Fall Break - part 2

Okay, so I can't get this one to rotate the right way, so you will just have to turn your head to the side!  :)  The morning dawned bright, cold, and way too early for me!  But how could I not want to get up with such a cute little face as this?!?  Usually Katelynn sleeps well in her own bed, but in the pack and play when it was cold out, not so much!  Oh well!  It was still fine.

We spent the better part of an hour huddled around the campfire to get warm, but that picture turned out blurry.  Oh well!  Then the kids had some fun playing a little bit of football with Daddy!  Amber just wanted to play in the dirt, but the boys all had a great time playing.

The boys often tried to avoid being touched by running around the tent instead of straight.  :)  Sometimes that worked, but most times it didn't!

There was a lot of football that happened during the down time at our campsite this camping trip.  :)

Amber was content to sit and get filthy by making dirt volcanoes.  By far, she got the dirtiest on this camping trip!!!

People were hiking there in DROVES this past weekend, so we decided to get an early start on our hiking.  I was glad that we did.  We began our hiking before 9am.  Right by the campgrounds was a trail that took you to several waterfalls and a cave that wasn't actually a real cave.  It was beautiful.  While we were there, a lady that took our picture told us that the Winter time here was especially pretty.  She said that the falls freeze and that there is ice and snow everywhere making it a lovely Winter Wonderland.  I don't think that I would like to camp in that weather, but it might be pretty just to come and see!  :)  She also said that the falls are much bigger in the Spring when all that ice and snow are melting.

The kids had fun playing in and around the water at each stop we made.  :)  We didn't stay as long at each stop since there were people pouring in along the hiking trails.

Sorry about the finger in this picture!  Next we went to a place called Old Man's Cave.  It was really just a place where the rock had worn down and formed an indention in the rock.  Brian was hiking more by me and the others were up a little further by Barth.  So I had to snap a picture of my sweet Brian!  Who knows why he didn't have his jacket zipped, it wasn't even 60 out there.  It didn't get above 65 on this particular day.  :)  Like I said, it was nice weather.

Here are the others hiking down to the bridge.  I am standing up in the cave.  It is called Old Man's Cave because it used to be home to a hermit way back in the 1700's.  They say that he is buried up there in the cave.

What a great looking group!!  :)  The kids were great hikers!!!  Not a complaint at all!

The whole area was so picturesque.  I just loved it!  I couldn't help but stop often along the trails to offer up a prayer of thanks for this beautiful world that Heavenly Father created just for us!!  

This one was way zoomed up since I was back up in the cave.  This park and the paths were so well done.  I loved all the beautiful bridges and much of the steps along the path were done in the same stone work as the bridges!

Looking back up towards the Old Man's Cave.

More of the lovely scenery along the trail.  :)

We then hiked along to another waterfall.  This is where we stopped for the morning.  By this time it was about 11 am.  The parking lot at the head of the trails was already full.  And it was a BIG parking lot!  I was glad that we started early!  By the afternoon time, not only was the lot full, but so was the parking lot for the park store/ ranger's station.  Plus, people were parking on the street.  They had to have Rangers out directing traffic because there were so many people there!  It was crazy!!!

That afternoon we headed up to Ash Cave.  This place was packed as well.  It was a very pretty and big place.  The kids loved the sand that was here at this cave.

Kind of blurry, but cute of my Aaron Baron!!

Aaron, Evan, and Weston hiked around the waterfall that was there to go explore.  Evan loved to be with and follow Weston.  And Weston is a good brother to Evan and tells him all sorts of things about where ever we are.

Amber posing for me at Ash Cave.  My goodness, she has turned into a girl with her hands on her hips!!  She almost always has them there.  It is funny to see!  :)  She loved all the sand everywhere at this cave.  

There was a small little waterfall at this cave too!  And these cliffs were so big!!!  I really did love camping here.  It was so pretty!

This particular day was coolish, so Katelynn stayed in her jammies all day long!  That evening, I was getting things ready for dinner while Barth took the boys up to the shower.  Since I needed my hands, Amber talked to Katelynn in her car seat.  Katelynn just LOVES her sister!!  She always smiles to big for her!