Capitol Reef Part I

Here are some more pictures from this past summer. David and I took a quick weekend trip to Capitol Reef in southern Utah in August. David went there a lot with his mom and brother as a kid, and it's become one of our favorite places to go as a couple. Since I took more pictures than I could possibly hope to post (and more than you would ever care to see), I'll post some highlights of the trip.

We had some fun on the way down. We saw a half-sunken house...

...a beautiful sunset (although southern Utah is never short on these)...

...and the Manti temple.

Due to a series of unfortunate events involving our Jeep and a two-hour freeway delay for no apparent reason in Provo, we were a little late getting started on our trip. Therefore, by the time we got down to Capitol Reef, it was close to midnight and pitch black outside. So, we spent the first night of our trip in the back of the car, an experience I would not recommend and have no desire to repeat. I was so thankful  when I heard a nearby rooster crow, because it meant that the sun was coming up and I could get up as well.

See how happy I am to be up and awake?

 

We drove into the park after some hot chocolate and scrambled over some rocks for a few hours.

 

We decided to hike Chimney Rock, which was five miles round trip. I had to take pretty frequent breaks and was sore for about a week after, but it was still a lot of fun. Chimney Rock is in the background behind David and I.

While we were on our little hike, we found quite a bit of petrified wood. Here seems to be the remains of a prehistoric campfire:

Here's a close-up (yes, I picked it up, but I put it right back where I found it, don't worry):

 

David and I found the biggest chunk of petrified wood ever! Can you imagine the tree it came from?

David found an old wagon near the visitor's center and decided to give it a try...

 

It was really hot outside, so we decided to roll up our jeans and play in the Fremont River. This pose reminds me of Juno's "I am a craken from the sea!" moment. If you haven't seen that movie, do it. It's hilarious.

 

We found this amazing mud hut on the side of the river while we were there. Actually, no, we didn't. David built it, it's 3" tall.

 

Stay tuned for our more conventional second night of camping, fruit picking, and petroglyphs!

Capitol Reef Part II

Our second night in Capitol Reef, we managed to find the spot we camped in the last time we went. Our Jeep handled the rough terrain slightly better than the Yaris.

 

We made tinfoil dinners in the fire...

 

... and mountain man breakfast the next morning (bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns all in the same pan).

Then we drove into the park to see the petroglyphs carved by the Fremont Indians.

 

You can't go to Capitol Reef and not pick fruit from the orchards planted by the pioneers who originally settled the area. I have never tasted better apples in my life! David went for peaches this year, though:

The most beautiful thing about Capitol Reef is the contrast between the green trees, blue sky, and red rocks. It is one of the most visually stunning places I have ever been, and I'm so grateful we live so close to it!

 

At one point during my pregnancy, David turned to me and asked, "Do babies go camping?" I said, "I don't see why not." We'll have to take our little one there this year, if we're feeling brave, that is.

4th of July

Yes, I know, it's January 2011. What do you want, I've been pregnant for the past 10 months! :)

Carrie Underwood is one of my favorite singers, and probably the only recent country singer I can say I truly enjoy listening to. So when I heard she was coming to Provo to perform at the Stadium of Fire, I convinced my parents to go there instead of Yellowstone. Sorry, Mom; there were probably millions of moose that were not hiding behind the trees that we consequently missed (my mother lives to see moose in Yellowstone, and it hasn't happened in a good six years).

Anyway, we all hopped in my parents' car and drove to Utah county to see Carrie Underwood perform. That should show you my level of devotion to her right there. :)

Unfortunately, the portion of the Stadium of Fire before Carrie Underwood was disappointing. It was clear they had spent all their money on getting her to come, as all the other performers were from Utah and/or related to members of the directing board. There was another male country singer I had never heard of, a group of eight Osmond brothers singing a copella (painful), and the 5 Browns, who all sat down at their grand pianos and played themes from "Star Wars..." in a football stadium...to celebrate our country's independence. Hmm...


But, the moment I at least had been waiting for finally arrived! Carrie Underwood!

I had the time of my life! I lost my voice screaming the songs, and may or may not have scared my immediate family members in the process.

Of course, it wouldn't be the 4th of July without fireworks!

 

So, Carrie Underwood was worth sitting through almost 2-1/2 hours of nothing spectacular, but next time, I think David and I will pay the extra money to go to a real concert of her's. We'll have to get a babysitter this year, though... :)

Still waiting...

If you've been wondering if the reason I haven't posted lately was because the baby came and I was thus distracted, I'm sorry to say that this is not the case. She's not here yet. That calender up there with the cute little footprints is wrong. She was supposed to come on Monday, but she appears to be quite comfortable right where she is. Every day I show up at work, my boss says, "You haven't had the baby yet?" "No," I reply exasperatedly, day after day. The good news is that I'm scheduled to be induced on Sunday night at 8:00 pm. I'm Group B Strep positive, which means that I have a bacteria that is normally occurring in adults but not in babies and therefore dangerous. This also means that they'll give me antibiotics for four hours before they start the induction drugs. So, she's coming out Monday, whether she wants to or not! I'm all for being induced at this point. I actually called my doctor and begged her to induce me a week ago, but then I realized that the insurance wouldn't cover it (because it would have been "elective"), so I had to call, apologize for being a crazy pregnant woman, and have them switch the date back to Sunday night. The risks of waiting to go into labor naturally outweigh the benefits anyway. In a way, it's kind of nice. I know that tomorrow is my last day of work; I won't wake up in the middle of the night and think, "Are these real contractions or the fake ones? Should I go? Should I wait? Panic, panic!"; and there's a definite cut-off date. We all know how much Rachel likes to plan, and it's no secret that I've disliked the unpredictable nature of this whole operation. Well, we have a plan! Which will probably be upset in some way, but I've had so many "plans" about this pregnancy upset that I ought to be used to it by now.

Anyway, David and I will be sure to post pictures as soon as it enters into our brains to do so in the craziness of the event!