Walton Family Vacation

One of the things on my January To Do List is to get all caught up on the blog . . . . so that’s what I’m doing.  There were a few vacations we took last summer that I never documented, and for my own sake, really, I’m still going to blog about them.  Because I really do want to make this blog into a book, and I would definitely want these vacays to be a part of it.  So bear with me through these next few posts.

For our Walton Family Vacation this year we decided to spend a little time together in Utah, which worked out perfectly for us since we had already been in Utah for over a week already, as part of our month long transition between our moves.  The reunion began on Saturday, June 5th, with a visit to Seven Peaks Water Park, courtesy of the Brintons (thanks guys!).  I don’t have any pictures from that day, but it sure was fun!  That night we all drove back to Kaysville for a BBQ at Scott and Elisha’s.  The next day, we all went to Scott and Elisha’s ward and then drove down to Southern Utah to a cabin we had rented for a few days.  The cabin was in Orderville, UT, just a half hour from Zion National Park.

I really have to thank my in-laws for this cabin, because the original plan was to go camping, and I just didn’t know how I was going to camp for a few days with a 2 month old.  I really needed running water, air conditioning, and a decent place to spend nights with a newborn.  So we searched around and found this cabin, and it was awesome!!  Air conditioning, fully equipped everything, and plenty of space for everyone (each family got their own room).  So thanks guys for this compromise!  I promise I won’t always complain about camping:)

On Monday we went on a hike to a small slot canyon.  The Southern Utah sun was blazing down on us; it was pretty hot out.

Taking a break to feed the baby!  And don’t worry, we did have his head covered with a light blanket.

The hike wasn’t very technical at all, but when you have a baby strapped to you, you’re kind of limited to what you can do.

The kids always love when they wear matching clothes, so good thing we had all brought their Olympic t-shirts along! 

On Tuesday, we went into Zion National Park.  We took a shuttle bus up to the lodge, and from there went on a hike up to the Emerald Pools.

James did great.  He was just a happy little guy in the baby bjorn checking out all the sights!    

After lunch, we walked along the river to the entrance of the Narrows.  We couldn’t enter the Narrows because the water was flowing too fast, but we found some fun places to play along the river in the freezing water.       

I wasn’t the only one who fell asleep on the way back . . . . we had a fun day in the park, but it was hot and I was exhausted.

Life hanging around the cabin was pretty fun as well.  We played lots of games, of course.  Chris and Amy taught us a new game called Bang.  So that was definitely the dominating game of this trip.

Grandpa took the kids on his traditional seal hunt.  

And one night we spent a hilarious evening playing Minute to Win It games . . . . so funny!!

We took turns being on “dinner crew.”   These kabobs Lisa and helpers made were so good.

And of course, like any vacation, just being together is the best part of all.  We sure missed Elder Brian Walton though!!! 

Dan and I and the kids left on Thursday morning (June 10th) to drive to California to get ready for our Hawaii trip.  It sure was sad saying goodbye to everyone – the Johnson’s were flying to Germany in a few days to begin their 3 year adventure there and we didn’t know when we would see them next.  We were so happy we could spend this time together before they left!

Family Pictures

We took these pictures on November 12th in Virginia City when Dan’s parents were here visiting us.  We found a really old building to use as a backdrop and with the help of David and Mary, we ended up getting some good ones!  We used this first one for our Christmas card.      

Annie – just turned 6, Leah – 3 years and 8 months, James – 7 months

   

Finally a Sunbeam!

Leah was so excited to finally be a Sunbeam!  She was just so ready to be in Primary with all of the big kids.  These last few months she really wasn’t wanting to go to nursery anymore, going so far to say to us, “I don’t want to go nursery anymore, they’re all babies in there!”  She even opted to go with Dan one week while he taught his 12-13 year old Sunday School class.  So we were really happy that she was finally in Primary as well! 

Her first day as a Sunbeam was actually 2 weeks ago.  I loved being in Primary and watching her look all grown up and proud.  She was a really good girl and sat very reverently just soaking it all in.  She was even picked to be a volunteer during sharing time, and confidently went up like she knew what was going on. 

On the way home from church, I asked her, “Leah!  How did you like your first day as a Sunbeam?!”  And she said very matter of factly, “It was good.  In class, we all went to the bathroom, and then everyone left and my teachers thought they had everybody, but they didn’t.  They didn’t have me.”  Oh dear.  But she quickly explained that they came back to get her.  Well that’s good. 

Doggy Buns

Over Thanksgiving, someone in my family gave James the nickname of “Doggy Buns” while he was wearing these pajamas.  Ever since then, the girls always want him to wear these so they can call him that.  They think it’s so funny.  They are pretty cute, and I’m kind of sad that he’s already out growing them.

 

Poor little guy is just oblivious to the fact that there is a big dog face on his behind!

   

James – 9 months old

New Year's Day

 

On New Year's Day we went to Port Moody to watch Mike be a crazy man and participate in the Penguin Plunge.

I think Mike might have been having some second thoughts as he stood among the other crazies . . . . especially when he heard that a fire truck had been brought in to break up the ice near the shore.  

But I think the big chunks of ice floating in the water really added to the drama of the event. 

The area was just gorgeous.  It reminded me of some of the stops that were on the Alaskan cruise I did with my family.

From Port Moody, we drove over to Belcarra Park to enjoy the beautiful scenery, play at the playground, and walk along the docks.  It was such a nice day . . . . still cold out, but the sun was shining and it was fun checking out a new area.

Just love this little guy!!

There were a few people on the docks catching crabs.  Here someone is showing us how they measure the crabs and explaining how they can only keep the ones that are big enough.  They throw the more fortunate smaller ones back into the water. 

The girls had obviously never seen a crab before.  They were a little nervous as they watched the odd looking creature scratch its way across the dock.

It was so bright out, it was hard to open our eyes for pictures!  Mary and David did a pretty good job here though. 

Mike was taking some engagement photos for Amy and Chris.  It was fun watching them try to act natural while doing cheesy poses:)

So, we had to take a couples picture as well!  Haha . . . . ours is much more boring though:)  But forget about us, check out the scenery behind us!  Isn’t it just gorgeous?
Well, that’s the end of our Christmas trip.  The next day, Sunday, January 2nd, we flew from Seattle to Reno and landed just in time to go home, change into some church clothes and make it for the last 2 hours of church.  Dan was teaching his new Sunday School class, I was teaching my new Primary class, and it was Leah’s first week as a Sunbeam, so I’m glad we made it back in time!

We had such a fun and relaxing Christmas vacation.  We were there for almost 10 days, and it still seemed to just fly by.  It was great spending this time with Dan’s family, although we really missed Elder Walton and the Johnsons in Germany.  Thanks everyone for a fun trip, and we can’t wait to see you all again in March for the wedding!