The best days I ever have with the boys always end up with kids looking like this.

We took a quick vacation to Southern Utah to spend one day in Zion, my most favorite place on earth, and to visit with my brother and his great family. It was one of those perfect vacations. If anyone knows me, they know that vacation means gaining at least 2000 feet in elevation while biking or hiking, swimming in a desert swimming hole, and then finding some great food to eat. Well, because I don't want to be reported to child services, we skipped the elevation gain. We did get a great bike ride in with the kids in the bike trailer. Scott got a workout, because he was the puller. I rode beside whistling a tune and eating bon bons. We biked up Zion canyon, which, thanks to the shuttle system, was traffic free. We hiked up to Hidden Canyon, promising all the way that there would be sand for the boys. What ever motivates, right? After the hike, we played in the water. Then we biked to Springdale for ice cream. We ended up having Thai food and watching the shadows of one canyon wall climb up the other wall. The perfect time of day in the perfect place.
We drove back to my Nicki and Randall's home.... which is in itself a work of art. The next day we spent with family. We hiked to some lava flow tubes, swam in a great swimming pool in Vajo(tiny town 20 minutes out of St. George), and finished with dinner at Nicki and Randall's "to die for" restaurant. I am not bias when I say that Randall has a gift for food. I am so overly proud of Nicki and Randall and what they have created in "The Painted Pony".
All that day, we got to watch cute boys having cousin time. They sure get along well! It is pretty unbelievable. Hank and Sam were playing, whispering to each other, and mastering water guns at the pool. Slade was ordering poor Jack around, "Jack, look at the camera!" said while turning his head toward the camera. "Jack, keep going!" while trying to hike with him. Hopefully that is a little phase for Slade.
One of the best things about this trip is hearing Sam and Hank whispering in the car about something important. Also, how Slade took to his uncle Randall and became his shadow.
There is nothing like a trip to the desert!