A Day at the GC!

Oh good morning! Between the growling stomach, neighbor packing up their massive and load RV, and the Insterstate being less than a mile away, there was zero way I was going back to leep. Also, the sun comes up much, much earlier here. It was 5 AM and looked like It was time for a run!

I quietly as possible grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat on the couch with God and a blanket for a little while. I guess he knew where I was at because everything pertained to me, of course.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever. And I thought, “and ever, and ever, and…” imagining standing above the grand canyon thinking it just went on forever. Thank you for yet another day. Then he went on to talkin g about having hope and a future and that there is nothing that can separate me from God. That is good. I feel like I’ve been a little bratty. Tired. Obviously short tempered and feeling guilty. This reminded me, that I’m going to make mistakes in life and that I am forgiven and loved, not just by God, but by those who I love and love me most.

So, the stupid grand canyon. Now it's not stupid anymore, thanks Brit. Yes, we made it! It was wow, and it was SO cool to finally be there, and it was not anything like I imagined! It seemed to have no end and no beginning, and it completely messed with depth perception, making it so hard to just focus on one area. It was this swirling vortex of beauty, and possibly a little overwhelming and I know you'll think I'm nuts, but underwhelming all at the same time.

My initial thought was wow. That is amazing. I stared for a bit, took a couple of pictures and then, I was over it. We had made it and I was ready to go see something else. It was entirely too hot and thankfully we stopped by DG to grab a cooler, ice and tons of water and Gatorade. Thankfully, there is this this road called Desert Drive. It seemed to be a road to nowhere, but along the way were these amazing little look off points with NO ONE there!! We decided to pass them all and get to the Desert Watch Tower but when we got there the building was cool and all, but THAT was what I was thinking. You could see the Colorado River, You could see grassy tops, and just pure beauty. We found a tiny shade spot on the edge and sat a while eating our ice cream sandwiches, Chaco Tacos, and those little cones with chocolate and nuts you get from the ice cream man. You know you want him to come now!! Lol.

The edge freaked me out a little but on the way back, we hopped the fence and found this rock protruding over an enormous drop. We sat there taking turns and pictures as shade came over this little cove and had the kids not been there, I could picture Skip and I sitting there for hours. Again, the sun was fierce, no doubt, but the shade did give a little relief.

Because we were not towing a camper, I drove. Praise the Lord because I really do not like being a passenger, more than I ever, ever knew now. I would habitually get into the passenger seat, and would be unbuckling a minute down the road, begging him to let me drive. I’m not sure I blogged the night before as we got in so late, and if I did sorry. When we were almost to our camp I saw this animal on the side of the road. I told Skip it had to be the biggest deer I had ever seen. He shrugged me off a little, especially when I said it didn’t have a rack and I wondered too. Could a female be that big? Well, thankfully I was set at ease when everyone saw this giant beast in the park. Apparently there are mule deer (they live up to the name), coyotes and COUGARS too!!! Oh, I wanted to see one so very badly, but nothing. Just a few of those mutant deer.

On the way back down through Desert Drive we did have a bit of some giggles. We would pull into one of those overlooks and slowly drive by deciding if we were getting out and we would be like, “awwww, look, pretty, okay…. Keep going” and never stop. I have a fun video I will attach the link here at some point:

I did realize with our go-go-go that I didn’t call my dad for Father’s Day, not that I could have really if I had remembered, but yikes, that is like not calling on your birthday. Oh he always gets that wrong, so we are even. Just kidding, that is totally lame. We did celebrate Skip’s daddy day with a new omelet pan which I was SURE he had figured out, as he had to take us to the store, but he had NO idea! We were excited. If you didn’t know, Skip is like a master omelet chef at this point and takes much pride in stuffing egg pancakes full of veggies. Usually to the point that there are way more veggies than egg, and then covers it with siracha. Did I mention jalepenos? I could never, but that is his staple breakfast and I love it. Most of the time we cut and chop and cook them together. It’s a fun thing to do actually!

Everyone is still so fast asleep. We actually got back here around 7 ish our time, yes we were eating dinner at almost 9pm every night, and stopped at this place called Kicks on Route 66. It was fabulous. We all had local red meat, steaks, hamburgers, baked potatos, fries and veggies that were cooked to perfection. It was so good that Alana said it was the best burger she had ever had and it did not need ketchup. That it was "eh" with ketchup. So whatever I said about Alana NOT being my culinary baby the other day, ya, scratch that. She was rating the food! lol. Never.

This was also a place where you could draw on the table. So good and bad. Good, Alana drew a unicorn and it was out of this world amazing. Bad? The kids wrote ALL over the table how they missed Georgia and wanted to go home. Seriously? I guess a little part of me understands that feeling because typically 7 days of vacation is all I can handle too.

For some reason though, and we think it is because we have literally been non-stop, but that for Skip and I we almost feel like we have only been gone a couple of days, not a week! Then again, we had only been gone for 5 days, who said a week!? Lol.

I attributed it to our old normal. We were always busy. Always trying to fit in all we could into the day, making life crazy, fast paced and honestly, now that I am where I am, it is just too much. Our lives have slowed down so much, that this last year has felt like an eternity, and in a good way. The days are longer, time is slower, its enjoyable to just stop and look around not worrying much about what you need to do tomorrow because we pretty much don’t make plans or really care about what we do tomorrow because its today that matters. Here, we are on a bit of a schedule trying to get from place to place so we at some point have enough time to get home. And then, when we get home, its doctor appointment mania, and THEN its out to California. AND then, yep, summer is ¾ over. It’s kind of sad and I offered to sell everything out here and buy four flights home. I was half, more than half serious.

I do not know how the Offenberg's did it, and they are traveling the WORLD. Maybe that is key, make it really, really hard to get home, then it doesn’t matter. Or maybe stay in one spot for more than 1 or 2 nights? Oh yes, that is it. So we are SUPPOSED to go to Bryce Canyon today and stay there 3 nights. We stayed here 2 nights, but we did not get to bed until after midnight both nights and yesterday really wasn’t a down day of driving. We contemplated staying here another day, going to the indoor pool (who thinks it would be hotter in there than outside? me!!).

I think for me I’d likely hang in the camper, sleep the 3 hours I got robbed of, and at night go back to route 66. So, the restaurant we went to was off the town a mile or so. When we drove back we went right through downtown Williams and let me just say, the nightlife was unreal. It looked like the movie Cars. I so wanted to stop, but it was crowded, late and everyone was tired. I don’t like missing out, and sometimes it gets the best of me, but not tonight.

Instead we get back and about settled and Madison decides, “I need to go take a shower.” UGH. Okay, we will ALL go shower. Can I just say, I swam on swim team for 3 years, I’ve been to MANY campgrounds at races and not, and this may have been the filthiest shower facility I have ever seen. Yes, it was worse than the one at Yargo that year, because it wasn’t mud, it was black from everyone’s flip flops. Ok, I’m done, I might make myself sick. So we laughed it off, changed up on the bench without touching the floor and did our best to not touch anything. Even Alana, who is the WORST about rolling around and touching everything was grossed out! That says a LOT for the child that licked salt off the table the other night. So not kidding. I think there is something wrong with her senses. Like a baby needs to suck on it to sense what it is, yes, I’ve caught her licking the check out at Kroger. I do not lie, it has been quite a while, but she was well old enough to know better! So nasty!

We climbed into bed, and today is a new day!! I’m totally freezing now, but know today will be another hot one. We saw the sad, deadly news last night of the heat taking lives of people hiking. Very strong, hikers, and young. It is farther south than we are, but still, we saw EMS for one lady yesterday, she was okay, but it’s too hot to be out more than 15-20 minutes at a time. I’m glad we drove and could pop in and out of the car. We almost took the train and it leaves you there for 3 and a half hours. I think I would’ve killed someone at that point. NO way.

I was trying to think if there was anything I’ve missed, but I don’t think so. I’m really looking forward to Bryce Canyon. It is supposedly much cooler, and lots of different and cool places to explore. I had ALWAYS wanted to se the Grand Canyon, and that was the main basis for this trip, but the more I researched and learned about the parks, I knew it was going to be cool, but not as cool as some other places we had on our list.

Off to get the family up because its go time. Just kidding, I’ll let them sleep to lunch if needed!! I’m glad to be alive another day, I’m now fully content with where I am after yesterday. I told Skip, “I’m good, either way whatever happens.” And you know what he said looking over me, “I’m not.” Well, I’m not for you too, but I’ve so learned to push out the future and not allowing it to worry me. I’m content. I’m peaceful. I’m filled and even allllll those days and moments the kids fought and acted like animals, I don’t recall a single moment of any of them anymore. They have all been replaced with the smiles, laughs, and awe inspired smiles of my sweet three and a half. Jax too, that dog makes me looney, but he’s been such a love. "Mommy? Where’s mommy?" Picture tongue hanging out, leash stretched and all 7 pounds begins dragging Madison down a trail to get me.

I hear stirs, I’m going to sign off and get back in bed pretending to be a sleep, so it can stay this peaceful forever and maybe so someone can make me breakfast ttoday. Sneaky, me! Heheh.

Love to all, thanks for the continued encouragement. I didn’t ignore anyone yesterday, we prcaticlly had no service (which I adored) and its horrible spotty even at camp.

Love love love!

Nadine