ESCALANTE 2009

Another fun Memorial Day weekend was spent in the big city of Escalante! Everyone was able to attend this year except for Alana's family, but we managed to fill the house right up! Last year when we all met, there were three grandchildren unmarried and this year we had three weddings so three new people to add to the clan! We had a great time being together, eating and eating some more. Everyone arrived at various times on Friday night and managed to find places to sleep all over the house. Saturday morning we went to the flag ceremony and the Veteran's Memorial then over to the pancake breakfast. It rained on us but we didn't care, we managed to stay pretty dry and the hot chocolate tasted that much better.

The rest of the day the kids rode four wheelers and played in the "bottom land" while others stayed out of the rain and had a serious game of RISK and pool!


Others enjoyed hiking, riding dirt bikes, and four wheelers....We took a drive up to Posey lake and although the sun was shining at Grandpa's we had a bit of a problem when the roads turned to dirt....then it started to rain! We really wanted to make it up the hill and it took us a few trys, but with a little help,we made it over the top and as soon as we got to the lake it started pouring...Stacy and Melissa ran out on the dock and I sent the camera and stayed in the car and proceeded to watch the rain turn to SNOW!! We knew Melanie and Klay were hiking with Davis and Kyron so we felt a little sorry for them...but we jumped in the car and left...! There wasn't anything we could do for them anyway, we didn't really even know where they were but we're sure they weren't having too much fun!



We had Costa Vida Salads for dinner-yum! Then it was off to see the play! Grandpa does a great job writing the script every year and the town people sure get a kick out of seeing their friends on the stage hamming it up.

The great thing about Escalante is that its a town where time really stands still. There is still only one grocery store and its the only place I know where kids without a drivers license can drive you home from church! Good job Kyle! By the time we got home I had actually forgot he was driving!

Sunday night we always have a big dinner down by the campfire and about 40 or so people are there. Scott make dutch oven potatoes and this year pulled pork sandwiches! Soooo good and so much to eat!

Scott brings his potato launcher and we put candy in for the kids and as you can see you don't really have to be a kid to participate! Marshmallows are also loaded in and Bryce caught one in his mouth last year!




Gordon and Kyle and Blake went fishing at the reservoir and actually caught two fish! Kyle was grossing out at cleaning it...so Brett the expert had to show him how "men" clean fish! Good job Brett!


On Monday morning we took a fun excrusion to everyone's favorite spot--the cow cemetary! It's a favorite spot to ride the fourwheelers and see what new "cow's" might be there...

Stacy and Brett wanted to show us a great spot they found to push rocks off cliffs...(you have to make your own fun in Escalante...)so off we went. We would have to shuttle people back and forth as our car wouldn't make it-so while we waited in the car it started pouring again and they took a LONG time to come back...when they did well...they were soaked and totally muddy! So we decided to skip that and head over to the pond.
We got there and crossed the creek to the bigger pond area and were enjoying hiking around. Blake and Melissa went right up the mountain and the rest slowly followed...Stacy and I pulling up the rear...good thing because they started yelling to get out of the way they could hear it coming.....water roaring down the mountain--flash flood is on its way! So we got out of the way and luckily we weren't in any serious danger but would have certainly gotten wet. It made for some excitement and something that was fun to watch!



And Bryce found a snake..

Then while we were walking back to the car...ewwww a dead sheep....

More fun pictures...




And we even managed to get a family picture...Thanks Morgan!

Blake managed to make another Shasta Phillingibbons movie! I don't know how they pull it off each year but its such a great tradition and so much fun to watch the final movie...So Blake get it edited so I can post it!! Along with all the others...