Sedona is awesome.

Lessons learned the hard way as full-time RV-ers:

1.  Don't pull into a spot until you've figured out how you're going to get out of it.

2.  Don't move your RV on weekdays, at least in the beginning.  Trying to complete a move and set-up on your lunch break will result in every possible problem arising.

3. DO NOT attempt to visit the second largest attraction in Arizona on a Saturday...in the middle of the day...on a holiday weekend.

We had a busy Friday and decided to sleep in a bit on Saturday, so we didn't get out of the house until after 10 o'clock that morning.  We arrived at Cathedral Rock at about 10:35.  It was just us...and half the tourists in Arizona. 

There was no parking in any parking lot anywhere.  We decided to go into town and check out the shops, hoping to return to Cathedral Rock on another day.  Town is where we found the other half of the tourists!  There they were, all crowded in, lining up to pay $25 for little Native American looking items with "Made in Indonesia" stickers on them.  It didn't take long to realize that this outing was going to be a total bust.

Jeff and I looked at one another and said, "This is stupid.  Let's go."  We agreed to come back early on a weekday.  

On our way back to the truck, I stopped to talk to a woman from the visitor's center.  I told her what absolute newbies we are at travel, showing up when we did and expecting to find a parking spot. Instead of laughing at me, she pulled out a map of Sedona and started highlighting back roads and local-favorite hikes. She told me how to get to one hike that had amazing views of Cathedral Rock, but you have to drive down a dirt road and up and around to find it.  She said, "You're going to drive far, come to a dirt road, and think, 'Uh-oh, we made a wrong turn.  But keep going.'"

So, feeling like this was our last chance to salvage the trip, we followed the highlighter lines to Crescent Moon, then found the small trail marker.  

The road to Crescent Moon

I'm not sure what happened to whoever was parked in the same place we parked, because we didn't see them on the trail!  Possibly there were other trailheads nearby. 

The first portion of the hike is flat and looks a lot like central Oregon, but we came around a bend and saw this:

We had this gorgeous view all to ourselves!

Cathedral Rock!

We sat down and took a break.  So peaceful.

Jordan didn't get her picture taken because she was busy being a trailblazer!  She loved this hike and wanted to go faster!  There she is, way ahead of the rest of us.

Meg would have sat there all day if we had let her.  I have told her that she should pack her sketch pad and pencils when we go on hikes.

There are many cliffs and overhangs here.  Jackson came up to me at one point and said, 

"Mom, don't move.  Not another step, or you'll slide off the edge!"   He's a little dramatic like his mama, but we did need to be cautious while hiking this trail.

We hiked down into the valley but realized that all that downward hiking meant upward climbing on our return, so we turned back before reaching the end.  The kids all want to go back when we check out Bell Rock and Devil's Bridge, so we may take the other trail that we saw here.

After the hike, went back to the RV, to freshen up.  We had been invited to dinner with a couple that we came to know recently.  We really enjoyed our time of fellowship!  They have lived in Arizona for a long time and had lots of stories and interesting information about the area.  Fellowship is the heart of what we are doing out here, and we are thankful for the opportunity to spend time with them.

This week has been hard, missing family back home.  I wish there was a way to bring everyone with us.  At times, I feel like we abandoned everyone, though I know that the Lord led us down this road.  As a family, we have talked about how, in life, every choice has a consequence.  You can't have it both ways.  We are out here now, making opportunities to try to encourage the brothers and sisters that the Lord is leading us to, and finding fellowship there.  But we are so far from our own fellowship family.  It has been both wonderful and awful to be away, especially knowing that some are suffering and there's nothing we can do to help, save praying.  I pray every day for the Lord to lead us to more fellowship and more opportunities, hoping that will lessen the sting of missing everyone.  I'm thankful for Facebook, text, and phone calls.  I'm thankful for pictures that people send, Skype, and care packages from my parents.  Those things have made it easier.

We love and miss all of you so much!  You are ALWAYS on our hearts and we pray for you continually.