Shakespearean Festival...

The main reason why I planned this trip was to go to the Shakespearean festival in Cedar City. This was my fourth time being there, and it's always a blast. We went to a comedy "As You Like It" and had so much fun. This was Andrea's first Shakespeare play. They have a theatre designed after the Adam's Theatre that Shakespeare used in London...



The stage...


Outside, they have workers who offer chocolates, tarts, and other kinds of goodies. They were so fun and clever on their advertisements =0)



It was such a fun trip!! I am so glad that Andrea and Kimball was able to go with me. Thank you!!

Bryce Canyon...

Wednesday, we headed up to Bryce Canyon. I was so excited to visit!! I have never been able to go before, and so you can just imagine how happy I was. First of all, it had a beautiful drive...



This is one of the bridges you drive through...


When we finally got there, we were a bit clueless!! However, now we are pros ;0) The first viewpoint we stopped at was Bryce Point. It started to rain when we got there...





The second one was Inspiration Point...




And then we stopped at Fairy's Landing, which gave a closer view of the hoodoos. Hoodoos are the pillars that have been carved by the wind from the fins, or separated cliffs...

Zions Canyon...

Tuesday, we went to Zion's Canyon. I have been there 3 times now, and I still could go again and again!! I was in heaven. I can't tell you how much I love the red rocks with the deep green, weeping rocks, ferns growing out of the cracks!! It is just absolutely gorgeous!?! But it was incredibly hot... Again I will have to plan better and come in the spring =0)

One of the first places you see up the canyon is The Court of the Patriarchs...listed right to left: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...


Along the trail to the Emerald Pools...


Andrea and Kimball at The Lower Emerald Pool...


One of the waterfalls at the Emerald Pools...imagine what it would look like in the spring...


Andrea, Kimball and I at The Weeping Rock...


Along the drive in Zions National Park...



The Temple of Simewava...


Our little hiking fella...

Trip to St. George

My friend Andrea, her little boy Kimball, and I went on a fantastic trip to southern Utah. Our first few days were spent in St. George. Her dad and step mom live there in a condo, so we were so lucky to stay with them. They were so nice and fun to stay with!!

I was able to do a session at the St. George Temple Monday morning. I have been there before, but I forgot how gorgeous it was!! Here are some pics of the various views. I didn't know that the construction took 6 years, and 1 1/2 of those years was working on the foundation to stabilize it due to a spring it was built on. Talk about dedication!!



This is a pic of one of the pillars at the stairwells in the front....




This fountain is at the entrance to the temple...


Then we went to see Brigham Young's home and take a tour of it. This is Andrea and Kimball in Brigham Young's bedroom....



Later Monday we went to a water hole that has natural waterslides....needless to say it was above 105 degrees all week, no trees on this hike, add 2 plus miles....2 1/2 year old legs.....we were so disappointed to see that it was a very small stagnant pool!? Oh well, we will have to come back in the spring....

Kimball and I on the way there...


After we got back from the hike, we met Andrea's dad who Kimball calls Papa T, and we played in the water sprinklers and stream at the town center. It was heaven sent!!

Girls day out...

Every once in awhile, a couple of my cosmo. school friends and I get together for a movie, lunch, or we go to one of their homes. I absolutely love these times, and the opportunity to catch up. This time, we tried out a new Sports Grill, and it was fantastic!!


Here are their little ones...(right)Derik was born in Sept. and (left)Landon was born in December of 2008. Imagine how much fun they will have together in a few months!!

Fourth of July!!

I was sad that I had to work the day before and after the Fourth!?! I wanted to be able to go home.....watch the parade, see the races, and then go to Lava to enjoy the fireworks....Ahhh, the memories ;0) But I was so incredibly lucky that my friend Andrea invited me to spend the Fourth with her family. We went to the Freedom Festival in Provo, came home and made a perfect American dinner, spaghetti ;0), and then had fireworks. Her little boy Kimball, didn't know if he liked the fireworks or not....I think that in the end he was a little bit scared of them.

Andrea having more fun with the sparklers than the kids.....


Kimball had tried one sparkler, but decided that was enough, and he would just watch his mom play....


Kimball with his Grandma in the background.....trying to decide to laugh, or cry because of how noisy they were....


Oooh.... Ahhh....These were fun!!


When I was growing up, we would buy fireworks like these... but then when we got older, my mom decided to make the drive to Lava and watch their display, which for a small town, was truly fantastic!! So, while we were watching a movie this time, I heard the booming from the Stadium of Fire fireworks going off. I was so excited!! I would get to see my big fireworks!! We were lucky enough to be able to see them from her apartment. Now, my day was complete =0)

Hoggle Zoo

Stephanie invited me to go with her and her fam. to the Hoggle Zoo. I was completely excited, I hadn't been there since 6th grade. They have done tons of work on it and it looks so nice. I had to take pics of us at the lion drinking fountain....we took one when we were really little and went as a family....


We went to a bird show, and they had all kinds of species that were trained to fly here or there....it was pretty impressive....





They even trained a falcon to take money from people and place it into a donation box. How convenient is that? ;0)


They also have an exhibit featuring Madagascar. I didn't realize that there weren't the same animals there as in mainland Africa....kind of interesting. It was so pretty inside....


Here are the rhinos...


....the turtles....



....the monkeys....



....a peacock strutting his stuff....




...We ended with an elephant show. They've had a female since the 1970's who is oldest female African elephant in America. And the other elephant is 20 months pregnant....