Miriam's Moments and Memories: Thanksgiving trip days 1 & 2.

Thanksgiving weekend 2012. Day 1, I go to school and have Native American day with 150 kindergartners, then check the kids out of school, and head home to head out. Darin had already picked up Fode and Mel at the airport so we were set. Kind of. We had to borrow a trailer at the last minute for the motorcylce, because it pretty much was dragging on the ground on the back of the van. And....Fode's luggage didn't arrive with him. No biggie. Soon enough we were on the road. Dalynn, Devin, Devarie and Darla were a couple of hours behind us. Our destination.....Monticello, Utah. Ever heard of it? Yep, in the middle of nowhere. In the desert. Near the Four Corners area.

We rented a big vacation home, complete with four bedrooms, game room, gigantic kitchen, and plenty of privacy and views. This was the view off our bedroom deck.

We had lots of hanging out, playing games, shopping online, etc.
Day 2 was Thursday, Thanksgiving day. We decided we'd have a late turkey dinner and head out for the day. First stop, Butler Wash Anasazi ruins near bluff Utah. I did a lot of reading and research about the Anasazi before we went on this trip. A...mazing!!! See that tiny window in the cliff? Somebody lived there!!

Most of the adults worked their way aross and down the cliffs into these ruins. NOT me and the kids! Holy smokes! It is mind boggling to imagine living here with kids and grandparents.

In the picture below, the top two small caves contain ruins. Homes. Religious kivas. And storage rooms. The pictures doesn't even really show how impossible it is to get to these.

Here's everyone climbing down the rock side to gain access. You can see they are stepping in actual little stone steps carved by the Anasazi people hundreds of years ago. You can also see that it is treacherous to get there and they are helping each other down. And people LIVED here!!

Here Ellie is inside a very well preserved Kiva, which is believed to be a religious room that is found in many of the ruins. The ruins in the Four Corners area are near 1,000 years old and some are incredibly preserved because most are on cliffs protected from the weather from the rock overhangs.

Next stop, Natural Bridges National Park.

Next stop? A GPS point in the middle of nowhere. Devin needed a little adventure, so he read of a ruin online and we set out to find it. Fun adventure and we did end up finding it!

Ellie refused to wear her sneakers. She hiked in these. Nice.

Raced home after dark to get going on the feast. And it was a feast! Had fun with all the gals making the goods and setting the stage for a family traditional meal. Devin provided awesome appetizers throughout our stay, and we ate leftover turkey, pies and ham like kings!

I found this in the cupboard. Someone had set aside some yams before they were doused in brown sugar and marshmallows. All family members know who was the health nut....even on Thanksgiving day!!