Moab with the Boys

       Well there is nothing like squeezing a last minute vacation in right before a big vacation (Not that China will be all vacation, but I like to think it will be in order to put a hyper-positive spin on it!).  A few weeks ago I caught wind that Neil and his friend/roommate/climbing partner-in-crime were planning a trip to enjoy the great outdoors of Moab, UT.  Well, you know I wasn't going to pass that up!  So last week the boys kindly collected Charlie and I in Boise and we all drove to Moab for about 9 days! What fun!

       If any of you have ever been to Moab, you can understand my excitement; and if you haven't, it should most definitely go on your bucket list!!  Moab is land of slick rock bike trails, National Jeep Safari Week, Arches National Park, red dirt tee-shirts, spectacular hiking, and some of the most breathtaking views available on our great Earth.  Not to mention, it is to date, my favorite place in existence. I like to think that if there is indeed a God, this is his country and he must have made it just to show off his creative abilities.
       We mostly camped at primitive BLM campgrounds near the trail head of our next-day's adventure, and only managed to get two showers in the entire time. Yuck!!! We cooked over the fire, roasted hot dogs, and bonded over how dirty our clothes were and how lucky we were to all be there together having fun. The weather was sunny the whole time, although the first few nights were bitter cold (like frozen-water-in-the-morning-cold), and the wind almost always picked up in the late afternoon for a nice breeze.  Honestly it was great outdoor activity weather and we took full advantage.
       The boys climbed nearly everyday.  I must say I am quite proud of Neil and Todd and their new ability. They have been climbing about 5 months and managed to make it up some of the most spectacular landmarks in the area including Ancient Art and Castleton Tower (in the background of the pic to the left), plus various other single pitch endeavors. Mad props to the boys and their serious skill and guts, you go guys!!! I on the other hand stuck to the trails on my bike or on foot. Turns out Charlie is a natural born slick rock pro and was clambering all over the place on our hikes!! Luckily we all got through the week with only minor scrapes and bruises and on Friday packed up and headed home just in time for Easter!! It was truly a blast and I hope we get the chance to do it again in the semi-near future.
       In other news, I had a lovely St. Patrick's Day with my friend Kyler.  I made green frosted sugar cookies and we went to a corned beef and cabbage banquet at a local pub.  Can't get much more Irish than that! Also, I got to stop and have a short visit on my way through Boise with my good friend Stephanie Cambell.  She will be attending a design school in NYC this fall! Good luck Stef!!! You rock!! 
       As you all know I am leaving this Friday for Cambodia and will miss you all so very much! I will be changing the name of my blog because Charlie will stay in Idaho and Stella will be in storage so the crowd will no longer have three :(  Not to worry nothing else will change, just the name so keep an eye out for that! I hope all is well with everyone and as usual I will end with an adorable pic of Charlie.  He got very dirty on our hikes...clearly... xoxo lots of love!!