Afton had been sick for a week (throwing up and diarrhea) and we weren't sure if we should keep our plans. We decided if Afton went 12 hours with any problems we would consider going. We were supposed to leave Friday morning and ended up leaving Friday afternoon. We finally decided to go thinking Afton might enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.
The drive went well, Afton actually ate some lunch and took a little nap. When we got to Zion we found the campground where Brett's family was and stayed for dinner. Afton loved hanging out by the fire but was tired and stayed curled up on Dad's lap.
By the time we found our (clean but ancient with a pool out of a horror movie) motel room Afton was asleep. We put her in p.j.s, laid her down and she seemed content. At 11:30 she woke up crying hysterically. She was a mess and didn't want anything to do with me. I felt so helpless and frustrated. She didn't know what she wanted but continued to scream (I'm sure the entire motel loved that). She wanted Brett, but not to close, she wanted milk, but not to drink, she was confused. We (Brett) finally got her to sleep and we tried to sleep. Sure enough, a couple of hours later she was up again, and again, and again. It was one of those nights that no matter how tired you are you wish for morning so you can get up and end the chaos.
The next morning, bright and early, we were up. Afton seemed happy and we headed to the campground for breakfast.
After breakfast we headed into Zion along with a lot of other people because we soon found out it was free admission week! Yikes!
Afton loved driving through the tunnel with Kenna and Riley and was happy to get out of the car for lunch. After that we jumped on a shuttle (school bus according to Afton) and went on some little hikes and walks. At this point Afton was exhausted (nap time) and hungry and grumpy. Brett and I weren't sure what to do. Toward the end of our journey we watched a documentary and that put Afton right to sleep. Too bad it wasn't longer!
We were really glad to get Afton back to our room, thinking she would unwind a little but instead she proceeded to throw a huge tantrum and spent time out on the bed. We finally went to camp for dinner and left early to turn in for the night. Afton still woke up a couple of times and still only wanted Brett.
On a side note, this was really hard for me. Afton and I are buddies. We hang out all day long. We play, we laugh, we run errands, we talk, we do everything together. And to have her either busy playing with cousins, throwing a tantrum, or crying for dad left me feeling really sad. I felt like my connection with her wasn't there and it wasn't until Sunday that I started to feel it again. (This is where Brett rolls his eyes but tries to understand.) I missed her. I wanted to hold her and help her fall asleep. I wanted her to tell me why she was crying and I wanted to make it all better. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a life long journey of wanting to help my little girl through everything.
And maybe I bought Afton two stuffed horses at this gift shop because she wanted them and they look like Spirit (Afton's favorite movie) and Spirit's girlfriend or maybe because it made me feel better! :)
The next morning we went to Matt and Rachel's in St. George. We stayed at the house for a bit before heading to one of their favorite skim boarding spots. Afton was in heaven! She sat and played in the water, walked in her bare feet through the sand, basked in the sun, and even tried to skim board! I loved spending time with Matt and Rache and it was fun to see Zane and Ivy skim boarding.
This was the best way to end our vacation. I was smiling as we left!
We were just down in Zion too! Such a fun place!
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