Our marathon road trip...(pictures to come)!Part 1

It seems like we have been waiting for my brother-Rob's wedding forever. (I'm sure that he and Tara would second that motion!) So when it finally got here it was over before we knew it. Isn't that the way it always goes?

So we decided that if we were going to drive all the way to Northern Utah, we were going to pack in a few adventures along the way. Alexis came with us and definitely raised the entertainment value a notch or two (maybe even three-she is quite witty!) We left Tucson grabbed Alexis in Mesa and then headed for Williams Arizona. -Side note: we told the kids nothing but that we were going to Uncle Rob's wedding, so everything was a surprise.- There we spent some time at the Grand Canyon Deer Farm were the kids were able to be mauled by a heard of deer. Okay so they had food in their possession and the deer wanted it. Can you blame them? I don't know, maybe that is the only food the deer receive all day-don't worry they looked anything but malnourished! There were donkeys and buffaloes, pigs and goats, monkeys and reindeer. It really was a lot of fun and once the food was gone, the animals left the kids alone to wander and have fun.

Our next stop was the Grand Canyon. I know, I'm 28(oh scary), I've lived in Arizona my entire life, and I have never been to the Grand Canyon. I'm not even going to attempt and explanation at the awe I felt when we pulled up to the first lookout. I can just say I felt ashamed for using the word amazing at any other point in my life when it should have been reserved for that moment. Thoughts of "There is beauty all around..." "I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world,..." there were others, you know where I'm going with this! It was definitely a great moment to step back, both literally and figuratively, and reflect on each detail that were are blessed with, even beautiful things to make us happy! I must also mention the lack of English spoken at the Canyon-many foreign tourists help support our national park system, let me tell you! Also, there weren't any other children there...weird I know, but my mother did comment on the fact that there was a reason I had never been to the Grand Canyon, let me see if I can get this right 'There is no way I was going to take 9 kids to the edge of a mile deep drop off'. Okay I know that isn't exact, but that is the general idea. It seems as if that is the way that most people feel. There were a couple of 'are you crazy' looks and even one older lady totally freaking out because Ashley was touching the wall, not on it or leaning precariously over it, but touching it! The kids were excited about the canyon for a little while, but then took up a great fascination with the piles of snow. We distracted them with the visitors center and a gift shop, but they still ended up playing in the snow a little bit.