
Aubrey and Emily
I freaked out a little when I saw this picture because Zac is taller than me. Then I realized we are on a slope.
Zac and Steve decided they wanted to take a more adventuresome route back down
So the girls and I started back down on our own
At the trail head for Delicate Arch there is some Native American Rock Art which you can see behind the kids in this picture
After our hike to Delicate Arch, we drove around the park taking in the majestic beauty of it all. Then we found a fun, secluded place to climb around. Addy loved playing in the sand.
Everyone enjoyed the climbing. Especially Steve and Zac.
Addy, out on a ledge
Zac helping Aubrey down
Aubrey, out on a ledge
Emily (Hey, if any of you happen to come across this jacket on the highway, pick it up for us. She put it on top of my van Saturday and I drove off without knowing it. Until it scared the hookie out of me and almost made me wreck!)
Honest Abe, is that you? 
Double Arch. One of our favorites. You might recognize it from the beginning of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
We spent quite some time climbing around in Double Arch.
When we left the park that night, we were exhausted and starving. Pizza Hut seemed to be just the thing we needed. One of our pizzas had this huge bubble on it. Aubrey quickly grabbed it up, causing the rest of her siblings to squabble over it. Really? Yes. Really.
We got back to our hotel and finally the kids got to do what they had been wanting to do since we arrived in Moab. Swim in the pool. What is it about kids and hotel swimming pools? When we were in Disneyland, that was something they were always begging to do. I think this summer we could just go to the nearest hotel, check in and let the kids swim all day for a few days and they would think it was the best vacation ever. Anyway, it was nice because the pool was outside but it was heated. And we even talked Steve, the anti-swimmer, into joining us.
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