Independence Day(s)

We spent the weekend celebrating the 4th of July in Torrey and Capitol Reef. The trip got off to a rough start with both girls getting sick in the car on the way down, but they recovered after a good night sleep at the motel. Saturday we staked out a spot on Main Street to watch the parade, even though Kennedy insisted that she did not want to go. I think she ended up having a good time, but once it started she didn't move from her chair - not even to collect the candy that was thrown from the floats. She said that the horses and clown (yes, just one clown) were her favorites. Macy loved the view from Jake's shoulders until she switched to my arms and fell asleep. I have no idea how she managed to nap through the siren of the firetruck and honking from trucks carrying various political candidates, cheerleaders, football players, and local business owners. As the parade was turning around, Kennedy decided she'd had enough and went off with 4-year-old Chloe to throw sticks into the canal.

After lunch we went on a short hike to Hickman's Bridge. It was about 1.3 miles each way, so I carried Macy in the backpack and Kennedy walked, but boy did she complain. She did NOT want to go on a hike. We thought it would help that Chloe and her brother Josh were there (they ended up turning back early), or Pamp, or about six other family friends we were spending the trip with. She cried. She whined. She begged to be carried. But, she made it the whole way - up and back! We were so proud of her. When we made it to the bridge, Kennedy got a round of applause and lots of praise, but it just made her burst into tears.

I guess it was a reminder that she was hiking and didn't want to be. Macy took a nice snooze, and missed the great views.

We passed a little alcove area where there were red mud hand prints on the wall. I'd been telling Kennedy that Indians used to live in this area and made pictures on the cliff walls. When she saw this she exclaimed, "Look! It's Indian paw prints on the rock!" She was very excited to tell everyone about the sighting, although we suspect that it was modern day pictographs. After getting back to the motel, we took a dip in the pool. It was really cold, so we didn't stay in long, and Macy watched us from the deck with Grammie.

Saturday night the whole gang (about 30 people - my parents' friends, their children, and grandchildren) got together for dinner at Kathy and Eric's ranch. Another 4-year-old, Chase, showed Kennedy his secret fort and tried to teach her how to golf in the horse pasture. She loved playing with him, but she seems to have very little aptitude for golf. After dinner, Chloe shared her toys with Kennedy and Macy, and then the older girls painted together.

We ended the night with fireworks - the extra long sparklers were a huge hit with Kennedy - and star gazing. Pat had brought a telescope along, and we were able to get an amazing view of Mars and Saturn - we could even see the rings of the planet. It was the coolest thing!

Sunday morning we left Kennedy and Macy with my dad and headed off on a 5 mile hike of Sulfur Creek Canyon. We took them on this trail last year, but this time we considered the extra weight (and the potential complaining and squirming) and jumped at the chance to go without them.

They ended up having a great time playing with Chloe, her toys, and her dog, which also gave my dad a break. The hike was beautiful, and the water in the creek was so clear. My mom was brave and took the water slide down at the end, instead of the ledge like we did.

When we made it back to the ranger station and reunited with the worn-out girls, it was time to go home.

So we hit the road, and enjoyed a smooth drive back. Thank goodness for the portable DVD player. Macy made growling sounds every time Master Tigress came on the screen in Kung Fu Panda. She also clapped and cheered with the crowd scenes. I feel guilty that Macy likes to watch TV and movies so much, but she sure is cute when she gets into it!

Monday was a day off from work for the holiday, so Grammie suggested we drive up to Brighton to try one more short hike. Kennedy spent the first half around Silver Lake complaining, but then she got into the spirit and ran out ahead of all of us. Macy loved walking on the boardwalk and got lots of attention. People walking by made comments about how she was having a much better time than the crying girl up ahead (which was Kennedy.) We'll have to keep working on this because we love hiking.