We're home and alive!!!!

Well, we got home Thursday, July 2nd, at around 7 p.m. Boy, were we exhausted (and still are). We had a great Fourth of July. We had brisket, made ice cream, laughed with friends, cried and prayed with friends, and just enjoyed togetherness. Today we didn't go to church, we're still just so tired, but we met up with Daniel's parents and their friends for lunch at my favorite burger place, Five Guys!!! Hope you all had a great 4th!

So, I will start this post with the drive leading up to the Grand Canyon and the actual Grand Canyon endeavor. Over the next couple of weeks, I will post about the other adventures in our trip through the West.

On Tuesday, the 23rd of June, we started by hiking down the South Kaibab Trail (would not recommend), a 6.8 mile, no shade or water, ridge-line descent to the bottom. This trail was extremely steep and we descended 4,780 feet in elevation. Yay, that's right. It sucked. I got a bit dehydrated (threw up 3 times), and Daniel did not eat enough salty snacks and got pretty weak towards the end. One of the most important things we didn't know going down was how important it is to eat salty snacks. Not just any food, but salty. The reason why, is because you lose so much salt from sweating. We didn't even know we were sweating because it is so very dry in Arizona, sweat evaporates immediately. Needless to say, we were assisted down with a ranger. A very special ranger named Ed. We love Ed. We made it to the bottom at 7:30 p.m. and we started down at 5:30 a.m. (not that great).

We camped at the bottom, Bright Angel Campground, for two nights. We enjoyed just relaxing in the 105 degree heat. And at night we slept out under the stars at a cool 90 degrees.

On Thursday, the 25th of June, we started our hike back up to the top. We hiked much better that day. We made it to Indian Garden Campground, a 4.8 mile hike with an elevation change of only 1,320 feet, in just 4 1/2 hours! This time, we stopped regularly, kept wet and hydrated, and ate salty snacks. At camp, we saw a very rare, Pink Canyon Rattlesnake, and it rained. Christy and I slept on top of the picnic table (not so comfortable), while Daniel slept on the ground with the mice. Fun. Fun. Fun!!

On Friday, the 26th of June, we began our journey back to the top of the South Rim. We knew getting to the top would be a victory in our lives (and it was). The hike to the top was 4.5 miles, with a 3,060 foot elevation gain. We made it to the top in 7 hours. The last mile and 1/2 was the steepest. We gained 1,140 feet in elevation. Once we reached the top, I felt like crying and laughing all at the same time. I told Daniel, "I think I'm happier today than on our wedding day!" Never have I felt so tired, yet so joyful all at the same time. Would I do it again? Yes, just not in the summer. God was very present on this trip, and he changed my life and our marriage-that's fo sure!!! I praise Him for his grace and mercy on this journey.

I can sum up this experience in these words: hard. rewarding. tiring. God-glorifying. beautiful. emotional. painful. amazing. life-changing. unforgettable. well worth it. wow.

Car was packed to the max!

Yum-O! CK Fried Steak at The Stockyard Cafe, Amarillo, Tx

Cadillac Ranch

Our KOA Kabin in New Mexico

Our view

GC!!!

Pictures do not do justice

This is us, happy, the morning of the long adventure

I mean WoW!

Our favorite ranger, Ed!

We knew once we saw this second keyhole-we had made it!

Well, now I am off to Waco to spend some time with my mom and AMANDA! I will post more later.

Thanks to this trip I am now addicted to MGMT!! New favorite band, fo sure! And the Sookie Stackhouse books-thanks Mom! It's like an adult Twilight book. I have a thing for those darn vampires!

Peace!