Smoke rolls over the Vermillion Cliffs

In November we traveled from Provo to Mesa.  As we traveled over the Kaibab Plateau we noticed smoke which was not unusual has there have been a series of controlled burns recently.  However, as we exited the pine forest it was highly unusual to see smoke rolling over the Vermillion Cliffs.

 It was so unusual to see this view of the rock cliffs.

The smoke was not as dense further to the east as a full moon rose in the sky.

Unusual but beautiful at the same time.

I love it when the sun has started to set in the west and these cliffs begin to glow.

A view back at the Kaibab where all this smoke had orginated.

It is always fun to observe something new on our many trips north to south and north again.

Arizona travels

As we travel back and forth from Utah to Arizona, we try and stop to explore new places or places we visited years ago.  Our August trip included a stop at Walnut Canyon National Park just east of Flagstaff, Arizona.

It is estimated that people inhabited this canyon over 800 years ago.  Can you see it?

Another ancient home.  To get to the bottom of the canyon one descends about 285 stair steps.  Totally worth it!

We walked the old Navajo Bridge across the Colorado River, which we have done more times than I can count.

This bridge is just a few miles down from Lee's Ferry where boats and rafts continue to enter or cross the river just has they have for a 150 years.

This trip we planned on staying overnight at Cliff Dwellers located at the base of the Vermillion Cliffs.

Our plans were to enjoy the night sky, but an almost full moon was much too bright for us to see much.  The next morning the sun rose over the cliffs near the Navajo Bridge and created long shadows.

The moon still shown brightly to the west.

We love  driving Highway 89B along these towering cliffs.

Summer time fun with the Grandkids

We enjoyed lots of interaction with our grandchildren this summer.

Oscar and Ceci spent 3 days with us over Memorial Day weekend while their parents explored Boston.

Great picture Oscar!

It was baseball time in Heber City.

That extra tall player in the back is my grandson, Ray.  His team won the championship!  His brother Henry also played ball during June.

One family of Arizona grandchildren spent the month of June in Utah.  They enjoyed concerts and food at Heber City Park.

We went shopping at the local toy store in Heber City and Sadie found a big version of her favorite little bear.

Warren just chillin' at his cousins's house.

Opal's flower garden just keeps surprising us.

Time to check out the new rocking bench on the porch.

Cousins are fun!

Arizona and Utah grandkids on the steps.

Sometimes you just have to change it up!

Another evening at the Farmer's Market in Heber City.

They also spent a day in our Provo home.  Grandpa decided to spend the day with us.

There was movie viewing.

Warren asked that I make cookies.

And Opal loves the play kitchen.

In July, more Arizona kids came to town to help us celebrate the 4th of July.  Hi Julianna!

Oscar and Julianna enjoyed being builders at the Provo City Library's Builder display on the fourth floor.

I got to spend an afternoon or two watching Oscar and Ceci at their house.  Of course, grandmas always pass out popsicles.

We watched Pioneer Day fireworks at the Orchard.  Our DIL, Nichelle, handles the events at University Place Mall.  The Orchard is a grassy fun spot on the north side.

Heather came from Arizona for a Law Camp at Brigham Young University.  She always wants a shaved ice while in Utah.

TJ came north for his final time at EFY.  He graduated from high school in May.

We were back in Heber City for a Demolition Derby with the Utah and visiting Arizona grands.

Everyone was highly entertained.

The boys were mesmerized by all the action in the arena.

We picked Heather and TJ up at the end of their BYU fun times and returned them to Arizona.  We stopped at the Navajo Bridge and had a photo shot.

They found an assortment of sunglasses in Grandpa's Tahoe and modeled them for me. Cute kids!

And finally we met up with our beautiful baby girl in Arizona.  She makes us smile!

Christmas activities 2016

Part of December was spent in Arizona where we visited the Mesa Arizona Temple lights with our Arizona grandchildren as well as their Utah cousin visitors.

It was a beautiful evening and display.

My favorite part has always been the Wise Men crossing the large front lawn.

We took a walk north to the street to take in the view.

It is always beautiful and heart warming.

If I'm in Arizona next year, I will have to see if pictures with my new camera might be clearer.

We celebrated my middle son's birthday and let his family open their presents early as they were traveling to their other grandparents for the Christmas weekend.  That sweet little girl is his older brother's baby and she was the best part of 2016.

This year our main gift to each family was a family history book that I put together.

I took these pictures so I can remember how I decorated this year.

On Christmas Eve we had visitors in their new Christmas pajamas, our Utah grand children.  Their parents also came over for a Christmas Eve chimichanga dinner which has been a tradition for years.  The Bunkers also joined us.

The next morning we awoke to White Christmas.  Before church services we went to our son's home to see their gifts and to enjoy a breakfast fixed by his wife, Nichelle.  It was a lovely drive through the freshly fallen snow.

There is something special about a White Christmas.

This year we splurged and bought a 9 1/2 foot tree for our high ceiling kitchen/family room.  We have really enjoyed it and there was room to put all the ornaments on this tree that we have collected over the years.

That cute little mouse ballerina was my new ornament for this year.

This year we flocked our old tree and decorated it as a Hummel tree in honor of my mother and her love of Hummel figurines.  My husband thought it would look better as a flocked tree which we did ourselves in the garage.

 

I really enjoyed have this special tree in our living room this year.  I began collected the Hummel inspired ornaments in 1999 shortly after my mother passed away in October.

We had been invited to my sister's home for Christmas dinner.  As we stopped to take a picture of our jingle bells with snow top hats, the evergreen tree broke in half right before our eyes.  First there was a cascade of snow and then a swosh as the tree top landed.

What are the chances of this happening as we sat in front in the car?  It was a heavy snow.

It did look a bit like someone had discarded their Christmas tree.  I guess that is why someone left their tree next to it the day after Christmas.

And here is the jingle bell picture I was taking.

A winter wonderland on the way to my sister's home.

On the Tuesday after Christmas we collected my husband's sisters and went to lunch.  Before taking them home we drove to Draper and the city park where we reminisced until the Tree of Life turned on.  It was so beautiful just as the sun was going down.  This park is full of family memories.

It was a wonderful December, both in Arizona and Utah.  And now it is time for a brand new year.