Good Friends, Good Times

Tom and I never really have been able to take some time away, not even for an anniversary, since we have had kids. For one reason or another, we just couldn't leave, or didn't feel comfortable leaving them so young.

So this year, we were VERY excited to get away for a long weekend over Thanksgiving. Tom had half the week off, and my family wasn't celebrating until my sister got into town on the following Saturday, so we figured... why not? Each of the kids stayed with a grandma (so as not to overwhelm either of them) and Tom and I enjoyed a few days to ourselves!

We started off by staying at a nice hotel in Vegas. We spent the evening having dinner and enjoying the sights. Sorry, no pics ;)

The next morning we headed out toward St. George, and to the nearby Zion National Park.

We lived in St. George and La Verkin for a few years, and we loved being so close to Zion and it's beautiful scenery. In fact, our Ward in La Verkin was just a few minutes outside of the park entrance, so after church we would often use our passes and take leisurely strolls amid the beautiful mountains and streams. We couldn't wait to get out there again!

We booked a cabin for the night,

and it was absolutely gorgeous at the base of the red cliffs!

The fireplace was warm and cozy... thank goodness because otherwise we would have been frozen!

A small, but beautiful waterfall from the Weeping Rock hike

This is the Virgin River on the Emerald Pools hike. It has always been my favorite because of it's easy climb and unparalleled scenery.

After a wonderful time in Zion, we packed our things and headed back to St George to spend some time with our good friends Mark and Sara. They are both amazing athletes, and they were nice enough to loan us mountain bikes so we could explore their favorite routes!

On thing I miss about St. George is being so close to nature. These amazing mountain bike trails were just a few minutes up the street from Mark and Sara's house. They ride them a few times a week, and I am sooooo jealous! We had such a great time!

Not long after we got back, Mark and Sara came to stay with us!

They have three adorable kids, and we had such a blast! We had a big day planned for them, but plans fell through and we just ended up hanging out and talking all day while the kids played. It was a great chance to catch up, and it reminded us how much we had missed them! The next morning, Sara and I went jogging. Actually, she was nice enough to show me mercy and invite me along on her hour-long work out. She is an amazing athlete, and I did all I could to keep up. I'm sure it wasn't much of a work-out for her, but I was sore for a whole week!

We convinced them to stay one more night, and the next morning we were all sad to see them go. Abby cried big crocodile tears as she watched her new friend Emma pull way in their van. She still asks when she will be able to play with Emma again, and needless to say, Tom and I are already scheming how we can get out there with the kids in tow!