Road Trip 2011!

We have had many adventures this summer...none of which, I'm sorry to say, have been documented on the blog!  But in an effort to start catching up, here's the latest (and family-record LONGEST) road trip!

We packed up the car and headed to Lake Powell to meet up with all the Smiths.  We took our time going there...checking out the hotels along the way.  This room in Decatur, TX gets the highest rating from the boys...it came equipped with 'light sabers' as they called them...and they jumped and wrestled for a good long while!  :)  Every hotel room after that one was a total let down, according to them!  

By the end, we got pretty good at squeezing the kids in a queen-size bed.  I don't know what we'll do when they get bigger! Oh wait, we'll get them their own room and we'll actually get some sleep ourselves.  Imagine that!!!

We stopped at the Albuquerque Temple on Sunday morning and ate a picnic breakfast and took some family pictures.  :) 

We arrived at Lake Powell and instantly fell in LOVE!  That place was AMAZING and I cannot wait to go back and explore more!  Although, if it entails another 27 hour road-trip...I may be able to hold off for a while!!!

  

We camped right on the lake and spent the majority of our time there either applying sunscreen, playing in the water, eating, riding in (or behind) the boat, AND applying more sunscreen!  Throw in a little cliff-jumping and late-night chats and you have the makings for a perfect family reunion!

We piled into the car again and headed up to Utah to visit with some of the Sudweeks-side and fit in a bit more time with some Smith cousins.  Spent some time at the zoo, playing frisbee golf at a favorite park, hiking the grotto, visiting family and more family and more familiy, bbq-ing and staying up WAY TOO LATE!  Again, the perfect way to spend time with loved ones we rarely get to see!  

(Ethan turned out to be a whiz at frisbee golf...especially since he was throwing left handed!!!)

The trip home was just as long...but packed full!  We swung by a little place called the Grand Canyon.  Caught a sunset and went hiking/walking a bit the next day and experienced the chance of a lifetime.  The Grand Canyon was AMAZING!  I never could have imagined the magnitude and beauty of it!

A quick jaunt through New Mexico where we HAVE to take pictures of Route 66 landmarks - thanks to our obsession with the movie Cars! 

And though we always joke about the best thing about New Mexico is LEAVING it...

they do have some beautiful sunsets, which we were excited to see as we passed through!!!

And then home to Texas...and another 12 hours between us and home!  :)  Yep, it's true...everything is bigger in Texas...even the road-trips.  Luckily though, we stopped to spend some time with friends...and one less night in a hotel was fine by us!  We were spoiled rotten and took off to the Fort Worth Stockyards before heading home the next day.  Cattle drives, human mazes, petting zoos, a real-life (make-believe) gun-fight and we were welcomed back Texas-style!  

Then as we headed home, we stopped to visit Steve's brother, Rob at his hotel.  He was traveling through the area overnight and we were lucky enough to be traveling through the same area at the same time.  After a refreshing dip in the hotel pool and we finally headed home.  

Nevermind that some of the kids are not in their swimsuits!!!  Ethan wasn't supposed to get in due to his cast, and Olivia was sleeping through most of our visit...but once she woke up, there was no taking time to change clothes...she wanted right in!

Rob was Ethan's hero...taking him swimming w/o getting the cast wet!  They created the greatest wave-pools and whirlpools imaginable!!!

And then we were home!!!  As we walked into the house, Ethan declared, "Whoa!  I totally forgot what our house looked like!  I like it here!"  Ah, home sweet home!