Van England

Hello Everybody

2012-01-31T11:30:00.001-08:00

The Last Moment of Yesterday

2011-11-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Future

2011-11-01T08:45:00.001-07:00

Starting solids

2011-11-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

8:30 am ring pop.... It must be the day after Halloween!

2011-11-01T08:40:00.001-07:00

Good Morning:)

2011-09-09T10:36:00.001-07:00

Sisters

2011-06-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Super Mealies

2011-05-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

Eye Contact

2011-05-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Farah Penelope

2011-05-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

Best Friends

2011-05-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

Farah Fancy Feet

2011-05-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

Breakfast in Bed

2011-01-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Cowboy Teeb

2010-08-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Emi' First Day of School

2010-08-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Emilia started 4th grade today. She had a wonderful day and was so excited to be back at school.
Much Love, Nichole

Hello Old Friend

2010-08-20T19:57:00.001-07:00

Chasing the Sunset......to the sea

2010-08-20T19:34:00.001-07:00

Our Epic Children - 8 hours in the car and still smiling. 1 hour till we are home!

2010-08-20T19:03:00.001-07:00

Leaving Las Vegas

2010-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

A very big day

2010-08-19T21:01:00.001-07:00

Having a Blast!!!!

2010-08-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

Lunch

2010-08-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

My Cabana Babies

2010-08-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

My Canana Boy

2010-08-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

Breakfast on Bed

2010-08-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Bellagio

2010-08-19T07:05:00.001-07:00

Daaaaaaaaaam

2010-08-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

On goes the pack......Viva Las Vegas!!!!!

2010-08-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

Our Grand Canyon Cabin

2010-08-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Native American Hoop Dance-best part of our visit to the Canyon

2010-08-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon - our last national park

2010-08-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Weeping Rock- our last hike at Zion 8/16

2010-08-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

Team England

2010-08-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Mountains, Arizona

2010-08-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hottest Nap Ever

2010-08-16T11:14:00.001-07:00

View from our tent in Zion

2010-08-16T11:13:00.001-07:00

Middle Emerald Pool sunset hike

2010-08-16T11:12:00.001-07:00

Cooling off in the Virgin River- it was 98 degrees today

2010-08-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Camp Zion - our last night in a tent

2010-08-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

The Last Week

2010-08-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

We are now in our final countdown.

Two weeks ago we could not believe what was in front of us. One week ago we could not believe what was behind us with still two weeks to go. Now it is all beginning to speed up to our coming home. Time has been wonderfully warped for us.

Since leaving Oregon we have spent time in Idaho, driven straight down Utah, camped over night in a random spot (Provo Canyon) and rolled with all the punches.

Our decision not to attempt Yellowstone turned out to be a gift from above. We traveled on down to Bryce where we booked into a campground at Ruby's Inn and had the most wonderful experience. I can't imagine not having the two full days we had to explore the canyon. What we had planned to do in a day trip we know we would never have accomplished. We may have not made it up there at all! Instead we ended up with two amazing days to explore some of the most mind blowing and spirit lifting land. We are so grateful.

Next we headed to Zion where we were scheduled to stay at Zion Ponderossa Ranch Resort and Campground. Just the drive up there gave us a funny feeling. It was in the middle of nowhere, far from the park and while the people were nice we were sure we would be part of some sort of cult by the time we were scheduled to leave. Very strange place. As Em said "just not our style." So Jub took the bull by the horns, booked us into a Best Western in Springdale on the south side of the park and off we went. It has been wonderful. Springdale is a sweet little town that I could imagine living in. Happy people, a mix of all types, delicious food, lots of artists and best off all a free shuttle that takes us the five minutes up to the park. They even have an organic farm!! (It has been awhile) Agian, we are grateful.

Today we check out and head up to the park for one night in South campground in Zion itself. The weather is warm, the sky is amazing and the park is so peaceful at night. We could not ask for a better way to end our time here.

After that Williams and the Grand Canyon and then Vegas. As I said, the countdown has begun. Now we focus on continuing to live in the moment. It should not be hard. The earth and all we see of it does it for us.

We are grateful.

Big Day!

2010-08-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

Riverside Walk leading to the Narrows

2010-08-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Our First Glimpse of Zion

2010-08-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

Entering Zion National Park

2010-08-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

Off to Zion

2010-08-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

Red Canyon on the way to Zion

2010-08-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Bryce Amphitheater at Sunset - 8/12

2010-08-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

The Mossy Cave - it felt and sounded like it was raining from rock

2010-08-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

Backcrountry Hikers

2010-08-14T06:28:00.001-07:00

We Posted Bail

2010-08-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Ranger Cami Tubbs - the kids did a junior ranger program on the animals in the canyon.

2010-08-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

The Light of our LIves

2010-08-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Bristlecone Loop Hike - 8/11

2010-08-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

The Canyon from Rainbow Point

2010-08-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hoodoos on above Mossy Cave Walk

2010-08-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Jubal in his element

2010-08-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Stephen the Hoodoo

2010-08-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Camp Bryce Canyon-tomorrow we are off to Zion

2010-08-12T14:02:00.001-07:00

Bryce Canyon is AMAZING

2010-08-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

Dinner

2010-08-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

Bryce Canyon is AMAZING

2010-08-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

On the road again.....Bryce Canyon here we come!!

2010-08-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Campground With A Playground....for the kids it does not get any better than this!!

2010-08-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Nunn Park, Provo Canyon, Utah - tomorrow we head to Bryce Canyon!

2010-08-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

We can see clearly now that the rain is gone

2010-08-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

Idaho Rain on our way out. Fingers crossed the roof pack is water proof.

2010-08-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Cheap Seats

2010-08-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

Apparently Idaho has much looser laws regarding fireworks

2010-08-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

Every Town Has One

2010-08-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

Oregon this morning, Idaho today, Utah tomorrow

2010-08-08T20:47:00.001-07:00

Burley, Id. We've never swam in a pool 50 yards from a gas pump!

2010-08-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Ontario, Or.

2010-08-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

Camp sink...best purchase ever!

2010-08-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

A Rip Roaring Good Time

2010-08-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

Entering the Badlands

2010-08-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

Snowballs in August

2010-08-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

Beautiful View...and the lake is pretty too

2010-08-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

With Ma and Pa

2010-08-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

Crater Lake at Sunset

2010-08-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

Almost There

2010-08-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

Off we go....

2010-08-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Marshmallow Mates

2010-08-07T23:00:00.000-07:00

New Growth

2010-08-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

Little People, Giant Trees

2010-08-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

2010-08-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

Back to Camp Redwoods

2010-08-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

This about sums up the drive across Oregon

2010-08-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

England Epic Adventure Update

2010-08-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

We are now one week into our adventure and an adventure it is truly turning out to be.

The first leg of our trip has been a wonderful one. The Redwoods were majestic and amazing. We explored Del Norte, touched upon Lady Bird Johnson and spent a bit of time in Crescent City learning about it's history and that of the many villages surrounding it.

Then onto to Crater Lake after a really beautiful drive from California to Oregon. Crater Lake is gorgeous. The lake itself is breathtaking and mind blowing and the campground was one of the most pleasant ones we have ever experienced. We did the rim drive, walked above the Annie River (?) and participated in a campfire sing along. Emilia even earned herself a Crater Lake Junior Ranger badge. This was a hard place for us to drive away from.

We then headed out along some of the most isolated land we have ever seen. It made the drive up to Camp Pit look positively bustling with civilization. After about 3 hours we came across a sign that said "Oregon Badlands" and it all started to make sense. There was nothing but horizon and a ribbon of highway for as far as the eye could see. We rolled into Ontario, Oregon (our goal!) in the early evening and found the first Best Western we could find. The odometer read 1000 miles traveled and we truly felt 1000 miles from nowhere. Once in our room and starting to decompress we checked the weather in Yellowstone only to discover that is was to be pummeled by thunderstorms and a cold front for the entire time we were to be CAMPING there. After looking, looking, looking and looking for lodging in West Yellowstone, deciding Jackson Hole would involve just too much driving back and forth for the kids, factoring in touring Yellowstone in the rain and cold and consulting with a Yellowstone trip advisor (who said camping is a thunderstorm is Never fun!) we have decided that it is just not meant to be.

So today we just took a break! After spotting a brochure for Roaring Springs water park, "the largest water park in the North West" in the lobby we choose to stay in Ontario for one more night and head over to this mecca of water slide fun 40 miles away in Idaho. That's right, today we spent at a water park in Idaho! Never in my life.... The kids had an absolute blast and are eternally grateful to not be packed into the car for another 6 hours of driving. At the moment they are sleeping the sleep of children who spent 7 hours splashing around in water. Stephen rocked the wave pool and Emilia is as brave as they come when it comes to death defying water slides.

So what comes next? We have no idea! We are scheduled to be in Zion on Friday, so at the moment the plan is just to head on down 84 and see what happens. We will drive in 3-4 hour bursts and ideally find spots to camp along the way or if need be pull into our home away from home, a Best Western. While disappointed about not seeing Yellowstone on this trip we figure it is not going anywhere and are quite excited about not quite knowing what the next few days will hold. We wanted an adventure and one has dropped into our lap.

Waterpark in Meridian, Idaho

2010-08-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Truckin'

2010-08-02T13:15:00.001-07:00

We felt small

2010-08-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

English Rose

2010-08-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

Breakfast in Garberville

2010-08-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Drive Through Tree Country

2010-08-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

We were next!

Our Chariot

2010-08-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Superhero to the Max

2010-07-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

Princeton Bay Beach Bums

2010-07-21T17:07:00.001-07:00

Part hat at the Pit

2010-07-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hmmmmm......

2010-07-17T13:17:00.001-07:00