Girls Weekend

My mother, my 2 sisters, 2 sisters-in-law, and I all got to run away to St. George for a girls weekend together. I was looking forward to it for months and was amazed that it did in fact happen! I love these women! I was honestly looking forward to spending time with each and every one of them. We are all very different, but get along so well. And I was so ready for a break from normal.

We took the chance to go to the St. George Temple together and took along some very special family names- ancestors that we even had pictures and stories about. Generations of Grandmothers and Aunts I had come to care about through working on the family genealogy. It was such an incredible experience.

The day was beautiful, the sun was shining and warm. My spirits were uplifted. I am so, so grateful for my family. All of it.

Three of us also took a little side trip to find some red rocks to climb on and beautiful country to explore.

We found this nice little trail and happily set out.

Though apparently it was a fairly hazardous undertaking :)

Here are Sarah and Becky

And here is Johnson's Arch (I think...), it was really a neat thing to find tucked away in this narrow canyon.

And here's me and Sarah together. At the end of this trail you are surrounded by the tall walls of the canyon and it is beautiful. We were the only ones there and noticed that, as soon as we stopped talking, it was absolutely silent. Astoundingly so. There was not even a breath of wind stirring or a bug buzzing. I have never been in a place so silent. You could hear your clothes rubbing against your skin when you breathed. We sat and listened to this amazing quiet for a long time, till another group of people came along and the moment was gone. I realized how seldom I get any quiet time-and how much I crave it with my sweet and crazy kids needing so much. This was a special, and exceptionally soothing moment in time.

The rest of the weekend was spent eating good food (including any vegetables we wanted and plenty of treats and Haagan Dazs), talking, doing some shopping (I think every one of us managed to find something for herself. Amazing!), walking, playing games, talking, watching chick flicks (Jane Eyre, Sense and Sensibility and Cranford were on the must list), sewing the newest names on Grandma Ruths quilt, staying up way too late, talking, and laughing, laughing, laughing some more. Perfect.

It was nothing super fancy and exciting, but it was the most wonderful trip. I loved spending time with my mom (taking the pic), Sarah, Care, Becky, (me), Angie, and Paige (my niece who joined us the final night). It was nice to see them without all our kids running around. I could just be me. I could miss my kids. It was a great weekend to gain some new perspective on so many aspects of my life.

My sisters, I miss you already!

Thank you, Thank you! We need to start planning for next year....