August 12: Leaving the Cabin

Last quad ride before leaving the cabin.

The fuzzy animal two up on the left is a stuff yellow-bellied marmot.  Top right is Grandma's bird collection.  Notice the Angry Bird that Uncle R bought for her.

August 11: The Pizza Factory

We had to go to Cedar City the day after Princess Sparkley's birthday so we celebrated her birthday again with the entire family at The Pizza Factory.  I LOVE their breadsticks on sticks.

When we went up for bed, we found the kids on the loft looking like this:

August 11: Getting Water

While the new cabin is a huge improvement from the old cabin, the running water requires that my brother's car, hauling a trailer with a giant water tank on it fills up with water from a natural spring to fill up a enormous water tank in the basement of the cabin.  My dad, B and I took our turn filling up the water with my niece Amanda.  We hit a rock.  And documented it.

Video and pictures coming.  I hope.

August 11: Aspen Mirror Lake

On the way back to the cabin after hiking to Cascade Falls, we stopped at Aspen Mirror Lake to see how pretty it was.

August 11: Cascade Falls

In the morning we took a hike to Cascade Falls.

Zion NP

Towards Grandma's cabin near that grassy part of the mountain in the center.

Princess Sparkley's new pet chipmunk Buddy got her for her birthday.

Indian Paintbrush

Bridge crossing arm.

Teeny waterfall

August 10: Princess Sparkley's Birthday

 After Bryce Canyon the day before, we met my old roommate Tiffany in Duck Creek Village with her two kids, A and C.  They came back to the cabin with us and spent the next day with us before heading back up to northern Utah.

Since this was Princess Sparkley's birthday day (she's 9!!) she got to pick our activities.  We went to Navajo Lake and splashed around in the freezing water.

Then we drove down to Brian Head, looked at the ski lifts and the view, while listening to The Carpenter's "Top of the World" in the car.  It was cold and windy on top of the mountain so we hurried back to the car and Tiffany left with her kids.

 We stopped at Duck Creek on the way back to the cabin in case the water there was warmer to splash in.  It wasn't.

A lot of the Quaking Aspens looked like this.  Rumor has it that the temperature dropped below freezing before all the sap had drained in the trees and they snapped in half like this after making load, firecracker popping sounds.

Our nine year old.  Nine!

I made this banner for our family in April for Buddy's birthday and brought it along to the cabin to make a cabin birthday extra special for PS.  Having a June birthday myself, I know what it's like to be away from home on your birthday.

Chocolate cake, white frosting, sprinkles.  Per request.  Although, I think she said pink frosting and I decided not to worry about food dye up at the cabin.

Little Guy trying out the new zip line.