Monster Dog!

So we have had Banner at home for over a week now and he has had many nicknames due to his overwhelming amount of energy. However, the nickname of Monster Dog has stuck because one minute he can be sweetly licking your hand and the next minute he is attacking you with all of his sharp puppy teeth. I think he is just trying to live up to the character he is named after, The Hulk. He is really sweet though and he does love to cuddle when he is tired. He isn't very golden color in the pictures but he is starting to get darker, especially on his ears, face and back.

He loves to be outside underneath the bushes and chewing on leaves and sticks. He has a ton of toys, but would rather chew on furniture, rugs and shoes.



One of his favorite napping spots is under my dresser. He can barely fit under there right now so in a few more weeks he is going to have to find a new napping spot!

He knows where his food is and when he is hungry, which is always, he runs around the living room with his bowl in his mouth!

He does drive us crazy sometimes, but I guess we will keep him!

Zion- A Peaceful Getaway

At the beginning of the month Kyle and I left crowded Riverside to visit his Mom in Nevada and to go to Zion National Park in Utah. First, I have to say that I LOVE Utah! I want to move there so badly because everything is clean, the people are so nice and you don't have to chew the air you breath. Anyway, Zion is an amazing place! It is so peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful. We did lots of hikes and ate really good food. Zion National Park is located near the town of Springdale which is really, really tiny. They have one elementary school that has only 2 teachers- 1 primary and 1 upper. The town basically is there to cater to the needs of the tourists with restaurants and shops.



























































This is our hotel and the view from our balcony. We stayed at the Majestic View Lodge which was a little pricey but worth the money! The rooms were decorated in a cabin theme and the restaurant located in the lobby had huge windows that looked out to the park.






























Now before this trip I was afraid of heights. Not a little afraid, really afraid. The hikes that we were doing were easy, paved hikes that were for beginners. So I didn't think anything of it when Kyle said that he wants to go on one last hike before we leave.






I should have read the fine print on this sign before the hike that says: This rocky uneven trail is not for anyone fearful of heights, although most drop-offs are fenced!


MOST drop offs are fenced! Are you CRAZY!?

I wasn't even aware of this when we started this nice little hike and I was doing OK until I saw this nice walk way.













If you look closely toward the middle of the turn, there isn't any ground underneath the walkway! I immediately said uh huh! I am not going on that thing! I can't even see where this walkway leads too except sudden death if I fall! But then a little boy comes running across like it was nothing and then the Dad follows right behind him. I looked at Kyle and said "if he could do it, I can too. Let's go!" Luckily it was a little curve and then we were past that part. Most of the trail was along the cliffs edge and wasn't paved or very sturdy. However, the hike was beautiful and led to a beautiful overlook of the canyon.


So now I feel like I have overcome my fear of heights and now I am feeling more adventurous so I told Kyle next time I want to go here- way down deep in the canyon (which is called canyoneering).


Our pictures of Zion don't even capture the amazing place that it is. You have to go to really understand the peacefulness and beauty of Zion. We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed spending time with Kyle's mom. She was a great hostess and took wonderful care of us! Thanks Momma J!