The Grand Canyon "is pretty big"

"Pretty big" was Henry's assessment of the park. We left after school on Valentine's day, spent a night in Hurricane and then headed south along with my parents. My dad had wanted to go this winter while they were in Hurricane so we kind of invited ourselves along.

First things first, a cinnamon roll from Muddy Bees bakery by the house. That was a good breakfast.

We drove through the FLDS towns of Hildale and Colorado City. I had only seen these places on Dateline so I was extra excited. I did not see any polygamists but I can go to the grocery store here in Spanish Fork to see them.

Definitely not a single-family home

We drove through a really cool mountain pass, the Kaibab Forest, and then came out the other side to this view.

Next on our stop, "Cave Dwellers." My dad figured out pretty quick my kids like to climb on rocks and thought it was a good place to stop. He was right.

 This one looked like an ice cream cone.

 They thought this one looked like a teeter-totter.

Next stop: Crossing the Colorado River on a bridge (not on a ferry) at Lees Ferry. Justin let us out so I could walk across the pedestrian bridge with the kids and he parked the car on the other side then ran back to meet us.

I don't care who you are, that's pretty.

This is the car bridge as seen from the pedestrian bridge.

I do okay with heights looking out but not so much looking down.

 It was so pretty. I wasn't too freaked out for my kids safety because the railing is pretty intense.

And on the other side they found more rocks to climb on.

Then we continued on! We finally arrived at the entrance of the park early afternoon. Our first stop was the Watchtower.  The tower isn't as old as it looks---it was designed to look old. I still don't know what they're watching out for.

Inside the tower was a gift shop and some artisans doing their art. We went up and up all the stairs to get to the top.

 Erica was not happy about group photos. I think someone bossed her so she was in a bad mood for awhile.

 I don't remember if this was the view from there or from one of the MANY outlook points along the drive to the main park area. My kids got really tired of stopping to get out to see another view of the canyon that looked, to them, just like the last view. But even if the view is similar, it gives you a good idea just how huge this place is. You drive for a couple of miles, get out, and yup, it's still going.

It was pretty cold but never miserably so. I brought two jackets thinking I'd wear one or the other but I ended up wearing both the entire time so it looks like I never changed my clothes but I promise I did.

Is there a word for a picture of a selfie being taken? An "otherie"?

 After the 4th or 5th stop it started to get dark and my kids were done so we drove through Canyon Village and then found a pizza place in the town of Tusayan to eat dinner. Justin took the kids swimming and then went to bed.

Sunday morning we went to the visitors center and the famous Mather Point outlook.

Where there's a rock, there's a Dye kid climbing on it.

 This was the most crowded area of the park and the most impressive view.

 The canyon looks the biggest from here than all the other overlooks.

James asked me to take his picture and posed for this but didn't even try to open his eyes in the bright sun. Goofy kid.

 This is me trying out some new poses that I saw among the other tourists.

 I betcha we seem so boring just standing and smiling for pictures.

We intended to walk along the rim trail but James whined and wanted to be carried and I didn't want to do that so that put a quick end to our "hike."

Then we changed clothes in a parking lot and went to church. It was my first time attending church NOT in a LDS chapel and defintely the first time inside a national park. There is a branch that meets here weekly, I think for the members that work and live in the park.

Our kids were so good during the sacrament meeting. I don't know what was going on. It helped they weren't sitting together and my mom had fruit snacks but they weren't even wiggly. It was so weird.

 And then we changed back out of our church clothes and continued on the rim drive. This is at the Powell Memorial.

 Listening to my mom tell my kids to get down and away from the edge showed me where I get it. I don't think either of us are overly paranoid--moms just take their jobs of keeping their kids alive very seriously. One person dies every year in the Grand Canyon from falling. It was not going to be anyone in my family!

Atop the Powell Memorial.

The outlook behind the memorial. It looks like they are on a precipice and I had to walk away and not even watch them stand out there. My mom took this picture.

But there was actually another level of rock to stand on. 

After having our eyeful of the Grand Canyon, we said goodbye and drove to Page, AZ. We spent the night there and then in the morning we took a tour of the Glen Canyon Dam. I had been to Lake Powell before but never this end of it so the dam was cool to see and learn about. My mom told me my Grandpa Baadsgaard worked on the dam.

First we stopped at the dam overlook.

 One has to hike down a little bit and my kids took the opportunity to again scare me by jumping from boulder to boulder. Erica was wearing her church sandals so I was extra mad at her.

 Carrying James safely along the railing like a responsible mother.

 Here's the dam view.

 I could have stayed there longer but we had to be on time for our dam tour.

This is the view from inside the visitors center.

Here we are on the dam! They take groups of 20 a few times a day. Justin did some good work on the phone to get our group of 8 scheduled. We had to go through security scanners so you know we were going to see something good!

 Erica is mad about something again.

  Me taking a picture.

 Here is that picture.

These crane thingies pull the filters up. They find all sorts of crazy things in the filters like beach towels and oars. I suggested they make a display in the visitors center, sort of like a wall of shame.

It is big. They poured concrete continuously, day and night, for 4 years.

 Then we took an elevator ride down to the bottom. I can't remember how many stories it was. 40?

From the visitors center you can see this green patch. This green stuff is grass. We got to go all the way down there and outside but not on the grass. It is watered by overflow or something. It keeps the air cool down there.

And here we are actually down there.

 These are the 7 turbines that create electricity. They always have 4 running but rarely all 7 unless California is sucking all the juice.

Back inside the visitors center my kids played on this boat for a really long time. Things got a little dramatic with a storm and large sharks.

And then after a stop back at the hotel for the shoes and jacket Erica left in the closet, we headed home! We drove on 89 for a good part of the way which was fun because I had never been that way.

Here are a few non-pictured thoughts.

1. Henry did not want to go before we went and asked to go home like 10 times (whenever he didn't get his way). You'd never know by his smiling face in all the pictures.

2. I don't know if I believe the Grand Canyon was made they say it was. I just don't like how confident scientists can be about what went on millions of years ago. You don't know. Stop talking like you know, visitors center video narrator.

3. James sleeps like a champ on the road. That's good to know for future plans.

4. I overpacked on car snacks. We didn't even open the dried mangos.

5. Justin wants to go back and hike down and across and up and around and through the canyon. I'm good.

6. At first sight my kids said the canyon looked nothing like that episode of the Brady Brunch. Were they thinking of this?

Because they'd be right.

Valentine's Day

All my kids made Valentine boxes this year even though Henry's teacher was the only one that said to and James doesn't even go to school. 

 He did this all by himself. He used the glue gun and found all the materials and only threw it off the table in frustration once.

 Erica made hers out of a cracker box.

James had no idea what he was doing but if it involves cutting and gluing, he's all about it.

 I think Sarah's looks like a food truck.

Every year my kids get a package from my sister-in-law Lisa. She is the Santa of Valentine's Day to my kids. It doesn't matter what I get them, they anxiously watch the mail for Lisa's Valentines.

And then they went to school. Henry and Sarah wanted school lunch so I didn't get to cut their sandwiches with the heart cookie cutter like I like to. 😞 And I forgot to give Justin his special box of cereal to take to work and then I spent the day getting ready for our trip to Arizona so it was kind of a weird, atypical Valentines day for me. 

I got my kids each a new book and a bag of candy per tradition. I tried 4 stores to find cherry hearts and these heart suckers. Stokes in Salem for the win! I put several pieces in each of their bags along with new insulated water bottles that were waiting for them in their seat in the car and off we went!

UP NEXT: Dyes go big in Arizona.