Delicate Arch (Moab, Day 1)

My mom and I joined the Couillens family for a day and a half trip to Moab! My mom has never been so she was thrilled to go! We checked in at a snazzy Super 8 hotel (which actually was more impressive than it sounds!) and we were on our way to Arches National Park by early afternoon. The first day, we completed a 3 mile round-trip hike to delicate arch- it was a gorgeous, leisurely walk along partially marked trails and rock. And then hit a few smaller one mile hikes in the area. Renaud took SO many pictures! With his amazing camera, I smartened up real quick and put my own dinky digital away and just enjoyed the view, knowing Renaud would happily share his picture-taking talents! It was nearly impossible to choose but here are some favorites from the hundreds Renaud took.

This wasn't part of the hike. We just had fun climbing the rocks.

You can see "Delicate Arch" through the opening in this arch. The view was spectacular!

Me and my mom! I'm so glad she came.

Here's the famous Utah arch! When you actually walk over to it it's a little frightening. I was getting a little vertigo when I stood right under it and stared upwards. So did poor Chloe. At the base of the arch, she decided she was just going to lay down on a rock and not get up until it was time to go!

Renaud and Enzo. Poor Enzo wasn't feeling so well all day. He became carsick fairly early into the trip, and ended up throwing up when we finally arrived to the hotel. It took all day for the effects to wear off. He was pretty calm and out of it all day. Very un-enzo-like.

My mom was so great with the kids (no surprise there!) Chloe was especially attached to her and called dibs on sharing one of the queen-size beds with her. On the way back from seeing Delicate Arch, she started singing this fun song that goes like this: "Down on Grandpa's farm there was a big, fat COW... the Cow, he always sounds like this, MooOOO!..." Those of you that know my mom, can only imagine how animated she was when she sang with the kids. Fellow hikers couldn't help but stop and stare and laugh!

Such amazing structures!

Absolutely beautiful!

We went to a few other short hikes. Sitting on top of these rocks and looking down below at the vast beauty around us, I couldn't help but feel closer to God and Heaven. As Nicole said, "I'm sure it's not a mistake that our bodies have a physiological response to nature". I thought a lot about Ty that day. There were so many families with their littles ones and I couldn't help but crave the lost family vacations that he will not be a part of in this lifetime. My sweet little boy would have loved to see it all...but I know he's not far from me. I also thought a lot about his siblings that are waiting to come down and join us. A specific boy name came to mind - one I'd thought about recently but felt very strongly about that day. When I called Dan, he immediately agreed and felt good about it also. Not that it means I'm having another boy next or that we've 100% decided on it. But it's never far from my mind.