The Jon and Ava Show.... or Our Trip to Zion 2010

For our Tenth wedding anniversary, Jon planned a family trip to the only place you can camp in March.... somewhere south. We didn't go on the actual weekend of our anniversary because of a nasty bug Ava and I probably picked up at the gym, but Jon is sweet and understanding and rescheduled for the last weekend in March. So he loaded up Daisy (and planned, shopped, and packed all the food himself!!) and we headed to Zion NP through the fat, drifting snowflakes.

I've been taking a photography class to improve my skills and was relishing the prospect of great photo subjects when I learned my first lesson before we even arrived; carry your camera at all times. We stopped at a burger place for lunch and I sat in a booth across from the loves of my life and watched them bug each other. Ava was rhythmically leaning her weight into Jon and he thought he'd trick her and move out of the way the next time she came around. Of course she lost her balance and fell into table, flipping fry sauce fry sauce into the air and coating half of her face and half of Jon's shorts. He starts laughing and she's not sure what to think until she bursts into tears and cries "Stop messing around, Dad!" And I missed a perfect photo op.

We finally arrived and found a campsite and explored around the river a bit. The weather was still pretty chilly and blustery so we had some hot cocoa, skipped the campfire, and turned in kinda early.

The next day we did a few small hikes and enjoyed the cool sunshine. The little midget hiked all day and didn't ask to be carried once. I guess Jon and I are slowly learning to tone down our adventures and have fun on a smaller scale. Everyone ends up a lot happier that way; we lower our expectations a bit and she sure rises to the occasion. Camping with a four-year-old is like a dream! You don't have to carry her everywhere, she sleeps all night, and you don't have to stress yourself out trying to get in the naps. There's just sooo much less screaming from all involved parties. Plus she is still stoked to just play in the sand and throw rocks in the water all day.

Ava is such a daddy's girl and they really had a blast together. The break was nice for me; I still got to spend time with my family but without all the pressures and demands. I loved just sitting back and taking pictures of the two of them and the scenery.

After we hiked, Jon suprised us with a night in the suite at Zion Lodge. Ava slept a full 12 hours (unheard of!) on the sofa bed and I got to revel in clean sheets on the king size bed. We also had a lovely dinner and breakfast at the Lodge's restaurant.

The next morning I wanted to hike the Hidden Canyon trail but Ava said her legs hurt. I expected that after a long day hiking so she got to ride in the backpack carrier. (That's the last time she'll fit in that thing!) Sunday the weather was perfectly clear, calm, sunny and cool and we took our time enjoying the hike and having lunch on the rocks. Ava kept insisting that Jon follow her lead, even when she was riding in the pack, making sure he held on to the chain on the climbs and stepped on all the right rocks. When she walked, she made him follow the line in the sand left by the stick she dragged along. At any moment on the trip if he was out of sight, she would scold me and say "MOM, we gotta wait for Daddy!" But do you think she said that when I was out of the picture?

After the hike we were supposed to drive home but decided to camp another night. After finding another site and a quick trip for groceries, it was time to relax.

The wind howled all that night and the next morning so we packed up and headed out. Can't think of a better way to celebrate ten happy stinkin' years of my little family!!