When two of the mice are away...

...the cats take the other mouse to St. George.

(I'm not sure if that works as a title.)

Last weekend, Braeden and Emma flew to Seattle to make themselves homesick to see their friends and cousins and watch the musical at Glacier Peak High School.  Adam and I worried a bit that it would be a setback to them but we also knew they'd love going.

Sometimes it's hard to know.

So far, it seems OK.  Braeden was a little downcast about returning home but has rallied.

They had a great trip.  They loved seeing all their friends and like they both said, the most surprising thing about it was how easily they slid back into those friendships.  I'm happy for them, and grateful they could go.  Also, grateful to Geri for hosting them and simultaneously entertaining them and letting them have something of a free reign to be with friends.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Mark had to stay home with his parents who were too unenlightened to send him to Seattle too, although he wanted to go.  We headed to St. George, for a Girls' Camp scouting mission.  We took Adam's car to test out its road trip worthiness.  It passed with flying colors.  Mark raved about the leg room and said that was his "biggest concern" about Adam's choice of car.  It's always nice when we can put our extremely opinionated youngest child's mind to rest.  Mark is good company on a road trip.  He's willing to chat or not and as long as we keep him fed and watered, he's pleasant.

Mark had a strawberry milkshake with his dinner.  He said, "This is what it is going to be like when the kids are gone.  Strawberry shakes for days."

I love how he calls Braeden and Emma "the kids".  I love that he's planning ahead.  I'm glad we'll have milkshakes to console us.

We stayed in a hotel and enjoyed the hotel ritual we've employed on every road trip since we started taking them:  Adam takes the offspring to the pool and I stay in the room alone.  It's my favorite way to recharge my introvert batteries.

We woke up early the next morning (early-ish) and headed to Zion National Park.  I've been there several times before, but that place knocks my socks off.

On our hike, I realized Mark is entering that great teenage boy stage where he is no longer a little kid that needs to be coaxed or cajoled on a hike but is strong and swift and needs to wait for his doddering old parents.  I texted Braeden and Emma pictures of their brother, the ginger mountain goat.

After Zion National Park, we went to Pine Valley to check out where we'll be camping for Girls' Camp.

It is a lovely spot and smelled like the pine forest in Soarin' Over California, so there's that.  I think we will enjoy Girls' Camp and for me, who loves not camping, that speak volumes about how pretty these places are.

(Our original condo staying Girls' Camp has been nixed.  It's a situation of me shooting myself in the foot.)

Now we're all home.  We're ready to buckle down and regroup and prepare for the next Big Thing.  Because our month has a lot of Things, mostly Big ones.