Labor Day in "The Swell"

We did a Blake family camp out over Labor Day weekend out near Goblin Valley in the San Rafael Swell.  We left around 3 on Friday and got there around 8 (factoring in Merit feed times).  Ron and Lucas and Shellie had their trailers and Anisa, Ryan, Logan and I were tenting it.  This was Merit's first real camping trip (we did a night in Pine Valley with the ward, but one night doesn't really count).  The first night we were there, Logan and Chapter slept in Lucas and Shellie's trailer and Merit and I slept in the truck.  We didn't want to set up the tent in the dark and we didn't have to.

The next day we got up and hiked Little Wild Horse Canyon.  I had heard about it and how awesome and kid friendly it is.  It's really great because it's a slot canyon with hardly and obstacles and it's dry and easy to get to.  Chapter was in HEAVEN!  He was running through the canyon with the big kids and walked almost the whole way (I'd guesstimate about 3-4 miles total).  We didn't go all the way through because we ran into water and we didn't want to get wet.  Merit did great too, just snoozing in her carrier.

 That afternoon we had a little more adventure than I had bargained for.  We had the trailers parked parallel so we could hang out in the middle, and the wind got kind of bad.  We were all kind of just hanging out between the trailers and trying to stay sheltered.  Lucas' trailer was jacked up really high in the back because he was parked on a hill.  We had chairs lined up all along the sides of the trailers, which was stupid and I'll tell you why in just a minute.  Logan was holding Merit in a chair right behind the door to Lucas' trailer.  Someone was going into the trailer and the wind caught the door and it slammed back smacking Merit in the back of the head and then smacking Logan full on in the face.  I didn't even know that Logan got hit for probably 30 minutes because I lost it.  I was screaming and holding Merit and I swear I have never been that scared in my whole life.  We grabbed Chapter, gave Merit a blessing, and jumped in the truck and headed to Green River. As soon as we got cell service we called 911 and they told us that an ambulance would meet us in Green River.  Longest ride of my life with my poor girl crying and wanting to go to sleep and me trying to comfort her while still keeping her awake. Once we got to Green River we called again to tell them where we were and it still took probably 30 minutes for the ambulance to come.  They checked her out, and said it was just a goose egg.  Seriously, blessings work because it hit Logan after it hit Merit and it still made his nose bleed and hurt his face.  I think sometimes stuff just has to happen to remind you of your faith.  Does that make sense?  Like in the middle of all the chaos when it first happened all I could think about was Logan giving her a blessing, and I swear even with all the screaming and hyperventilating I was doing I was praying the whole time for my baby.  It seems a little mellow dramatic now, since she was thankfully okay, but this was good for me.  It helped me remember how much Heavenly Father loves us and how much hope your faith can give you even when  you are falling apart.  Long story, but they were both fine and her goose egg is already gone.  Babies are resilient!

The next day we went looking for this awesome thing called Wild Horse Window.  It's a big alcove with a hole in the ceiling that you can repel through.  We didn't find it, but we did hike another cool canyon.  The rest of the day was spent playing on "wheelers" as Chap calls them.  My motto for the day was "Don't you dare make fun of my for my kid wearing helmet!" Then we went to Goblin Valley after dinner.  

The whole group

 All the Blake grandkids (minus Tanner) 

 Then the next morning Logan and Anisa went back to find Wild Horse Window.  Anisa went because I wasn't up for anything strenuous with my kids and I was afraid he'd die if he went alone:)  I wasn't there, but it looks amazing!  I guess it really wasn't that strenuous, but I had kind of had it with danger at that point. Haha.  He's a good husband, he took pictures of his rigging so that I could look at it and know he was safe.  He knows me too well, I love him:)

 This was on the way home.  We haven't done anything juvenile for a while so we thought this would be hilarious,  And it is.

Meet Snowball.  She is our truck.  I haven't named a vehicle since high school when I drove the Scarlet Lady, but she needed it.  We bought her in June and we really do love her (I have officially bonded with her by sleeping in her roomy cab).  She has some issues which we are slowly working through.  That's why we named her Snowball, because one problem kind of snowballs into another with this truck, haha.  It's been nice having a truck, although I'll be sad to part with one of our vehicles, probably my Corolla, since that will be the fastest way into a mini van (I am so tired of putting car seats in a Corrolla!).