We went to Justin's (Mike's brother) house for a Halloween party this year. We went to pick up Blake (another of Mike's brothers) and he was all decked out in his Joker Halloween costume. We weren't dressed up, so Mike's mom helped us get some costumes together. Mike went as a pirate, and I went as Mother Nature. At the party a couple of people asked me how far along I was. HA! It doesn't even look like I'm pregnant! It just makes me laugh. 
A couple of weeks ago, Mike and I traveled down to Moab with my mom and dad to have a little weekend of four wheeling and hiking. It was really nostalgic because 2 years ago we went down with some friends over this same Fall Break weekend. We met up with my aunt and uncle (Brent and Jan) and hiked Negro Bill's Canyon. We started kind of late, so we ended up finishing the hike after night fall with this dinky flashlight. It was fun and we kind of saw the natural bridge at the end of the trail. We also did a fantastical 4-wheelin trail called Onion Creek the next day. It reminded me of Bryce Canyon on a smaller scale and it crossed the creek many times. It was a really beautiful and fun ride. That same day we four-wheeled down to Gemini Arches. It is a double arch that can be accessed from the top and bottom. It was incredibly busy to the point of annoyance. There were 4-wheelers, Jeeps, bikers, walkers, etc. I guess that's what you get when you go over UEA weekend. We also went to Deadhorse Point, but didn't really see anything. It was dark and the visitor's center was closed.
The next leg of our trip involved Goblin Valley and Wild Horse/Bell Canyon. My family has traveled to Goblin many times, but Mike had never been so I really wanted to go to Wild Horse (it's a long, cool, slot canyon). My mom and dad felt like doing some more 4-wheeling, so we hatched this seemingly perfect plan where my mom and dad would drive to the opposite end of the trail and hike down partways to meet us in the middle and hike out. Well...Mike and I are having a loverly time. And we just keep on hiking and hiking- for hours. We started to get really worried when we got to the turn off for Bell Canyon (the 2 canyons are looped)and still hadn't seen my mom and dad. We figured they were just waiting at the road. We wandered down a wash to a trail that looked like a road, basically pretty aimlessly. After a while we ran into some people on bikes who told us that the road was really bad and they couldn't imagine any four-wheeler coming down it. Of course then I thought my mom and dad had got in a bad accident or something. Mike and I weren't really sure what to do. We'd been walking in the wrong direction for awhile. We were trying to decide if if would be better to go back down Little Wild Horse, find the loop for Bell Canyon, or walk on a road that my parents may be on. "To make a long story short. TOO LATE!" (That's from Clue). We prayed,went down Bell Canyon, got back to the trailhead, saw my parents 4-wheelers without my parents, said another prayer, and within 10-15 minutes we say my parents coming out off of the trail. Whew! It was a good day of hiking we hadn't really planned for and a little extra stress that wasn't really needed. But we had 2 prayers answered!
We sped to Goblin Valley because it was close to closing time and we had already bought our tickets. It was the perfect ending to our trip. When we got home, we made Ryan watch Galaxy Quest in honor of our trip to Goblin since it was filmed there.
I feel guilty for not posting, but not guilty enough to post at 10:52 p.m (that's a time shocking for an old lady 1st grade teacher). I promise a new post after UEA weekend. Moab here we come! Woot!!
Blake and Erika went to a concert up at Deer Valley yesterday, and lucky us, we had a sleepover with the girls (my nieces). We made playdough, cooked manicotti together, watched Bee Movie, painted fingernails and toenails, and topped the evening off with bubblegum ice cream. Mike helped out a lot, but opted to not participate in every activity. The next day we went to South Weber Country Fair Days with my family after I went to the rousing Staples Appreciation Day extravaganza. I know, I know, my life is very exciting.
I haven't done one of these jib jab movies in awhile and it is fun doing, so....
Mike and I traveled to Cub River over the weekend for the Head Annual Camp-Out. The Willow Flats campsite is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. A little creek (Cub River) winds throughout the entire campsite. And the individual campsites are reached by crossing bridges, etc. And the 4-wheeling trails are ridiculous (in a good way). We did a lot of fishing, a lot of four wheeling, and a little hiking. We had a fantabulous time! We especially enjoyed the Paris Ice Caves. Look me up when you need directions. It receives the Ashley Stamp of Approval! I love this place!!
After months, even years, of devotedly following all of my family members' blogs, I thought it was high time for Mike and I to start our own blog. Not to mention that I have some down time considering I have the summer off from first grade. We'll try to entertain you all with our uber exciting lives (ha, ha). A quick update to get started... 1. Mike and I are settling into our new duplex that my grandma graciously sold us and also trying to figure out being LANDLORDS to my brother. 2. Mike is addicted to finding deals and buying home improvements at work. Good thing we figured out a plus to working at Home Depot. 3. I'm a huge fan of my summer off. I'll be working in first grade at a brand new school in the fall, Buffalo Point Elementary in Syracuse. That's all for now. Take Luck, Ash
