A little (and MUCH needed) trip!

(Scads of pictures ahead!)

We have been so busy lately. Well, I should say CHRIS has been so busy lately. His job is insane right now and it seems he can never quite get away from the millions of things he has to do. It has been hard on him and we have missed getting as much of our favorite guy as we are used to. So, this little jaunt down to St. George was soooo needed! And it was such a fabulous little get away!! I'm so glad we were able to squeeze it in! Oh, and did I mention that the weather was PERCECT the entire time? I mean, insanely perfect! 80 degrees and breezy the whole time! I was in heaven!

We had planned this trip with our great friends, the Shupe's, and I'm so glad it worked out for us all to go down together! We met up on Thursday and ate and went to the temple. We spent a lot of time just walking around and the kids loved playing in the grass. It's such a relaxing, peaceful place -- even on the grounds -- and I could have stayed there forever! The kids all immediately attached to each other and I knew it was going to be a blast for them to get the whole weekend with their friends. And I felt the same way for us adults! There is no one that we love to spend time with more! 

 

(we call Ry the baby whisperer -- this was such a cute little moment he was having with a very tired Avie!)

 

(can't believe sweet Reagie is already taking her first steps!)

 

(the tigers, getting ready to pounce on Chris)

On Friday, we woke up, enjoyed a delish breakfast and immediately hit the pool! The kids had a blast swimming and the sun was shining and it was a perfect day! After that, we did some shopping and then made our way to Zion's where we spent the rest of the day hiking. I haven't been to Zion's in so long and I forget what an incredible place it is! One of God's most awesome creations! It was so fun! We convinced the Shupe's to stay an extra day with us, so they shacked up in our hotel room that night and everyone was soooo tuckered out, we all slept amazing! 

 (we may have already arranged the marriage of these two adorable red-heads...so far, they don't seem to mind!)

 

(one of my favorite pics of the whole trip!)

 

(my bestie -- love ya, Ash!)

 

(how did I get so lucky to have this family?!)

 

(sorry, I just had to...it's just too funny!)

 

(I kind-of die over Avie's crazy hair. I would like to say I attempted to fix it, but I'd be lying. It's just pure crazy!)

The next day we did a little more shopping and then we were able to meet up with Jessicka and Dalton for lunch and some fun at the splash pad downtown! We always love every chance we get to see this cute couple that we love so much! And the best part -- seeing how happy and in love these newlyweds are! It makes my heart smile! Jess's grandma came down to say hi too, which is always a treat! She is so awesome! We had so much fun at the park, the kids could not get enough of the water! Afterwards, we hit Menchie's for ice cream -- YUM! 

 (just look at how beautiful these two girls are! I absolutely love this picture of them!)

It was such a great trip for us! We decided we are going to make a point of doing some more of these trips, even just for a weekend. It is good for our spirits to get away and just be together with family and friends, being out in the beautiful world that has been created for us!