Red Cliffs Reserve

Note:  I'm going to try and use this as somewhat of a journal so I can remember all the stuff we do here in St. George.  Feel free to skip any and all parts you want.

Wednesday, the kids and I flew to visit my parents in St. George, UT.  We will be here until February.  The flight was uneventful and the kids were well behaved.  

Thursday, I let the kids get settled in and then we got down to business with school.  After 3 late nights they were quite the grumps but I felt we needed to start with some structure and not let the day descend into chaos.  

Friday, Mom and I went to Las Vegas to help my sister with her little one who had been in the hospital with RSV all week. Thankfully she was doing much better and was her cute and adorable self.  I enjoyed being able to play with her and get to know her some more.  It was nice to be able to sit and chat with my sister, too.  We returned home on Saturday.

While we were in Las Vegas, Dad and the kids went to the library, several parks and out to eat twice.  Tyler even got to play with some little boys his age down the street.  They are loving their time with their Grandpa.  

Sunday was church.  Karena was very apprehensive about attending a different church.  I assured her that she would enjoy it and even make some friends she could play with while we are here.  All the kids did great in their Primary classes and Karena came out feeling much less stressed.  Tyler was actually shocked that the boys he played with on Friday were in his class at church!

Since Monday was a holiday we took the opportunity to go on a family hike.  Dad took the kids and I to Red Cliffs Reserve.  It is this mild hike that goes in between two sets of mountains into a canyon.  We could not have asked for better weather.  It was a little chilly in the shade but gorgeous in the sun.  The kids had fun climbing the different mounds of rocks.  I had several heart attacks watching Tyler scramble up and down them and get so close to the edge. 

 

We ended up hiking next to a stream that due to all the shade was frozen over in many spots.  The ice was thick enough that grown men could walk across and not break through!  It had frozen into these amazing crystals.  I tried to get some shots of it.  Dad nor I had ever seen ice form like that in a river or stream.

Near the beginning of the hike we saw this fallen down Cottonwood tree that looked like an elephant head and trunk.  The head was even hollow so the kids could play inside.

Here are several other pictures I got during our walk.  The scenery was truly amazing!

The girls were pretending to be the animals that left the 3 claw marks down the rock.  Tyler is just being cool!

Karena peering through a hole she had just climbed up.

Kids standing on top of the rock that had the hole Karena was peeking through.

The end of the hike.  We could have gone farther but it was a little too difficult with kids.  The little notches above the man's head in the middle act like a ladder you have to climb to get to the next portion of the hike.  There were people rappelling off the mountain cliff on the right.

The evil, creepy looking tree walking back to the trail head.  It looks even creepier in black and white.