Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend

For Travis's birthday, we took a quick trip up north to Lake Powell to paddleboard into Antelope Canyon. I have NEVER been to Lake Powell before. I know, right?! So sad. Aubrey watched the kids which was so nice and we left Friday morning, April 29, to make the 5 hour drive. We drove straight to the lake and found the boat dock to be closed, so the place was pretty much deserted. The water level was super low. It's all anyone can talk about is how low Lake Powell is right now. We dropped the paddleboards off at the end of the dock then drove back up to park the truck and change. Travis hiked a little ways down to get the boards to the water, then we headed off! It was MAGICAL. I had always heard how beautiful Lake Powell was but I had no conceivable idea. I was entranced. The sheer cliffs on all sides and blue water were stunning. And we were essentially alone! Occassionaly, we'd pass other kayakers and I think once or twice a boat passed by, but it felt like we had this oasis to ourselves. I couldn't help but pause every few stokes and take more pictures. I couldn't believe my eyes! Really, words will never do justice to this experience. We paddled for a while until we got to a part where the cliffs had an opening for us to pass through. Luckily, Travis knew what he was doing. We entered a more narrow pass and this is where we saw a few more boats... the pontoon kind. Again, the cliffs took my breath away. How was this real life??! The most gorgeous scenery and we had beautiful weather! 

We had been paddling maybe two hours and got to the end of the line. The water was still and glass-like. There was a little opening with a few feet of shore where some kayaks were stashed. We pulled our paddleboards up onto the sand and started walking through the canyon. The beauty overwhelmed me. My jaw was on the ground. Seriously, it was like we had entered a storybook. One that I couldn't have dreamed up if I tried. The sand was powdery soft and the walls of the canyon were smooth and grained. It looked as if it were sculpted from a giant artist. And again... we were alone! Alone to wander through this peaceful, majestic haven. We oo'd and aww'd with every step. And kissed and took pictures and marveled that this was our life. I will never forget this day for as long as I live. And I got to experience it with my best friend and favorite person in the world. Pinch me.

I'm not sure how long we hiked, but maybe an hour to two hours. Once we got back to our paddleboards, we had a few snacks then started paddling out. It was just as breath taking and beautiful on the way out. Maybe more so. I don't even know how, I just know my whole soul was stunned to stillness. It was peaceful and grand beyond adjectives I know. 

Once we got out to the main water way, I had to really work to make any progress. Travis made it look easy, but I struggled a bit. The wind was against us and I swear it seemed like I paddled with all my might for 10 minutes and stayed in the exact same spot! It was slow progress, but we finally made it back to the dock. The only thing I'll add is that it did cross my mind a couple times that if something were to happen, a storm for example, we would basically have been screwed. There would have been no escape or safety. And I hear that storms will come in frequently and suddenly at Lake Powell. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking kids but we had a wonderful time. 

We went straight to dinner at the Grand Canyon Brewing + Distillery, which was fine but probably wouldn't recommend unless you were with a big crowd. Grabbed pints of ice cream at the grocery store and headed to the hotel to relax and watch that documentary movie about Kirk Warner. 

Perfect. Day.

The next morning we went to the meeting place for our tour of the Upper Antelope Canyon. Very annoyingly, they were still enforcing masks. The group was divided up into different cars and we were put with a couple and their young son. Our tour guide was awesome! We drove in a suburban with 4 wheel drive over some terrain to the entrance of the canyon. He let the other groups go first so that we could take our time and have as many pictures as we wanted without other people in them. Then he became tour guide/photographer! He'd pose us in the best spots, adjust our cameras and tell us where to look. At one spot, he threw sand onto a ledge so that it'd be spilling over in the picture. It was cracking me up. I loved it! The way the wind had carved out the walls was incredible. The grooves and lines were mesmerizing. It felt like being in Aladdin. A mystical wonderland of truly epic proportions.

Ok, but really, this is a picture I took!!!! It looks like it's straight from a magazine. The stark, contrasting colors. This world is so beautiful!!

After our tour, we drove the little ways to Horseshoe Bend. I had never been there either! It's a 10 min. walk from the parking lot and the heights are a bit staggering. No desire to get close to the edge for me, no thank you! This is where Travis paddleboarded with Gary last year. Arizona, you're pretty rad.

We passed through Flagstaff at just the right time for some dinner! Fat Olive's for pizza did the trick. 

Once we got into town, we saw that silly, new movie with Brad Pitt, Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock, The Lost City. Not gonna lie, we laughed pretty hard. We almost never see movies so this felt like a treat. 

Blizzards and what else but grocery shopping for Sunday. Now that sounds exactly like us. This trip was absolutely perfect. Couldn't have asked for better. I LOVED getting to do something new and adventurous and beautiful and then end it with simple and ordinary. 

Happy birthday to the best guy. 

 

Easter

My favorite holiday deserves its own post! 

And the EASTER PAGEANT IS BACK!!! I was SO sad I missed the audition dates last fall. I went at 4pm, right after the kids got out of school, to save seats and there were already so many taken! It was blazing hot at first so the boys took cover in the little shade they could find. We got Ned's Krazy Sub for dinner. Josie met us there and we ran into Jenni too so that of course calls for a picture. The pageant has changed and I liked some things, but missed Mary's Lullaby song most of all. The set is now facing the east instead of the west and there were some cool sets added, like the ship that Peter was on when he tried walking on the water. I loved that they used some of Rob Gardner's songs from The Lamb of God in the production. 

I LOVED this book by Brad Wilcox!! So many insights I had never heard before. It was my favorite, new thing I did this season. I have the whole thing underlined and highlighted. 

I have pro temple builders by now!

Awhile back I heard a podcast that referenced this book and it was so interesting!! All about how we tend to put all our focus and emphasis on Christ's resurrection or even Gethsemane, but not as much on his crucifixion. And yet, the scriptures referencing his death on the cross far outweigh those about Gethsemane. And the Atonement is all three parts. Growing up, I thought it was "bad" to wear a cross or have anything to do with a cross, but this changed my perspective. I came across this ring, online, and loved it. I bought an inexpensive one on Etsy, then Travis surprised me with the one I really wanted, a few weeks later. It was more expensive and he went to a jeweler to have it made for me. How sweet is that?! I understand why our church hasn't adopted the cross as a symbol, but for me, it represents CHRIST, plain and simple. And every time I put it on I think of Him. And I love that it is an outward sign to anyone that sees it, that I believe in Jesus Christ. 

I love the inscriptions the kids carve onto their lamps! Collin put a cross on one side and "believe in him" on the other.

This is only the second year I've washed their feet to commemorate the Last Supper and Tanner's giggling had us all laughing! 

This was another good resource I found. I mostly have all my traditions set, but it was interesting to glance through the extra activities that go with each day.

We invited the Neus' and Reddin and Karen's families over for our Passover dinner. Costco lamb slices made life easier! We put them in our flat bread for a yummy gyro!

I found some wooden crosses at Hobby Lobby for the kids to paint on Friday. We painted our names on them to remind us that Christ died for each of us.

I need to figure something else out for our resurrection rolls, haha! When I make them, they have a little higher success rate but when the kids do them, they always seem to bust out the sides. Maybe I'll try Rhodes rolls next time. 

We had church at 11:30am, so we went to the cemetery first thing in the morning for our breakfast devotional. When we got home, we caught Weston's friend, Liam, and his mom hiding eggs in our yard for a surprise! So sweet!! All the kids couldn't wait to do the egg hunt. 

We had dinner that evening at my parent's house and an egg hunt in their yard. We celebrated with the Evans the following Sunday. 

I cannot say it enough... I LOVE Easter! I feel more joy and peace the month and especially the week before Easter than I do at any other time of the year. It's like my soul is on cloud 9. I don't know how to describe it, but it is a testimony to me of the truthfulness of Christ's divine mission and life. He is who He claimed to be. The Son of God. The Savior of mankind. I love Him and worship Him.