Fall Break: Pollard's Place

Fall Break arrived before we knew it, and we were excited for some play days! Yeahhhh!
Donna, myself and the kids decided to spend a few days visiting our friends in Pahrump, NV.
Bryan has been diligently writing his dissertation so he didn't go on this adventure.

Willow ended up being sick at Patrick and Jess's. But, after the long drive anyway it felt great just to relax in the Pollard palace Haha. The kids were thrilled to see each other.
Lily and Willow even shared Donna ;)

The last day we were there, Jess and I took the kids to Death Valley NP. We visited the Mesquite Sand Dunes, went swimming, followed by a scenic drive.....

Even at the end of October you have to seek shade in Death Valley!

The scenic loop was Artist Drive. How pretty!

It was a good visit with Jess, Patrick, Benj, and Lily. I'm happy we were able to catch up with them in their neck of the desert ;)

Corn Belly's 2017

The kids had a day off school in the middle of the week. Nomi and I took the kids to a Fall festival called Corn Belly's at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. It was a really nice, warm day which I was thankful for! There were many activities. My personal favorite was doing the zipline. But, I enjoyed watching Ava and Charlie ride a mechanical bull. Towards the end of our day we did a relaxing session of body paints....

 One of the first activities was sifting for treasures at the mill.......

Willow was thrilled to see a Pumpkin Princess  :)

I think the kids thought it was a cool trip; and we got some smiles out of it :)

October Night Sky

We've had some incredibly warm days this Fall. The Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive usually closes around Labor Day weekend due to snow and ice. This year it remained open through October and perhaps into November. Extended Fall season for sure! I thought it would be neat to drive up to the summit trailhead and try out some night sky photography. It is fantastic that I can drive from 5,000 ft to 10,000 ft in 18 miles! Something I try not to take for granted because I know how special that is.

Up above the world so high; like a diamond in the sky.......

Silence and stars  :)

I don't have any fancy photo editing software ~ so this was my view standing on that mountain that night. I also know how unique it is to view a night sky like this. Real, raw, and radiant.