Family Is A Fun Thing To Have Around (part 1)

 Andrea and Jeremy (Tom's sister and brother in law) came to town with their three kids this last weekend! We ALWAYS love visitors, especially family, and we were pretty stoked when they said they were coming.  They showed up Wednesday night after Marilyn went down, so we didn't see them until Thursday. Needless to say,  we were excited for Thursday.  Marilyn was ready to play with cousins! She took her nap and we were ready for fun.  We decided to head up to Zion and show our visitors what Southern Utah has to offer.  We scurried through Hurricane, hurried through LaVerkin, and I think we skipped Virgin all together.  Once we got there we decided that Weeping Rock was the best hike to go on with 2 little ones, 2 big little ones and 4 awesome adults.  It happened that Marilyn and Andrea and Jeremy's youngest happened to have these fabulous matching coats.  (Those of you that know Andrea and me, know it isn't that much of a shocker...)

Unfortunately, the trail was closed, but that didn't stop us! We were bound and determined to head up the trail and see the rock that weeps...the trail was covered with ice for the first few hundred feet, but then it all cleared up and we felt like it was safe to continue.  The kids were a little nervous about passing the trail closed sign, but we convinced them it was going to be ok. 

Little did we know, that the ice was going to be the least of our worries...their must have been a huge sheet of ice that melted and fell off the cliff, and demolished the trees beneath the viewing area of weeping rock.  The railing was also damaged, but we were careful (promise Dad) and we made it up.  We have been to Weeping Rock a million times, so it was pretty neat to see a totally different view. 

Marilyn loved it...as evidenced by this picture.

We carefully hiked down the icy trail, talking and laughing the whole way.  We loved it! We definitely miss having family close by, so we have learned to treasure the moments we do have together.