Lake Powell II

     

                         

We returned to Lake Powell again on July 18 with my family or at least part of my family.  My parents, Dayna and kids, Matt and Tess, Sherri and her girls, Amanda, Mason and our family all made the trek.  We had a lot of fun.  My family has been going down at least once a year for over 20 years now so we've gotten pretty good at it.  My family likes to rough it.  We did take down our trailer this year which was nice to wash dishes and keep some items sand free but everyone else stays in tents.  We all throw a tarp out and sleep under the stars which I think has become everyone's favorite part of Lake Powell.  

The kids were so good and had lots of fun digging in the sand and going out for "family swim time" in the deep water.  Allie and Mason both learned to wakeboard and most of the adults got to ski and wakeboard this year.  

Highlights this year were the massive wind storm we slept in the first night,  Matt's belly-button shirt,  the small city of mice we found living in the tube, Tess and her PANTS, Amanda NOT getting sun-stroke (Hooray, for shade and sunscreen - who knew), Luke allowing me to leave him long enough to actually wakeboard, The big bus at Wal-Mart, the fact that being 36 and a father of 4 hasn't made Matt any less insane when skiing, the German McDonalds in Kanab, using a camp chair for the passenger seat of the boat - pretty red-neck, good food as always, and great neighbors.  

If any of you have stayed at Lone Rock Campground, you know the difference neighbors can make.  We camped next to the most awesome people ever this year.  The night we pulled in a group let us pull in the middle of them since they were leaving the next day, it ended up being a family that had moved from Spanish Fork that I had grown up with, the McConnells.  It is crazy how small the world is.  After they left, Dave and Flo moved in with there motor home.  They are the sweetest couple on the planet.  They helped save our camp while we were gone and let us camp right on top of them as well.  They camp there for the rest of the summer before heading to Arizona to stay for the winter.  I hope we didn't drive them to crazy, because they were definitely the highlight of our trip.  All the kids are still talking about them.  Part of me thought they were crazy to live together traveling in their motor home and living on a beach for a quarter of the year, but after staying by them, I'm very envious and hoping maybe one day Mark and I will be lucky enough to do the same thing.  They seemed like the happiest couple on earth.  

Stadium of Fire

Okay, so it's been forever since I blogged, I know.  Summer is flying by so fast.  It seems we are very busy doing nothing to productive, if that's possible.  For the 4th we went to the Stadium of Fire of course, after enduring much ridicule for wearing a wristband for a week to get tickets.  We went with Sherri's family and loved the show.  We're pretty easy to please, though.  We'd go just to see the flyover and parachuters.  We loved the Blue Man Group and have wanted to see them in Vegas for a long time so we figured it was a good compromise to take Syd to a shortened Miley Cyrus concert and get to see the Blue Man Group all in one sitting.

Lake Powell with the Hansen's

We had our annual trip to Lake Powell with the Hansen's the last week in June.  It is so much fun to go with Mark's family.  We had great weather and we were excited to have the cut open at Castle Rock this year which made it seem like a lot less boat traffic.  Half of the family stays in trailers and half stay in hotels.   We are the cheap half that camp on the beach.  That's right camp. But we have so much fun.  Our favorite part of the trip is sleeping out under the stars with everyones air mattresses piled in a big block and making each other laugh all night long.  Mark has some pretty funny siblings.  Marks parents even stayed and  slept out with us the last night and had us rolling pretty hard themselves.  This year was a little sad as well, since it will be the last year for the two oldest boys to come with us.  They will both be leaving on their missions this fall.  And let me tell you they will be missed, especially at Lake Powell.  They help do everything.  I don't know what Mark and Bert will do without their little errand boys.  They also do a great job of keeping us all entertained.  We will miss Jake and Logan a lot the next two years.   Luke and Sydney both rode the tube, no convincing them yet to wakeboard.  Mark's brother, Rich rented a pontoon boat which helped make the trip much more enjoyable for Mark and Bert.  They felt a lot of relief not trying to get everyone out on our little boat all the time.  And made it so most of us could head to one destination all together.  It ended up being quite a spunky boat to ride on.  Just kick up your heels and set to sea.   We can't wait to head down again in two weeks with my family.

Sydney was trooper of the year this trip.  She had been sick for a couple of days before we headed down, so I took her to the Dr. right before we left.  And of course my little girl that I always wait and wait to take to the doctor because she seems to act fine other than a little fever or something got me again when the doctor diagnosed her with Strep Throat and Hand, Mouth and Foot Disease.  She had a fever, sore throat, 20 cankers on her tongue another 10 inside her mouth, blisters on her hands.  It was so sad.  We would give her motrin to lower the fever and she'd go play for a few hour and then come back and lay down and the fever would return and we'd continue the cycle.  She kept trying to eat for 2 days and couldn't bite anything with her canker sores.  It broke everyone's heart.  I swear she lost 5 pounds in those 2 days.  And she never complained.  I always say she is the best sick person I know.  Then I really got to experience it.  I came down with the same symptoms right after we got back from Lake Powell.  I cried and stayed in my bed for 3 days and didn't move.  She was ten times tougher than me.  She is seriously my idol after this week.  I never want to be sick again.   

Lake Shore Homecoming

It's that time of year again.... Lake Shore Homecoming.  Mark and I love to go back and see people from our little town we grew up in.  This year was extra special as Mark's parents were honored as "Couple of the Year", just the biggest honor you can get in little Lake Shore.  The family was able to pay tribute to them and thank them for all they have done for us.  The Hansen Family Float this year was "Rockin H Farms" after gramps farm.  It turned out really cute.  Of course Luke couldn't leave me for 1/2 second to be in a picture on the float let alone to actually ride it.  I seriously need to start doing something about his attachment.  But the girls had fun and looked adorable.  

Swimming Lessons

This was Syd's 3rd year of swimming lessons with Debbie Wilkinson.  It's a lot of fun to take her and I can't believe that she can actually swim now.  She dives off the diving board and swims to the side all by herself.  

Sydney's Dance Recital

Sydney performed in her 3rd dance recital last night.  She was so excited.  She has asked me all year, "When do I get to dance on the stage?"  I can't believe how much my shy little girl loves to dance in front of people.  Diane has done such a great job teaching her.  She loves to come home and show me her latest and most favorite dance move.  Then she loves to have me try and then tell me how I'm doing it all wrong.  She is such a good little dancer and we are so proud of her.

Our Little Garden

Let me just start off by saying buying a new house is over-rated.  We have spent the last month trying to put in a fence, put up a swingset and sink our trampoline and I think by the time Sydney graduates from high school we should hopefully have it done.  Anyways the flower beds quickly got pushed to next year, which broke Sydney's heart because we've been telling her since last year that she could have her very own garden.  Thanks to wonderful family though we planted a little one last week.  Sherri gave me her leftover flowers and Julie pretty much planted the whole thing because I'm completely clueless when it comes to gardening.  So this is a thanks to Sherri and Julie for making Syd's dreams come true.  She loves the garden.  She wants to water it every couple of hours.  I'm sure the fascination will wear off after a time or two of weeding it.