So we headed west to take part in the Timmins Family Reunion / Fourth of July Jubilation. Our flight went well this time, and I even got the chance to give out a pass-a-long card after a deep conversation with a fella named Buck. I was able to have a fantastic birthday full of presents, cake, and lots of friends/family. We spent most of our vacation down in Moab at this awesome
condo. It was my first time to the Arches, and we definitely got our fill of arches. The family picture above was our first hike to Sand Dune Arch. We then took a longer hike to "The Windows" (if you look behind us you can see them in the distance).
That night we then set out for an adventurous night hike to Delicate Arch. What started out as a good idea turned out to be rather chaotic. With minimal light from above, 1 flashlight per 3 people, one struggling diabetic, and one scared little girl, our hike was pretty intense. We started on a nicely placed trail, but soon found ourselves hiking up the side of a mountain scanning
the surface for small piles of rock that marked the trail. On the way down we probably hiked an extra mile from all of the zig zags looking for trail markers. All in all I thought it was a fun trip, especially watching each couple work together and all of us having to come together as a family. The next day a few of us took the same hike, along with Connie's aunt, uncle, and cousin who stopped in to visit.
Fireworks were seen, BBQs enjoyed, and the pool well played. After three days the adventure was over, or so I thought. The last morning we woke up at the crack of dawn for one final hike. All of the girls wanted to go, but none of Connie's sisters
were able to convince their husbands to come along. Of course it's still too early for me to have a choice (just kidding),
so it was me and the ladies off for one last hike. This was gonna be the big one; a 5-6 mile loop to Double O Arch. As you can see hiking extraordinar Connie was pumped and ready. As for me, well, the look says it all. The worst part of the hike wasn't the early morning, nor the length, but the aweful sandy trails that we had to tredge through. For some reason there's nothing I hate more than walking around with sand in my shoes, so I found myself waddling through the sand making every effort to avoid any intrusion. I
probably looked like the sissiest hiker, but at least I didn't have sand between my toes.
One thing I did enjoy was taking a handful of trail shots as the gals walked along. In one of my first shots I told everyone to act "casual" as if I wasn't there. To the right you can see Connie's "casual" shot. One of my favorites.
After three fun filled days it was finally over. We jumped in our cars to cruise back to Provo. That night we enjoyed one last dinner at Cafe Rio, and a flick at our favorite Movies 8. The next morning we left bright an early for our wonderfully enjoyed road trip home. In the beginning Connie was excited to see the country, eat out at various resturants, and sleep in the car. But as reality struck and
the beautiful landscape of Nebraska unfolded, she began to see that this adventure wouldn't be so adventurous. We made it in a blazing 37 hours stopping only to eat and a quick 1.5 hour nap. In the picture on the left I'm actually driving, of course having the road in my periphery.
condo. It was my first time to the Arches, and we definitely got our fill of arches. The family picture above was our first hike to Sand Dune Arch. We then took a longer hike to "The Windows" (if you look behind us you can see them in the distance). 
the surface for small piles of rock that marked the trail. On the way down we probably hiked an extra mile from all of the zig zags looking for trail markers. All in all I thought it was a fun trip, especially watching each couple work together and all of us having to come together as a family. The next day a few of us took the same hike, along with Connie's aunt, uncle, and cousin who stopped in to visit. 
were able to convince their husbands to come along. Of course it's still too early for me to have a choice (just kidding), 
so it was me and the ladies off for one last hike. This was gonna be the big one; a 5-6 mile loop to Double O Arch. As you can see hiking extraordinar Connie was pumped and ready. As for me, well, the look says it all. The worst part of the hike wasn't the early morning, nor the length, but the aweful sandy trails that we had to tredge through. For some reason there's nothing I hate more than walking around with sand in my shoes, so I found myself waddling through the sand making every effort to avoid any intrusion. I
probably looked like the sissiest hiker, but at least I didn't have sand between my toes. 
the beautiful landscape of Nebraska unfolded, she began to see that this adventure wouldn't be so adventurous. We made it in a blazing 37 hours stopping only to eat and a quick 1.5 hour nap. In the picture on the left I'm actually driving, of course having the road in my periphery. 
Ok, so you can't really see how my bangs look, but I am getting used to them and when I blowdry them or straighten them, they look good. It's still quite long, 
but I have some layers and such. The left picture shows more the soft, wavy curl of using a straightener to curl it. And the straightener can do super curly curls, but only if you have the hour to sit and curl every piece of hair (That will never happen for me). Anyway, it isn't the most exciting post, but its a post. I will try to post my first fossil when I get to take it home. Its pretty much the best thing that you will ever see.
So memorial day weekend Preston and I decided to take a trip to Chicago. We ended up with 2 extra hooligans, which turned out to be totally freaking awesome! 
WE got there and it was pretty much cold. Don't worry, resourceful Lori found a way to keep her hands warm. The rest of us mocked her, but she didn't seem to care and was probably the warmest. 
The superman ride was definitely a fav, although a little nauseating after riding it 3 times in a row right before closing. You actually lay on your belly during the ride, which adds a whole new element to the roller coaster experience. We also had a chance to pose with the man himself...some of us got a little more into character than others...
Toshi had his first churro...and then his second...and later in the trip his third!
I think we all enjoyed VERTICAL VELOCITY. Preston either thought it rocked or wanted to murder it...I can't tell from this picture :)
Fortunately mom was there to save the day and cheer Tim on at the finish line. Regardless of hom Tim felt about his time, we were all quite impressed with our buff, quick, skinny legged brother/son! Nice work Tim!
Thankfully, we followed Taki's moms advice to eat at the Dobbin House Tavern, with colonial waitresses and candle lit tables, not to mention good food. I definitely recommend it. We spent the rest of the day traveling from site to site seeing memorials and reading little historical facts.
From there we drove around from site to site, recounting the battles displayed in the show. 
occupation of this advantageous hilltop during the war, there may have been a different outcome. I found a handsome sharpshooter hidden behind one of the rocks pretending he had a Civil War gun that shot relatively far for that time period. We decided to take him home with us.
