Zion National Park (first trip)...

November 2, 2012...John had never been do Zion before, so this was such a fun trip for me to see how much he was enjoying himself.  This was our first real trip together.  We went to Zion National Park.  We left on Friday around 2:00ish and got back on Sunday night.  It was so nice to be with John all weekend.  It is hard to not be with John after being with him all weekend long.  We just laugh and have so much fun together.  I feel like we’ve been married for years already.  We talk about the fun things we are going to do with our family someday.

It is fun to think of the traditions we will have.  One tradition that I have done with my friends is stop by the gas station in Bever, Utah that has the very big rocking chair.  I introduced you to that chair, and we took a picture (I do that as I pass through...take a picture in that rocking chair with the people I am traveling wtih).  I had some VERY special memories from this trip, and they all included John.  One of them was that we saw our first shooting star together.  We were at our campsite (Watchman Campsite, just inside the south entrance to the park) and we were standing next to the campfire. 

We were dancing to the music you brought, and kissing and then we looked up at the stars.  They were so bright, and there was a shooting star.  It was so bright, and it shot across the sky.  It was amazing!  Another fun memory we have is at the top of Angel's Landing, we were looking for a heart shaped rock.  You found a rock that was heart shaped, but not perfect.  It was sand stone, so you could form it into whatever you wanted. 

You made it into a heart and then on our way down, you put that heart in a place between two rocks, standing up so that others could see the rock as they were climbing up the steep part.  So cute!  You also started referring to me as “Chelicious.”  It stemmed from “Chelsea” and “delicious.”  It was so cute.  You used a rock and wrote, “L + C = Chelicious” at the top of Angel’s Landing.  You are so dang adorable. 

Then…while we were on another hike, you started calling me “Cheli.”  It is so cute, because over in Germany, when you put an “I” on the end of something, it means “my little” and then whatever.  So, this means, My little Chel.”  You also were calling me Chel for a while, but you liked Cheli, because you made it up. 

You didn’t know about the “my little” part, I told you that, because I learned that from Nora.  Anyway…I just love you my little Johni!  I think the world of you, and I can’t imagine the world without you! 

We have so much fun together, and we talk about EVERYTHING so comfortably.  You are my best friend, and I love you!  We had so many memories from this trip.  Here are some of them:

o   We played the skittle game on the way down

o   We hiked Angels Landing, Weeping Rock and Overlook Canyon

o   You found the initials J + C on the ground etched into the rock, and we got a picture with them

o   You are amazing at knowing where people are from by hearing their accents.  You knew right away from saying hello to a man that he had an Aussie accent that was a little off, because it sounded a little like he was from the UK.  I asked him later where he was from and he said he was born and raised in Australia until he was 28 and then he moved to England.  You are AMAZING!!!

o   We skipped down Angels Landing and laughed so hard while doing so…we are two little kids

o   A man stopped and let us by because we were going faster than he was and he said let these younger kids by us.  His daughter (about 7 years old) said, “I’m young.  I’m younger than them.  I’m not an adult yet.”

o   You created a really good heart shaped rock out of the sand stone and then you placed it between two rocks so that people would see it on their way up the steep part of the hike.  It was a perfect heart

o   The guy that “bounced” up Angel’s Landing

o   You hid our heart-shaped rock under a flat rock and we are going to see if we can find it next time we go there (we did find it there about 6 months later when we went back)

o   You kissed me in the rain…ok, it was in the rain drops falling from Weeping Rock

o   We saw a shooting star while dancing/camping

o   We had to move campsites because the one we were in was reserved for the next night…and then no one showed up

o   We danced under the stars next to the campfire and kissed

o   You taught me how to play the “GAME”

o   You made up the word, “Chelicious”

o   You started calling me “Cheli”…I absolutely LOVE it…

o   We saw the petroglyphs in Zion on that little hike

o   You made up the word, “Cheluscious.”

What a fun time we had.  I look forward to many more memories at Zion National Park with you!