Thanks George!

This year for Thanksgiving we got to go to Thanks George, also known to some as Saint George. My family really likes to hold on to little nuggets of greatness so even after about…11 years it has been Thanks George. It’s cute. We got to ride with Paityn on the way down, so that was pretty much the best way to start a vacation. Her and the Appa dog became great friends. 

I don’t care who ya are, that right there is cute!

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving feast, I made a peanut butter pie and man oh man it was good. Appa got a giant bully stick for his Thanksgiving feast. It was pretty hilarious watching him try to figure out what to do with that thing. 

We finished off the day in a wonderful way


That is whipped cream from a can. It’s kind of addicting.

The next day we went on a hike to Snow Canyon overlook. It was so lovely. This is me, Jade and Haley on the way up.

This was our view at the top. It was kinda freaking me out because it came to a very abrupt cliff and it was giving me the willies.  

Here is what it looked like if you hung your head over the edge of the cliff. Yes Riley and Dad were dangling over the edge.

Here is Dad.

Here is all of us overlooking Snow Canyon

Haley and Dad

Jade got a pedicure in the sand. It was really soft sand.

Haley pondering life.

Heading back down

We love hiking!

We had a very nice time in Saint George, a little get away was just what we needed.

More Hiking?!

Yes, it is true. No sewing going on here, just hiking. Well if you can call Ensign Peak a hike-its a half mile round trip. We went up to watch the sunset. We barely made it but it was still beautiful.

Riley and Appa at the top.

The Appa dog

Me at the top

The colorful sky

The Salt Lake Valley (I suggest you click on these panoramas and see them at a bigger size)

So pretty

I discovered I’m kinda obsessed with lights-at-night pictures. I took a ton. I can’t decide which I like more, short exposure

Or long exposure? Questions, comments, thoughts, concerns?

We did Ensign Peak on Friday, then Saturday we did Silver Lake. This is the one we started a while back with Riley’s family but never finished. Coming in at 4.5 miles, I think this can be called a real hike.

Riley and Appa by the water.  This is very close to where I slipped into the splits. It’s fine, nothing was hurt but my pride.

The best family picture we have ever taken. Appa is the coolest dog in town. Seriously.

A full view from our destination

Me, with my sweet new backpack, and the Appa dog on the way back down.

The colors were great! and it smelled like fall! I really love the smell of fall!

This picture was taken October 22nd. Now lets take a walk down memory lane…

To the picture we took on the same trail on September 10th. That sure is a color difference!

I feel like this picture needs and inspirational quote or scripture on it like “Ye walk not alone” or something. (That’s not scripture, I just made it up)

So….that’s what we have been up to. Yup.

A hiking we will go

Before I tell you anything about hiking first look at this picture of Appa with his Husky puppy friend Meka. That’s cute right there.

Our hiking adventures all began with a hike to Battle Creek Falls. We did it one Saturday along with Mom, Dad and Willie

This is the waterfall

You hike down to it and can hang out in this little bowl. Usually you can play in the water but there was far more water coming down then I have ever seen before

That’s a lot a water!

Crazy ol Willie, she was making me nervous with her dare devilness

Mom and Dad watching the pups play

Appa loves to chase running water

Riley and Appa coming back down

On the way down we stopped for a little foot dip. The water was very cold. And there is my yellow shirt in action just like I said!

Next we hiked to Scout Falls. Me and Appa on the trail

Me and Appa and a nice view

Riley and Appa and a nice view

Me and Riley and a nice view

Me and Riley at the waterfall

Ohhh pretty

There was one sticky little spot but Appa took it like a champ, so did Riley

Next was an attempt to Silver Lake with Riley’s family. We Like hiking to water ok? It was only an attempt because a half mile in it started to rain so we turned around and came back. Luckily the hike started at a lake (more like a larger pond) so we played around in there for a while. 

Appa was so covered in mud it was ridiculous

Next hike was another attempt, this time to Butterfield peaks. Riley found it online but nothing said how far it was other then “a little bit”. We headed up one day after work and hiked for a while and watched the sunset which was kinda awesome. When the sun was basically set we decided we better head back. When we got home Riley punched our info in to google earth and it is a good thing we turned back. We were not even close! I’m glad we did it anyway, the sunset was fun and the leaves were colorful!

We went back 5 days later to try Butterfield Peaks again and we made it! It was crazy how much more the leaves had changed, we couldn’t get over it. It was a pretty hard hike but we all made it to the top and it was well worth it! The blue line is the trail we took.

Same mountains as the attempt pictures-way more color!

 

Me and Riley about half way

It was pretty hot up there when we weren’t in the trees so we had to make sure and stay hydrated!

Appa was real happy about the situation 

Cute boys

Seriously part of the hike looked like this, it was a great leg workout

We got to the top of the mountain and this is what we saw

It was very beautiful

Obviously, we have been having a lot of fun!