O-Ab

O-Ab is what Tabitha calls Moab, Utah, the place we decided to go for Spring Break this year.  My mom is always up for taking the kids somewhere fun and different and making memories together.  Since Brandon had to work, she and I took the kids by ourselves.  It was so fun to get the kids out into the sun again after being cooped up all winter.  The weather was PERFECT!
The first day of hiking we did a short hike to the north and south windows and turret arch. 

This is Taba in the North Window.

The kids loved all the piled rocks that marked the trails.  They kept adding more rocks to the top.

Me and my hiking buddy in front of Turret Arch.

The kids running ahead.  This is in front of Turret Arch too.

On the way up to Turret Arch I asked Taba if Hyatt could use her hat since I was worried his head was going to burn and hers was the closest size.  I took it off her head and put it on his.  She walked a few feet and then crouched down and put her forehead on this rock.  She was sad, but wouldn't tell us why.  I took the picture because it was funny that she was sad and showing her crack, and didn't even know or care.  Turns out, she wanted her hat back.  We gave it back to her and she was fine.

Silly Tabitha kept climbing up on rocks and posing and then saying, "Mom, kake my pitcher."  She is quite the poser.

The north and south windows.

Discovering wildlife (red ants).  The girl ALWAYS has crack showing because she has no bum and her pants won't stay up.  She is beyond caring.

After that short hike we decided Delicate Arch was the one arch we most wanted to see, so we headed there next.  I don't think we really knew what we were getting ourselves into.  The map we had said it was 3 miles round-trip.  I had Hyatt on my back, so that was daunting, but I am supposed to be training for a half-marathon, so I figured it could only help, right?

Grandma ended up carrying Tabitha a good portion of the way.  She was a trooper (I'm talking about Grandma).

At some point along the way Daxton asked if he could carry my camera (my Nikon SLR) and take pictures.  I let him.  He took this one of me, mom, Tabs, and Hyatt.

We reached Delicate Arch after tons of people coming down told us "it's just a little further".  Most of them lied.  The cool thing about the hike was you just climb and climb and there is no end in sight (meaning you can't see the arch in the distance).  Finally, you walk on a ledge and then turn a corner, and there it is in all it's glory.  It was impressive and beautiful.  It is not on a plain though, which is how I envisioned it.  Daxton wanted to go right up next to it, which meant Taba wanted to go too.  I was terrified she was going to fall into a valley or over a cliff, because she just refused to hold my hand.  She was a runnin' all over the place in her sparkly Elmos shoes and I kept thinking "she's gonna fall!"  The pictures above and below are her and Daxton (left) sitting on the arch.  She kept scooting up and up that rock and I kept telling her to stop.

Daxton wanted to go under the arch too.  I had to be a brave mama to let him go by himself, with ledges on either side.  He did fine, of course.  I was trying to wrangle Tabitha at the same time I took this picture.  I couldn't get closer without risking her falling.

This is the last picture off of my camera from the trip.  Daxton took it right before he tripped, the camera hit the rock, and the lens bounced down the rock.  My mom and I were walking ahead and didn't see anything until we heard the lens coming from behind.  Mom was carrying Tabitha and couldn't catch the lens.  I had Hyatt and couldn't move fast enough.  A guy further down yelled, "I got it!"  And he did.  He handed it to me and I mumbled a thank you and a "not that it will ever work again."  Everyone who saw the fall said Daxton's feet almost hit the back of his head when he fell.  Later, when we got back to the hotel, the kids wanted to go swimming.  The man who opened the gate for us said, "Hey, aren't you the kid who dropped the camera?  I recognize those freckles!"  Daxton felt really bad about breaking the camera and apologized to me several times.  I was just glad he didn't trip and fall off a cliff or something.
The next day we did another short little hike and then headed for home.  It was another wonderful trip full of memories!  We'll have to go back when we have more time.  Tabitha couldn't stop talking about going hiking.  Despite not walking the whole time, she had a great time!