Our Utah Trip

Well, we finally have internet and I am able to tell a little about our trip back up to Utah for graduation.

We left Arizona on the 9th of August and drove up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and camped there. It was a rough night of sleep because the people next to us kept slamming their car doors, and then in the middle of the night the wolves or coyotes started howling and set all the others off!! The next morning we did a little hiking around and got some fun pictures!! We didn't stay long though because we had a long drive ahead of us.

Lydia in the tent on her first camping trip!

Here are all three of us at the Grand Canyon. The guy who took the picture got more sky than anything else! This is Jeff and Lydia overlooking the Grand Canyon from the East side of the South Rim.
After leaving the Grand Canyon, we drove up to Capitol Reef National Park in Torrey, Utah. We took a very scenic route and saw lots of beautiful places; however it took us a little longer than if we had gone a different way. We finally got there and didn't see a lot that first night. The next morning (the 11th of August) we went to the visitor's center and then went to the old farmhouse and the school house. Capitol Reef use to be the home of the town Fruita. It was settled in the 1880's and the last family left in 1969. The families planted a lot of orchards there, which still remain. When you come and camp they allow you to go through the orchards and pick fruit. It was a lot of fun.

This is me and Lydia at the old Fruita School House in Capitol Reef NP.

We were also able to see some of the petroglyphs that they have in the park. If you look along the edge of the rock you can see some people.
After leaving Capitol Reef, we drove up to Park City. We were going to be staying with my parents in their timeshare. We hadn't seen my parents since April, so it was fun to see them and Natalie and Andrew. With all of the changes that had happened recently, Lydia was a little bit apprehensive about all of the new people.

On the 12th, we went to a baby blessing for our friends Tim and Susan O'Connor. Their little girl Evangeline was blessed. It was also a nice day to just spend with family and enjoy the Sabbath.

On the 13th, Mom, Natalie, Lydia and I went down to Provo so that Natalie could meet with some people at BYU about their music program. Jeff, Dad, and Andrew went and saw a movie, and then in the evening met up with my brother Jeff, and Jeff's brothers Jason and Josh, and a couple of (my) Jeff's friends to hike Squaw peak. He had never done a sunset hike up there, so enjoyed the new view.

While the boys went hiking, the girls went swimming. Afterwards, I put Lydia in this towel and she looked like she could be someone out of "Star Wars."

This was the beautiful sunset that the guys saw at the top of Squaw Peak.
On the 14th we went to Deer Creek Reservoir and rented a boat to go out on the reservoir. It was quite the bumpy ride at first, but then it calmed down and was quite plesant. We were surprised that Lydia slept for about an hour on the boat!! She even got in the water with her little life jacket. She didn't seem too fond of it though!

This is Lydia with Jeff in the water. I think that she was a little cold!

Lydia, wearing Aunt Natalie's sunglasses, holding the flag for the boat! Lydia and me after a fun afternoon of boating.
On the 15th we hung out in Park City. We were going to go on the Alpine Slides, but it started to rain some and they closed them. We went to the outlet malls and had an enjoyable time.

The 16th was the first of our graduation days! This was the main commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center. We met up with Tim and Susan to take pictures of Jeff and Tim together in their cap and gowns, and then got some family pictures too. Jeff and I have been good friends with Tim since high school and were able to get together a lot during the past few years to work on school stuff together so it was fun to get pictures of them. Jeff's Mom and Dad and brother Jason eventually met up with us also. It was fun to watch Jeff graduate and remember when I graduated in 2005. That evening after graduation we went to Chuck-a-rama with Jeff's parents and Jason, my parents and siblings (Jeff, Natalie, and Andrew), and several of Jeff's aunts and uncles and cousins. Jeff had requested that we go to Chuck-a-rama because of his fond memories of going their as a kid. It was fun to see everyone and have some yummy food.

Jeff and Tim before convocation.

Our family in front of BYU's Bell Tower. My handsome husband on his graduation day!! Lydia giving Daddy a high five. "Yay Daddy, you made it!" Lydia wearing Daddy's cap. "What are you looking at? I'm not graduating!" Jeff ringing the BYU Victory Bell. The only time they allow people to ring it is at graduation.
On the 17th was convocation. Jeff was graduating from the College of Engineering and Teachnology and this ceremony was where they actually read his name. It was fun to watch Jeff walk across the stage and hear them read his name. It was a really quick graduation because there were only around 50 graduatates. This is one of the benefits about graduating in August! Afterwards we went to a light lunch hosted by the college at the Clyde building. We met some of Jeff's professors and then Jeff gave us a little tour of the Clyde building and let everyone see where he had spent a lot of his time the last few years. Afterwards, I wanted to get some pictures of us all wearing our BYU shirts. I had a shirt that said "Class of 2005," Jeff had one that said "Alum 07," and we got Lydia a onesie that said "BYU" on it. So we went to our old house, and then to the Heritage pond and took pictures. That evening we met up with Jeff's parents and brother in Midway. Jeff's aunt has a second home there and they allowed us to use it so that we could all get together for a little BBQ. It was fun because it allowed for more visiting and talking than the previous atmospheres had. It is a little difficult to visit when you are trying to listen to the speech at graduation! or you are being introduced to various people.

Jeff walking across the stage and shaking hands with someone important, but I don't remember who. :)
In front of one of BYU's signs that says "Enter To Learn, Go Forth To Serve."
After graduation with my parents, Don and Beth McClellan, and my siblings, (from left) Andrew, Jeff, and Natalie.After graduation with Jeff's parents, Dick and Suzee Boyd. Wearing our BYU shirts in front of our old house. In front of the doorway to our old apartment. By the pond at Heritage Halls with Y mountain in the background.
Finally, on the 18th, our Utah trip was sadly over. On this day we drove all the way back to Arizona. It had been nice to relax, not worry about packing and unpacking, see family, watch Jeff graduate, and have fun. Lydia was a good sport about being in the car, and as long as we gave her a little bit of time to run around, she was okay.

We hope that you have enjoyed the pictures and the events in our life!! We'll post pictures of our house once it is a little more put together. It is slowly coming, but not quite there!! So, till next time....