Ruby's Inn Retreat

We got back last night from our annual trip to Southern Utah. It was such a great weekend. My only complaint is that it went by too fast. Now it is over and I have to wait a whole year to go back. I love my family. I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and to have such great relationships with my aunts, uncles and cousins. When we get together I get to be with my greatest friends, and not everyone can say that - I am a lucky girl.

Our vacation began on Thursday. We left the Salt Lake valley around noon and stopped to briefly visit my Grandma Lifferth before heading down to Ruby's Inn. It was good to see grandma. She smiled when I held up Trent for her to see. Babies always seem to bring a smile to her face. The kids did remarkably well on the drive down - our new portable DVD player was a lifesaver for Ashlyn. And luckily, Trent slept most of the way.

On Friday we hiked to Calf Creek Falls. It was approximately six miles round trip. I love to hike. I told Brian that if I could, I would hike every day and I would be in great shape! The falls were beautiful - the perfect treat after hiking three miles in the hot sun.

I don't really know why, but I loved this tree.

Saturday was a busy but fun day. It began with a yummy family breakfast, then craft time for the kids, and then an easter egg hunt. Ashlyn did not really get into the egg hunt, which was okay because I did not really want her to have a big basket of candy. I think she got just the right amount.

Yep, Ashlyn still likes to put "treasures" down her shirt.

After the kids had their egg hunt, Noah and Kaila provided the adults with an egg hunt, complete with candy, Martinelli's, and cash! All the adults were lined up and Noah said, "Okay get ready." Then Kaila said, "In 5," and before she could go any further, my dad took off. What a cheater! Here is the video proof...



This premature take-off caused a series of trips and falls resulting in some scrapes and bruises. It was clear that adult egg hunts are slightly more aggressive than kid egg hunts. Oh, and Brian didn't get a stinkin' thing! He decided to be sneaky and go a different route than the rest of the group and he ended up empty handed.

Saturday night we had our traditional potluck dinner. The food was great. Our family has some pretty good cooks. Here is the lot of us...

Sunday we went to church in Henrieville which is the residence of my Aunt Sandy and Uncle Gary. I usually enjoy going to their ward, but this year my children prevented me from enjoying the Easter program in Sacrament meeting and the slide show in Sunday School. Such are the joys of parenthood! Oh well, Relief Society was nice.

After church we had a luncheon at the church and then most people headed home. Our family had previously decided to extend our stay into Monday and I am so glad we did! It was so great to go back to the hotel after church, take a nap and have a relaxing evening.

We were joined later that night by my Uncle Rob and cousin Robbie who drove up from Vegas to visit us. Brian also finally took Ashlyn swimming. She had been eying the pool all weekend and kept wanting to go into the "big bathtub". However, when the time finally came she was scared to death! It took quite a bit of coaxing to eventually get her to try out the hot tub. She had a great time there, but never would go into the pool.

Monday morning we went into Bryce Canyon. It was so beautiful. I can't ever get enough of Utah's national parks - they amaze me.

It was then time to pack-up and check-out. But we didn't head home quite yet. We did one last small hike to Mossy Cave. This was a great way to end our vacation.

A big thanks to Sandy and Gary for making this vacation possible! It was simply wonderful. Thanks to everyone else for the fun times and memories. And one last thank you to Sandy for watching Cooper. He has been recuperating all day from his weekend with Buster and Lola!