Jeepin'

When Danny and I were dating, he took me out on quite a few "desert dates." We hiked and picnicked out there, and for the most part, I really enjoyed it.  We off-roaded quite a few times as a young, in love couple, but as the years have gone by, our desert trips have almost vanished.  I realized lately that when Danny and I were dating, I was not really into the desert, I was actually really into Danny.  He could have been totally interested in the art of Indian pottery, and I would have walked right into that museum with him, all smiles.  

So needless to say, we haven't kept up the desert adventures like Danny would have liked.  Sand isn't too conducive to diapers, I would say.  But as the kids have grown older, Danny has taken them on more and more short desert excursions, and they come back thrilled with the adventure of the great open desert-scape they experienced.

Well, this Saturday was a glorious day.  Maybe a tad windy, but altogether another glorious spring day in this desert I call home.  My parents called our house early in the morning to ask if we wanted to go jeepin'.  Jeepin'?  We don't have a jeep!  

Well, that ain't gonna stop us!!

Check out my dad's new toy.  

He's awfully proud.  He insisted I take a picture of his grandson alongside his new prized possession.  Love it!

"So happy together...."

Little Gigi loved climbing on the rock, but she took a spill, and only grandma would do to kiss it and make it all better.

All of these pictures were taken on our drive into Split Mountain.  The kids got out and ran around, pretending the cave-like spaces were Indian encampments.

Here they are huddled under shelter from a brutal, snowy winter.  You can see that my oldest had gathered some firewood to provide a little warmth.

Check out Emma's big ol' gap!!  The other front tooth will be gone by the end of the week...mark my words!

Awww....

We saw lots of cool things on our desert venture.... Here you can see a couple of native children sneaking along a narrow ridge.

We also saw these beautiful purple, daisy-like wildflowers all over the desert floor.

Look at that mountain goat!  Nawww...  but Cubby sure is steady on those rocks, she's a mountain climber, just like her dad.

Emma loves to pretend.  This time she is an Indian princess preparing a fire so she can cook food for the lost little children.  I just love her active imagination!

And here's my dad's awesome new baby, climbing over rocks and taking charge!

Here's my ride.  I made it blurry, because for some reason I couldn't get that song "Dreamweaver" out of my head when I saw this picture.  Sorry, I'm just wierd.

Cutie pie Jeep.  

Another picture of the whole fam-bamily. I love these five people!!!  Maybe the desert isn't so bad after all, especially when it brings such joy to the people I love.