Maple Canyon Climbing

This post could also be titled "Guys Vacation vs. Girls Vacation". Within this post, we would discuss the differences between the vacation that Sherri (Spencer's rock climbing BFF's wife) and I were on vs. the vacation that Spencer and his rock climbing BFF (Dad) were on. It would involve driving 9 hours with two crying babies vs. rock climbing all day long. It would involve wandering around Ikea with two babies vs. rock climbing all day long. It would also involve breast-feeding at a truckstop (Sherri), stopping at a lavendar farm, buying ice cream even though you know you are lactose intolerant (me) and driving 9 more hours back home with two crying babies oh and breastfeeding on the side of the freeway right next to a coyote head stuck on a fence vs....rock climbing all day. :) Despite the vast differences, it was really an awesome time. We would travel with these two (and their baby, Conrad) any time.

We went to Maple Canyon, Utah. Maple Canyon is an international climbing destination located right outside the teeny tiny farming town of Fountain Green, Utah. How anyone ever discovered that there was climbing up there, I have no idea.

Spencer's mom and sister and nieces even met us there for a few days but, somehow, I have no photographic evidence of that?? You'll just have to trust me that it was awesomeness.

Stay tuned 'til the end of the post for a funny story about my first booger-eating kid. :(

The infamous Dan climbing.

Nicest, funniest guy ever. Also happens to know every climber in the state of Colorado.

Hanging out in Spencer's Father's Day present--a lightweight and packable 2 person hammock. Conrad and Milo are adorable. Spencer's pretty cute too.
Milo was in heaven on this trip; cousins, climbing, and mountains.

That tiny speck in the distance is Milo on a rope swing that Dan and Spencer made on one of the climbing routes. Swinging from rope (in a harness) is pretty much the funnnest thing ever if you are an Anderson kid.

Spencer waaaaayyy up high on a climb.

Looking up one of the crazy offshoots of Maple Canyon.

We went for a family hike through here. The rocky bottom didn't make it very toddler-friendly.

Hmmm...Spencer? Dan? Not sure. But it's pretty cool either way.

Dan showing how narrow the canyon offshoot was in some spots.

Sherri and I looking like an ad for Ergo carriers. :)

Adorable and amazing Red Apple Cottage where we stayed.

This was in the town of Fountain Green, Utah. It was spotless, roomy, cool, and well stocked. There was a HUGE yard, a firepit, a barbeque and more than enough room for all of us. The kids favorite part? The loft that was up a very narrow and very steep staircase. They slept and played up there. Super fun.

Spencer helping the kids up to a crazy cave with some Native American petroglyphs in it.

The view out the car window on the way from Fountain Green to Maple Canyon. It was so green and so beautiful. I ran here too and it was stunning. I felt like I was running through a postcard.

Apparently, for just 25 cents you can buy hours of entertainment and embarassment (for your wife) at the delicious little Mexican restaurant in Fountain Green. Fake moustaches? Awesome.

Keeler eat a farmstand peach in the backyard. Sherri and I made it our mission to hit pretty much every single farmstand on our trip. Mission accomplished. We had some amazing fruits and veggies and some...not so amazing.

The cabin came equipped with proper head attire for cooking dinner.

More shots of the canyon on our family hike.

Adorable Conrad in his adorable carrier with his adorable binky. Seriously. The kid is adorable.

Keeler having a picnic on the stairs. He was soooo over having to stay home with the moms and the baby. :) He wore this backpack all day and kept saying "Cime. Peas? Momma? Cime? Daddy". The poor kid just wanted to go climbing too.

Watching out the front door for the dads and kids to get back from climbing.

One of the days that were getting ready to go up to Salt Lake for the day, Sherri was blowdrying her hair and I was watching Conrad and Keeler in the front room. Conrad was being adorable, as usual and Keeler (also normally adorable) was watching a cartoon on PBS. As I was watching him, watch the cartoon and reflecting sweetly on how cute he was and how funny he is when he watches tv (totally tunes EVERYTHING out around him) I watched him pick the MOTHER of all boogers out of his nose and....PUT IT IN HIS MOUTH (like it was no big deal, like he did it all the time). I did what any self-respecting spaz of a mom would do and screamed, "NOOOOOO!! No, no, no, no!!! We do NOT eat our boogers KEELER!!". Well, as you can imagine, my screams did two things. 1. Caused Keeler to immediately jump 4 feet in the air and start sobbing and 2. sent Sherri tearing into the front room with her sopping wet hair yelling "What? What? What happened? Oh my gosh!! What's wrong?!". A few things then happened simultaneously. Keeler began saying (through his sobs), "No momma! No say NO KEELER. No boogers Keeler. DAAAADDDDYYYYY!!!!" and Sherri began saying, "I thought one of them ate rat poison or something! Oh wow. I seriously thought we were going to have to make a trip to that little medical clinic or something. A booger huh?" Some might say that I overreacted. BUT, I know that many others would say that they COMPLETELY understand. The boy does not want to be THAT kid. I mean, really. We do not need a booger-eater in this family. You all know booger-eaters at school. Keeler does not want to be that boy. Sherri has assured me that, based on my response to Keeler and his (traumatized) response to me, she is pretty darn sure that he will never eat a booger again. Ever.

P.S. Keeler totally ratted me out to Spencer when he got back from climbing. "Daddy. Mommy. No Keeler. Eat Boogers. No Boogers Keeler. NO MOMMA.".