from the rainy northwest to the driest deserts

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I always heard that deserts were dry, dead, monotonous places. When I first moved to Utah, which is classified as a desert, I thought - yup, everyone was right. Compared to Oregon, it is very dry here. Compared to Oregon, it is substantially less green.

But you know what? The desert is growing on me. Last weekend, we went for a quick weekend getaway to Saint George. Let me tell you, Saint George is a magical place. Seriously. It's made up of beautiful sandstone red cliffs, gorgeous creosote that are almost neon in their yellow, bright blue skies, and cacti. The deserts are anything but dead: they're vibrant and alive and call me crazy, but I swear you can almost feel an energy washing over you in the desert, something in the heat and the wind that feels so alive.

I spent a good week trying to convince Jason to come with us, but in the end, he opted to spend the weekend visiting some of his brothers. So it was just me, Sam, and baby girl. I was a little worried about doing all the hiking and adventuring with a three-month-old, but she was a total champ. If she needed to nap, she napped, even if it was in the middle of a hike. If she needed to eat, she ate, even if it was on a shuttle bus filled with smelly hikers. She got a little tired of being pulled along everywhere on our last afternoon, but we just went back to our hotel and gave her a good long nap, and then she was good to go again!

Here are a few snapshots of our time in Saint George. A few more posts will be coming soon (mostly filled with these red rocks with which I'm obsessed).

Now, we're back and unpacking (I feel like I had to pack up baby's whole room for our trip! Portable crib, crib sheets, diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, pacifiers, baby carriers, clothes. Sheesh. Babies these days!). What are the chances that my daughter will be on anything that resembles a normal schedule still? I'm betting slim to none :)

Which would you pick if you had the chance:

the rainy, moderate climate or a dry desert?