Spring Break 2018--Grand Canyon

We did something really cool!  For Spring Break we took our kids and did something hard.  Stephen, Kaitlyn and Sam along with his brother Andrew and his two daughters, Shelly and Ashlyn, and Grandpa went on a 3 day backpacking trip down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and then back up.

Eventful memories were that Laura somehow broke her sliding door on their van on the way there.  We did get it to close after a late night run in Albuquerque for tools in sketchy parts of town, and it was duct taped shut for the duration of the trip.  They got a new fan upon returning home.

On our way into the Grand Canyon we saw a double rainbow--an omen that it was going to be a wonderful trip!

We drove in on Sunday and the group left on the hike Monday morning:

Whether or not mom/Susan was going to join them was a last minute decision.  After a lot of thought, and heartache, and a priesthood blessing, it was decided that the best thing would be for her to stay behind with Laura and I and the younger cousins.

The plan for the hikers was to hike the North Rim....Bright Angle Trail....down to the bottom where they spent the night, then hiked up half way to.....and the rest of the way back up.

And they did it!!  They did something hard.  They earned street cred with everyone they met there at the Grand Canyon, and a lot of people they've told since then.  And they've earned the confidence that comes from knowing they can do hard things!

They arrived back up to the top on 3.14--pie day, so Laura and I had stopped in a Williams, a sweet town that reminded us of Radiator Springs and got pie!

We also ate some amazing pizza at a place there in the lodge, maybe it just tasted so good because of all the hiking but it was amazing!!

And then it was time for showers and a nap....