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A Little Tired




Rock-Wall Climbing



This is Julia. I am in Durango, Colorado at my great-grandparents' home. Since my last update we went to the Left Hand Tunnel at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It was all dark. You had to carry a lantern just to see. There was a hill in the cave. They called it the Death Hill! It was hard to go up and down the hill.

After Carlsbad, we drove to Durango to visit my Nana and Grandad. We have gone swimming and rock climbing. I went down my first water slide. Then I went rock climbing for the first time too! 

At the "beach" in the
Left Hand Tunnel
@ Carlsbad Caverns

This was fun. Then we went back to their house and played card games, ate dinner and went to bed.

The next morning we woke up and went to Arches National Park in Utah. I got my second junior ranger badge at Arches. My first was from Carslbad. We saw an arch called Pine Tree Arch. It got its name because there was a pine tree underneath it. Then we saw Tunnel Arch. We walked back to our car and had a picnic lunch. It was too cold and windy so we got back in the car. We went on a really short trail around a rock called Balanced Rock. It is called this because one rock is balanced on another rock.

We left to go back home. On the way back there was a bad wreck. Three people died. Two other people 

Me and Nana at the park

 were burned. We waited over two hours in the traffic. We had to turn back the other way. We ate at Denny's. I loved Denny's when I was little. We finally got home really late.

Our last day in Durango, we went to the downtown area with Nana and Grandad. Nana bought me some new clothes. And I got a t-shirt that says Durango, Colorado on it. We went to the library and a skate park. Then we ate dinner. We had Chinese food. That's all.




@ Arches National Park with
my family

Updates!

Jr. Ranger Anagrace reporting for duty

 Hello from Anagrace!

On Friday and Saturday we were at Jacob and Ashley's house they are my cousins.  We stayed the night there for two nights and I got to sleep with Ashley.  On Friday we went to Carlsbad Caverns.

At Carlsbad Caverns we went to two different caves.  One had a tour and one we just walked around on a trail.  On our first cave it took two hours to get out.  It was cool there were lots of spiky rocks called stalactites that hung form the cave top.  After our tour we went from the very top of the cave to the very bottom.  We split into groups.  Ashley and I went with my mom.  Of course we were at the bottom of the cave first.

Then we went into the Big Room there was a place called Giant Land where there were rocks 10 times as wide and 3 times as tall as my dad and my dad is 6' 6"!

My cousin and I tried not to run down the hills but it was irresistible.  It was so fun.  My favorite thing from the cave was walking down from the natural opening 750 ft.  Going on the elevator made me dizzy it was fast.  When we were done we had to wait in a really, really, really long line for the elevator.  My brother and cousin walked out of the cave and they beat us by 30 min.



Making Smoothies with Ashley






Hanging with Ashley





 

Whenever we got out of the building where the caves were we had to pick up our dog.  He would not sit still.  There were other dogs that were barking and howling.  At the hotel we went swimming and the pool was disgusting,  I couldn't even see my feet.  Now we are about to go to bed and it's chill out time.





Deep in the Caverns an 1st to the floor!



Hello on the Road Again

With Dad Going into
 the "Big Room"

Making Smoothies!

This is Julia. We went to Carlsbad Caverns today with my cousins Jacob and Ashley.  We are staying the night at a hotel.  The hotel has two big beds, a microwave, and a fridge.  And it has a T.V.  We went swimming at the hotel.  I got a Jr. Ranger badge at Carlsbad.  We watched Megamind on the way to Carlsbad.  It was a very good movie.  It was very dark.  We had a tour in the caves.  My mom and Ashley and Anagrace were the first people down in the cave.  Me and my daddy were the second.  Jacob, Daniel and uncle David were third.  We went 750 feet down in the ground.  It made my tummy grumble.  I learned that the skinny things hanging down from the cave is called a soda straw.  Tomorrow we are going to have a tour into a cave that has no lights.  We only have flashlights.  Then we are going straight to my Nanna and Grandads house.  I am very happy about seeing my Nanna and Grandad.  I hope we go the swimming pool. 

Becoming a Jr. Ranger at
Carlsbad Cavern

Fun with Emma!

Daniel Bratcher...Cave Hiker???



Washing the Van



 What's up? This is Daniel. The last week has been crazy. That's how long we've been driving now.

I can't believe that we've been everywhere from Memphis to Arkansas to Texas to Oklahoma to New Mexico! Right now we are at Carlsbad, New Mexico. We went to Carlsbad Caverns today.

It was awesome. We rode an elevator down. The line was too long, so my cousins and my uncle and I decided to hike up. It was like running a 5K but straight up! You wouldn't believe it. We beat Mom, Dad and my sisters up by 30 minutes! It seemed like forever because we had nothing left to do.

My uncle was generous enough to buy us a Gatorade...thanks Uncle David!



Just me and guys!



Whenever we went to our hotel, I saw a go-kart track next door. I wanted to go so bad. When Dad and I walked over to check the prices...it was $5 buck a ride for each person. What a rip off! Don't you think so?  

Well, it's time for bed. So see ya! Talk to you later.

Hanging with my cousin Jacob





The only rock you can touch!

Don't they know that makes you

want to touch all of the rest?



Hello from Carlsbad, New Mexico

At my cousins house!

Hey this is Emma. Today we are in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Today we went to Carlsbad Caverns with our cousins Jacob and Ashley and our Uncle David. We went 750 feet under the ground. The rocks were really pretty. Some were shiny. We went into the "King's Palace" tour and we did the walk-in of the "Big Room" tour. We all wanted to hold Ashley's hands as we walked a long way down. It was fun to run down the steep trails.



With Julia in the Cave!



Then we split into groups to see who could beat each other to the bottom of the cave. Anagrace, Ashley and Mommy won. I came in second with Julia and Daddy. The "Big Room" was a long tour. I got 

    really tired of walking.

When we got finished there was a huge line to go up the elevator. Uncle David and the older kids hiked out. Me and Julia and Anagrace went up the elevators with Mom and Dad. Uncle David, Jacob, Ashley and Daniel beat us out to the top. It only took them 30 minutes.

Odie went to the kennel service and he was glad to see us when the tour was over.



Hanging with Dad in the Cave!



We drove by our hotel. It looks pretty. We ate Subway for dinner. Everyone wanted to sit by Ashley. We passed out hugs to each other and said goodbye. 

Our hotel was 5 minutes away so we went there and went swimming. The pool was disgusting. I couldn't even see my feet! After swimming we went back to our room. That's where we are now! What a fun day! Good-bye.

Checking in Again



On the edge of Mt. Scott!

Sun was so bright.



Well, this week has been kind of crazy.  We have been to Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and more Texas.   We have been visiting a whole bunch of family.  Right now we are at our cousins' house...they are so awesome.  Our next stop is Carlsbad, New Mexico.  I cannot wait.   Today Jacob fell on his butt skateboarding.  It was hilarious!



Dad on the throne...funny!



Wandering the top of Mt. Scott
 with Anagrace



Hey Everyone!



On Mt. Scott

 


This is Emma.  After we went to my uncle’s house we went to my Grammy’s house.  We went to the mountains and we hopped around on the rocks.  It was so much fun.  I was a little nervous when we drove up the mountain.  We went to a hamburger place called Meer’s but it was too busy.  My favorite thing at my Grammy’s house was going to the mountains.  The next day after lunch we drove to my Uncle David’s house.  My two cousin’s names are Jacob and Ashley.  Last night we stayed up till 12:00.    Today we walked the dogs two times


All of us with Grammy



My family pretending to do the Nativity.
We laughed so much.