Goblin Valley

We traveled to Goblin Valley last weekend with our friends. I experienced three new things: playing night games, “Name that Show,” and seeing a scorpion.

For 2 ½ days we climbed up or slid down jutting goblin, dinosaur and ship-shaped sandstone, explored and made scary sounds in caves, and wove in and out of slot canyons at Wild Horse. On our third and final night, after celebrating our two friends’ birthdays by eating dutch oven cobblers, we watched the sunset fade and the north star appear and then headed to the valley of the goblins to play night games: kick the can (a new game for me) and sardines.

We set a lantern on the ground and the can a couple feet away and then one person tried to catch the other 17 people hiding in the shadows and sand before they ran out and kicked the can over. After hiking around in 90 degree weather during the day, the cool night air gave some relief to my strawberry and cream splotched skin (I need to learn to apply sunscreen more evenly, apparently). We played one short game of sardines before heading back to camp after midnight.

I don’t remember lines from movies very well, I discovered, as I tried to play, “Name that Show.” I eventually came up with a movie line: “Once there was a magical place where it never rained. The end.” Can you name that show?

I quote three more lines to test your movie prowess.

1. It’s not that bad. Well, I’m not saying I’d like to build a summer home here but the trees are quite lovely.

2. I hate to be rude, but we’re French!

3. Mrs. M, this corn is simply scrumptious. Is it hand-shucked?

On our last day, as Joe and I took the tent down, two lizards flew out from under the bottom of our tent and a half-dollar sized scorpion scuttled out too! I’m glad we found all these creatures under our tent instead of inside our tent. Our group gathered around to look at the scorpion and several of us, including me, screamed when it started moving towards us. One little boy backed up and tripped over our bagged tent and fell over. I didn’t know scorpions move fast like lizards!

We loved our trip: the games, spending time with our friends in such a beautiful, although hot, valley, and we even survived sharing space with lizards and scorpions!

Goblin Valley Pictures

Jared's Baptism

Jared turned 8 in February and on March 1st Joe baptized him. I can now repeat to Jared the refrain I heard from my mom in all my growing up years, and, I must admit, I still hear: “I’m too young to have a child your age.”

I remember my own baptism: who came, the heart locket my parents gave me, and missing part of the film on the Holy Ghost because I put my baptism outfit on wrong – which I realized as soon as I sat down on the bench in the chapel, or rather, tried to sit down – and had to go change it to the zipper going up the front instead of the back.

Jared’s 4 grandparents, 4 of his 6 great-grandparents, many aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends attended his baptism. Ruth’s mother gave Jared a journal to celebrate his baptism. Jared wrote about his baptism (his first and only entry so far) by talking about how he recorded cartoons in the morning – so he could watch them after his baptism (he made a good choice by choosing to go to his baptism instead of staying and watching cartoons) – he also names all the people who came, and then he ends his entry by saying, “I am thankful to be baptized. I love it. But the water was cold.”

I love watching my children make good choices. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” I suppose I could say I’m glad I’m old enough to have a child Jared’s age.

We took this picture at our house after Jared's baptism

Jared stands with 8 of his 10 grandparents. Left to right: Great-Grandma and Grandpa Whitehead, Grandma and Grandpa Bryan, Grandma and Grandpa Whitehead, and Great-Grandma and Grandpa Ivie.

St. Anthony Sand Dunes