Can't tell by this picture but he had just had an horrendous time changing the tire in the freeze.
So so so so so glad to finally make it to the Zion Ponderosa cabin at 3 am!! The snow and rubber donut tire made for slow going and we had to take the long route around. A four-hour drive became seven. It only stopped snowing for about a 20 mile stretch between Cedar City and Virgin.
This is what lovebirds look like at three in the morning, so very tired but HAPPY!!
Enjoying the country cabin decor
of course - patchwork heart completes any cabin
The kids were so very happy to climb onto their huge cozy bunkbed - one that the whole family could easily cuddle up in. The kids went right to sleep while Matt and I got snuggly and read late into the morning. Seemed like the right thing to do.
Checking out the view in the morning
Which is ...
very snowy ...
from every angle. Which is just perfect when you have a cabin for the weekend!!
Eating hearty warm oatmeal
One would think my kids have never seen snow before. Orion walked the whole way to the lodge in the snow.
Next stop was to get our tire fixed. Lucky for us the closest town has us go right through Zion National Park.
Checkerboard Mesa
Matt helping Bella capture the beauty with her film camera
We saw lots of waterfalls that never exist in the summer (or most of the year)
The snow was like powdered sugar on the mountaintops down in the valley, highlighting everything.
This is the only picture of the bulk of the day. Sweet Jarom letting both of his siblings rest on him. We got our tire fixed and shopped to our hearts' delights at a thrift store. We had found out that Zion Ponderosa had a hot tub - but we didn't pack any bathing suits so we were going for secondhand ones. We really didn't need that excuse to go - we were going to go there anyway and we would have been swimming with or without the suits. :)
Back on the road to Zion. Very excited to leave the city and get back to our snowy mountains.
Forced Matt out of the car to get some incredible photos
Making it home
in time for the sunset. We threw on our suits and braved the 19-degree walk to the spa.
Bella and I both put a foot in and most definitely agreed that warm was not warm enough on such a cold day. The boys did not seem to mind - until the walk back.
Wet suits off - check. Cozy with my blanket - check. We rented a movie from Redbox and even bought some games and books while we were in town. So all we had to do was make the couchbed and have the whole night to play.
Dinner - PB&J without the J :)
No one argued when we said it was time for bed
Up with the sun, wanting to make the most of our last day
Jarom capturing signs of spring on our first hike (the Canyon Overlook trail) - Indian paintbrush
Shimmering icicle tree
Hugging the canyon wall
Climbing the warm sandstone
End of the trail... never looked so good
Matt and the kids on the freaky bridge
Trail to Weeping Rock, where another rare waterfall was flowing
Finished out our day looking for star fossils (crinoids) in Mt. Carmel Junction
It takes a trained eye
My kids are pros
Look closely and you will see this is a star graveyard
Love the ones with the extra details
The babiest stack of them
Stopped here for dinner but decided to move on, up beautiful Highway 89 and west through the Cedar Mountain area and ten-foot stacks of fresh snow (road plowed thankfully at 10,000 feet) and back out into Cedar City for dinner and then the home stretch.
