Capitol Reef field trip

I have not been blogging because I have been glued to Facebook in all of my spare time, reading articles, posting, and trying to wrap my head around what has happened to the country.

On Saturday I woke up and realized I needed a break. I shook Abe awake and asked him if we could do a spontaneous road trip to a national park. He groggily acquiesced, and we spent the next hour racing around tidying the house so that when we came back, it would be already clean for Sunday.

We left the house at 9am and proceeded to have the BEST day. We went to Capitol Reef National Park. We had never been before, and we fell in love. The weather was beautiful and the park was stunning. Here are the pictures and videos.

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We had a picnic outside of the visitor center. Ammon was so happy to play in the sand after sitting in the car for hours.
We had a picnic outside of the visitor center. Ammon was so happy to play in the sand after sitting in the car for hours.

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My favorite stop was the Fruita school house. This was where the Mormon pioneer children attended school. We should have taken a picture of the whole building. It was so quaint! And the setting was spectacular. But we did get some pictures of the girls peeking into the school house (it was locked).
My favorite stop was the Fruita school house. This was where the Mormon pioneer children attended school. We should have taken a picture of the whole building. It was so quaint! And the setting was spectacular. But we did get some pictures of the girls peeking into the school house (it was locked).

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This is the inside of the school house.
This is the inside of the school house.

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I loved the colors of this bush, but the camera couldn't do them justice.
I loved the colors of this bush, but the camera couldn’t do them justice.

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We "hiked" the river wash.
We “hiked” the river wash.
Abe found the heart shaped rock that Lydia is holding, and he gave it to me. I know I shouldn't have kept it...but I did. It's on our mantle.
Abe found the heart shaped rock that Lydia is holding, and he gave it to me. I know I shouldn’t have kept it…but I did. It’s on our mantle.

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Lydia kept spontaneously building cairns along the trail.
Lydia kept spontaneously building cairns along the trail.

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We were about to take a river walk before leaving for home, but the minute we parked, Ammon fell asleep like this.
We were about to take a river walk before leaving for home, but the minute we parked, Ammon fell asleep like this.

Here is a video of Lydia doing a magic trick with the sandstone. I love it because Abe gave me that heart rock made out of sandstone. The dichotomy of sand and rock feels so symbolic of love and time. Yesterday was a perfect moment in time for us and our family. Our love feels solid like a rock. At the same time, life is passing by. Mortality is fleeting. A moment can not last forever. We are passing through moment by precious moment, just like the sand passes through Lydia’s fingers in the video.

Normally, I make a thoroughly premeditated effort to avoid sentimentality and not get attached to material objects. But I LOVE my sandstone heart from Abe.

 

Also, here’s a video that I forgot to post from Friday evening.