I got this bright idea to go camping for spring break at Arches National Park, Dead Horse State Park, and Canyon Lands National Park in Utah. I've been aching to go to these places! It was a leap for us; it was our first time camping in the desert, camping without the rest of my family, and for as long as 5 nights/6 days! We knew this was crazy to do with 6 kids (12-and-under) and hiking with a 2-year-old. Crazy has never stopped us before so we decided to go for it and got the LAST available campsite in the area that was reservable. There are a lot of campgrounds in the area, but only a few have reservable sites and we were not going that far with that much stuff with out a definite place to camp. We got at Kayenta #3 in Dead Horse State Park. Spring break fast approached and we were up till 1 a.m. the night before leaving finishing packing and such!
We were up and out early Saturday after everyone showered (and I kissed the shower good bye for 5 more days!) and finished loading. It takes a miracle to fit everything in and on a minivan for camping for that long with 8 people in it too!
We had to stop a few times to adjust the tie downs on top holding the stroller, 2 tents, and the pack-n-play on, but otherwise made good time until American Fork, Utah were Layla started vomiting in the car. That was the first breathtaking moment, especially for Lexi and Alaina who were in the back with her! She got sick a few more times, but we eventually made it to Dead Horse State Park. We set up camp, made BLT salad and hot jalapeno cream cheese bread for dinner, Layla vomited a few more times and started running a fever.
The kids slept good, just Audrey awoke a few times, but neither Scott or I could sleep. It is cold in the desert at night and was worried about the kids being warm enough and such. It was a long night but finally morning dawned and we made hot pancakes and ate in the chilly air. Layla felt better and we decided to explore around our campground first and take a little impromptu (still in pjs) hike to edge of the canyon just 0.2 miles west of our tent. Breath taking views!!
Scott throwing rocks into the canyon, we could barely hear them land. Audrey snuggling Daddy. The view of the edge of the cliff to the left of us. It's 2,000 feet down!
My little hikers. Tracks in the sand- we know a bunny has been here (great tracks in the sand were all over)! The tent with a better view of the canyon in day light.
Scott teaching the kids about desert flora.
Alaina feeds some cactus to Taffey the Giraffey after Scott teaches giraffes can eat cactus, spines and all.
Layla being cute.
Sisters! Cute and ready to hike!
We drove down to Dead Horse Point. The park is a peninsula shape with canyons on three sides of it. Breath taking views everywhere!!! Absolutely amazing!
view to the right (it's the Colorado River)
view straight out
view to the left
(the water is the Potash Plant, where they make plant fertilizer)
All was happy and amazing... until Audrey stumbled on the rock ground and fell backwards hitting her head on the rock ground. I scooped her up, felt for bumps, and was snuggling her when she turned her head into my cheek and I felt warm blood. I looked, called for Scott, put her hood up on it for pressure, and headed for the car. Back at the parking lot, I saw a guy wearing a Fire Rescue shirt and asked him if he was a paramedic. He was! We checked her out. Saw it was superficial. Irrigated it with water bottles. He thought it would take 4-5 stitches, but I said I had hospital glue in my first aid kit, so he said shave the hair, irrigate, use hydrogen peroxide and glue it good. After it stopped bleeding and after we irrigated Scott took this picture of it and the blood on me. I was not really smiling, I was shaky!
We drove back to camp (just a few miles) and Scott gave Audrey a Priesthood blessing then we got ready to fix her up. I didn't have a razor but I had scissors to cut the hair out of the way so the glue wood stick, but when I cut the hair, which apparently was holding the laceration together it GAPED open like crazy and I knew we couldn't glue it. Back in the car, with the kids who gathered PB & J stuff to eat in the car, we headed to the Moab ER. Audrey was acting normal, ate a PBJ (I know not normal on the way to the ER, but she was hungry and the other kids were eating, and she was screaming for it). After awhile she fell asleep (it's a 45 min drive). I made sure I could arouse her a little every now and then, but then she got hard to wake up. She was exhausted, she just had lunch, it was nap time, and we were in the car... all equal deep sleep, but it scared me, so Scott drove fast. It was just deep sleep she was fine, looking back :) At the ER, they fixed her up with 3 staples! Yeah, breath taking I know! Makes me hurt every time I see it and every time Scott calls her "Staples" as her new nickname. Poor Baby Girl!!!
So... the doctor recommended bed rest for the next 24-hours, but told us good luck with a 2-year-old. We went for a drive through Arches National Park, knowing a car seat was the only way to keep her down for a while. At the end, the Devil's Garden area, the kids (Audrey included), were dying to get out of the car for awhile so we took a little hike.
This looks like a runaway truck ramp to me.
Stopping to let Audrey feel the wall of rock and the view looking back out of the canyon at the La Sal Mountains.
Audrey got lots of loves and we tried to carry her, but staples don't stop Audrey! She fought her way to walking too!
Back at camp we made chicken burritos and drew in our nature journals of the 4 rabbits we saw near the bathrooms, the ravens flying, and such by lamp light. Audrey never fussed about her head until I tried laying her down for bed. She would pat her head and fuss owie. My mother's heart couldn't bear it and waited until the ibuprofen kicked in before she went to bed.
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