Memory and Magic of Moab

Delicate Arch

One of my greatest desires this year, was to see my family reunited for the first time in almost four years.  So, Bill and I picked a date and invited everyone.  The miracle was that everyone sacrificed time off work and hours of long airplane and car rides, and they all came!  I experienced some anxiety leading up to our time together.  I worried about where the best place was to gather and how to accomodate everyone's needs.  In the end, we chose to gather in Moab Utah, in a campground only five minutes from Arches National Park.  We had taken our children there when they were young and thought it would be fun to create new memories there, now with grandchildren.

Moab in June, is hot, so we were especially grateful for air conditioned cabins, and a swimming pool.  Each family planned and prepared one of the meals, and we would gather outside their cabin to eat.  We took the children hiking in the park in the morning, and enjoyed the pool or rested in the hot afternoon.  Then, in the evening, some of the adults took turns hiking some of the more challenging trails together, while others played with the children on the playground.  The flashlights and "Grandpa's" squirt bottles, for each of the grandchildren, were a big hit and made a lot of memories for everyone.

I am filled with appreciation to all my children and their spouses for the amazing effort and understanding they demonstrated, with patience for each individual and family need.  Each family had challenges to overcome, and I am still pinching myself that everyone came and that we had such a wonderful time together.  I miss them so much more, now that we are again apart.  I'm so glad to have a few pictures of our time together.  And it was all worth it.....

Sand Dune Arch

Landscape Arch