in the desert

During my blog break, Everett and I flew out to southern Utah to visit my family for a week. They only recently moved from North Carolina to St. George, so I hadn't been to visit the area since my Grammy lived there several years ago. Even then, I had stayed on the browner side, where I-15 cuts through the red rocks and it's a little bit more industrial. This time we stayed at my dad's new place on the other side of the valley, where the green trees and cacti contrast staunchly against the deep, rusty red rocks and the brightest blue sky. Every morning, the sunrise blazed against the giant red cliffs in perfect view from the backyard. And due to the time change, Everett and I were up faithfully every morning to watch it. I swear that place reached down and made the deepest parts of my soul smile. I've never felt extremely rooted to the places I've lived in my life. Growing up, my family was always moving around and even throughout college Tyson and I moved every 8 months, so a new place was always fun and exciting, without too much nostalgia for where we'd been. But something about this lovely desert connected with the strings of my heart and felt like home. I can't explain it, but I loved it there completely and utterly. I am besotted!!!
One of my sisters was able to visit from college that week as well. And my other sister, still in North Carolina was missed SO BADLY. {!!!! We talked about it the whole week} On one of the evenings, after I had put Everett down to bed and while my dad stayed home with him, the three sisters decided to make an evening of it and drive through the back roads to explore the desert during sunset. They have to be my favorite people to photograph ever. Beauties. Afterward, we drove downtown and got ourselves some dirty Dr. Peppers {more on THAT piece of work later}, burgers and fries with fry sauce, ice cream and fake tattoos. And laughed our butts off, with the windows down and the music up. It was a summer night, of SUMMER NIGHTS if you know what I'm sayin'.