St George retreat

We had a fantastic week in Southern Utah with JB's sister Sarah, her husband Joe and their four great kids!

These two played dolls anywhere and everywhere they could, especially by the pool (where we were every day).

 

Cousins loved the bunk room.

We played pickleball at a cooler six in the morning with the sunrise.

We visited several awesome playgrounds and parks in the mornings, like Fossil Falls Park by the Virgin River (where the boys found a tire)

Thunder Junction All Abilities Park

Desert Vista Park with good shade where the kids ran through their own timed ropes course.

And a park with a hot wheels track on the playground where I forgot to take a picture.

We hiked on Thursday morning to Scout Cave at Snow Canyon State Park (later learning that someone died of heat stroke at this same park a few days later! We started hiking really early; the fatality happened in the afternoon).

Everyone needs a cousin to talk to as they hike.

Millie has announced in the past that she is "not a hikey person" but she did great this time.

This staircase really had me hurting the rest of the day, haha.

Thursday afternoon, JB and Andrew and Ben did baptisms in the St George temple

On Saturday, JB had gotten us permits to hike Kanarra Falls. 

Much of the hike is through water. The first set of falls has a staircase.

The second set of falls has a log ladder to scramble up and over.

The third set of falls is where you stop, enjoy the view, praise yourself for your hard work, then turn around and go back down the river. And get someone else to take a photo of everyone together!

Here's a shot going back down the staircase.

On Sunday we went to church at a local ward and then toured the St George Temple Visitors' Center and the Brigham Young Winter Home. 

Inside the visitors' center is a spot where people can write blessings from God. Joe saw James go in and write something and he pointed it out to me -- and I got teary-eyed. James had been complaining only moments before about something or another and scuffling with a sibling, and then he was so sweet! Millie is pointing out the words here, how James had written the names of his family members.

Before that moment, I had to sit with the kids to separate James and Andrew here:

 

We went to JB and Sarah's cousin Michelle's house for dinner and swimming in her pool.

Here is a picture of grandpa Byron with John Byron and James Byron.

And sometime during the week, we got a car wash at the Dino Dash mainly for this guy.

Thank you again to the Prestons for inviting us!