Silly Kids :: 9.28.17

Stitches :: September 20, 2017

Well, we made it 6 years with kids before needing to go to the "emergency room".  It was a normal day and after lunch, when all of a sudden I heard Joel screaming/crying and it was a different cry.  I knew he was really hurt.  I was on my way to Joshua's room (where all the kids were playing) and Jeralyn is yelling about blood.  Oh no!  Joel had a gash in his head and I responded quickly.  I put a band-aid on the wound, called Quent (who was working out of town that day but I didn't know it) and then I called my neighbor and she came over immediately.  I also called the clinic and told them we were on our way.  We were at the clinic for 2 hours.  While there, Joel received 5 stitches, 2 popsicles, and 2 suckers.  Now, imagine what it would be like to hold down a 1-1/2 year old child while he gets stitched up?  It's no fun!!  It took 3 of us to hold him down, plus the doctor who stitched him him.  He was pretty tired after that ordeal and took a nice nap after we got home.  I wish I could have taken a nap too.

This is Joel the day before.

Joel and I waiting in the "emergency room" at the clinic.

After.  He was pretty good about not touching the bandages or stitches.

He has a nice scar.

I'm still not sure what happened.  Jeralyn still doesn't know what happened and I believe her.  The only thing I can think of was he hit the corner of a chest that's in the bed, but I found no evidence of that.  It's a mystery.

More Dinosaur & Ogden, Utah :: September 2017

Here are some photos I took with my phone when we were in Dinosaur.

After we left Dinosaur National Monument, we drove to Ogden, Utah to Ogden's George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park.  They have a museum there and a really neat outdoor park for the kids to play on and walk around.  It was pretty quiet there and we could tell there most families come to play at the playground.

This was the first morning with Natasha, when all of the kids discovered her.

This is what Joshua looked like most days we were in Dinosaur.  Boys will be boys!

Dinosaur National Monument :: September 2017

In the beginning of September, we drove 13 hours (in two days) to Dinosaur National Monument, which is in Utah and Colorado.  Jeralyn had liked dinosaurs for a season and we thought it would be fun to take the family there because of her interest.  She informed us, a few days into our time in Dinosaur, that she "doesn't like dinosaurs anymore."  I had a good laugh about that!  Despite her change in interests, she did enjoy her time.

The first night in Dinosaur, Natasha met us (she lives in Colorado now).  She surprised the boys in the morning (Jeralyn saw her that night).  It was fun to have her with us!

The first morning in Dinosaur, we went to the visitor's center and hitched a quick shuttle to see the quarry.

This was one of the coolest things I've ever seen--dinosaur bones in the rock!

They even allowed you to touch some of the fossilized bones.

After the quarry, we had lunch outside the visitor's center.  Some went on a little hike up the hill.

During one of the evenings, we went on a hike.  We forgot to pack the Joel backpack carrier, so he goe to ride in Quent's backpack instead.  It worked out just fine.

We found a little cave.

The trail was so beautiful.  I am still surprised at all of the red rock and canyons in this area. I had no idea!

I loved our evening walk; it was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

In the morning we went on a short jaunt to see more beautiful landscape.

We thought that formation (in the center) looked like a face with a bulbous nose.

An old homestead in the park.

And then we found some petroglyphs.

Our last hike/walk in the evening while we were at Dinosaur.

The next morning we said goodbye to Natasha and then we drove over to the Colorado side of Dinosaur.

I loved seeing the canyons!

Quent and Aunt Janet (back when we were visiting them in Wyoming this spring) mentioned how Joshua holds his arms behind him like Grandpa Smith used to do.  Quent caught it on camera.

Joel slept through most of the Colorado portion of Dinosaur.  He needed the nap!

The next morning we left Dinosaur National Monument and headed back toward home.  I'm so glad we got to experience this beautiful landscape. It's so fun to be able to drive places.  Vroom!  Vroom!