Favorite

This is my favorite description of where babies come from.

One Year Down . . . . .

Yesterday was our first anniversary, the big first. Its been such a short, yet busy year. In the last 12 months we have been to Baton Rouge 3 times, Florida, Mexico, Europe, planned a family reunion and Lake Powell, not to mention all the smaller trips in between. We have had our ups and our downs but I love Ross more now than I did a year ago and we still have many more years ahead of us.

We took the weekend really easy, partly cause I am sick (trying to make it a real anniversary cause for the honeymoon I was sick the whole time too). On Saturday we just hung out, went window shopping at Ikea, went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and got some movies for Sunday. We didn't go all out like we had originally wanted to but because we are trying to buy a house we just did it simple and inexpensive. Ross did get me a pineapple plant at Ikea. Its so cool, its a little bush thing and has a small pineapple already growing on it. I can't wait to eat it. We both enjoyed the weekend and just spending time together.

Lake Powell

I have found a new favorite lake. On the 5th Ross and I, Jeff and his family, Bre and Jordan and my parent's went to Lake Powell. We had been planning this for at least 9 months and have been so excited. the week before we left we all watched the weather constantly and it predicted rain and thunderstorms the whole time we were there. So I was a little apprehensive. We left pretty early and caravaned down, it took a lot less time than I thought it would. We did hit some rain on the way down but it wasn't really that bad and it had all cleared up by the time we got to Powell. The weather for the weekend actually turned out to be amazing. It was hot and sunny the whole time and one day there was a little wind, but the water was still really warm.


When we got down there on the 5th Jeff checked in for the houseboat to make the paperwork the next morning easier and then we found a place to camp for that first night. It was so hot we couldn't wait to get the boat in the water and start fishing and swimming. We didn't have any luck with the fishing but the swimming was amazing.


The next morning we put the ski boat back in the water and Mel and I took it with the 3 kids to wait for everyone else and the houseboat, they thought it would be better to keep the kids out of the way while they picked up and loaded the houseboat. We ended up sitting in the ski boat for at least 2 hours in the hot sun just floating around. Me and the two boys decided to get in the water after a while, just as they were heading out in the houseboat. When we met up with the houseboat we tied the ski boat to the back and just pulled it, I was done with the ski boat and no one else wanted to drive it. Most of the first day was spent driving and trying to find a place to camp, one of the bad things about it being a holiday weekend. It was actually pretty relaxing, sitting on the top deck just driving and the cool breeze. Ross, Bre and Jordan spent the entire time sitting on the top reading.

Around 3 or 4 we finally found a place up Hansens Creek (One of the many canyons) that had a nice sandy beach and it was the top of the canyon so it wasn't crowded. We decided to just stay and camp there the rest of the weekend. It was really nice cause there was a sandy beach for the kids to play on, there was wood so we could build a fire and it was the top of the canyon so there was very little traffic. The water was deep enough to go off the water slide and we had plenty of space to swim and in right out from where we parked the houseboat it was open and deep enough that we could practice/try to water ski and use the knee board with out a lot of people laughing at us. We did also go down the canyon to the main water way for fishing and playing. The fishing was a lot of fun, I caught the biggest fishes i have ever caught before, the biggest was a 4 pound striper.

Those stripers were a lot of fun to catch, they really put up a fight. We had taken some beer batter for the fish and tried it on some stripers and some of the large mouth bass we caught. I don't care for fish but it really wasn't bad. I really want to go back for the fishing, so much fun.

This trip was def a trip of many firsts for a lot of the people that went but the one that shocked me the most was my mother. She has always had this thing with being surrounded by deep water, she gets a little panicked, so it was a big thing that she agreed to come on the trip. (she didn't decide until the week before we left) On the morning of Tue, the last full day there, she told me she was feeling adventurous. I asked if she wanted to go for a ride on the ski boat (she has not been on it, she usually hangs out on the beach with the kids) and she said she would ride on it but wanted a little bit more. I asked if she wanted to ride the tube, knowing for sure she would say no and laugh at me. However, my jaw hit the floor when she said yes she would like to try it. I didn't think she would actually follow through but when I came back from taking Bre and Jordan tubing Jeff hollered out "Guess who suited up?" She was ready and getting lathered up in sun screen. I think that was the first time she came off the boat since we picked it up, but she did and we got her on the tube. She told me not to take videos but honestly, this is a once in a lifetime event, I couldn't not record it.

She also made us promise to take it slow and easy and I wasn't about to freak her out her first time out. She later told me she would like to try it again and maybe a little faster. My mom is getting "stranger" as she gets older, definitely shocking us a lot more.

It was a nice trip. We could relax, play and swim as the mood struck. The water was warm even early morning and in the evening. And it sounds like most of us are addicted and can't wait to go back. I think its safe to say that we will be making a couple trips down there this summer to just camp on the beach.

Here are some random pictures from the trip. I forgot to take pictures until the last night there and on the ride back to the marina. I also don't have a whole lot of pictures of Ross because he sat up on the roof most of the time reading. He had the Harry Potter books that he wanted to have finished before we went home, but he had fun so that's what counts. I did tell Ross that we should just buy a houseboat and live there. I could do that, until I found out how much houseboats cost, its a lot of money for a couple of people who would live on the lake and not have jobs.

Half of us just put out air mattresses and slept out under the stars on the roof. It was nice and cool and was amazing until the moon came up. It was a very bright full moon.I was trying to take a nap and the boys said they wanted to nap too, yeah right. That didn't last very long, and the became a jungle gym.

Granddaddies

This last weekend Ross, Jeff, Nathan and I backpacked the Granddaddies in the Uintas. Its one of my favorite hikes and I have been looking forward to it all summer. I was really hoping to be able to get more backpacking and camping in this summer but its almost over and its gone to fast to think. But this was a really fun trip. Its just 4 miles in and 4 miles out and its not a very hard hike. It was Nathan's first time backpacking and he did amazing for a 5 year old. He told us a couple times that his legs aren't as long as ours and they get tired easier too. We left Friday about 2 and started hiking about 4, I think, and found a camp spot around 7. The hard part is finding a camp spot because it has to be 2500 feet from water and from the trail and the Uintas are covered in lakes. Finally we found a spot where we could fit a tent and build a fire pit and set up camp. We took a tent that Jeff and I had bought the first time we did Havasupai and couldn't remember how big it was and when we got it set up we looked at it and was wondering how 4 of us were going to fit in it, and yes it was a very snug fit, however I did sleep very very warmly the first night. Also, the mosquitos really weren't that bad, for the Uintas (when I backpacked with the young women, after getting home, we counted 50 mosquito bites on my back and 20 on one foot). I think I only came home with around 20 this time so that is good. The weather really cooperated also, it was sunny and warm most of the day and the wind wasn't too horrible. I was afraid Ross would be bored because all there is to do is hike and fish and he doesn't fish, luckily he took a book and he was content and he said he enjoyed himself.

On Saturday we just kind of hiked around to some of the other lakes and fished through out the day. We caught some really nice sized fish but just let them go, didn't want to try to find a way to cook them. All in all it was a pretty good day. That night, Jeff decided to sleep in his hammock, which freed up a lot of space in the tent so we could breath, it was colder though and I woke up freezing (I planned ahead and took some hand warmers to keep me warm at night, toss a couple in the sleeping bag and they keep you pretty toasty). Sunday morning we just got up, ate, got rid of camp and hiked out. I was surprised at how well I did with the hiking, I guess I am in better shape than I thought, which was nice not to be sore after the hiking. It was a lot of fun and we are already talking of a trip or two we want to do next summer.

Our Jam Packed Weekend

This has been the busiest weekend we have had in a while. Jared and his family came up for the Outdoor Expo and for training he has in Salt Lake and they were going to be done pretty early on Friday and it was a holiday and well it was HOT so we decided to take the boat out. Jeff and I took the boat up about noon to get a spot and then just hung out and swam until everyone else got there around 2:30. It was fun to get out with the family and play and well, it was HOT. It was fun though and not as crouded as we thought it would be. We were out until almost 9 and when we got home Ross and I were tired and just got a movie to watch and crash. Then, bright and early on Saturday, 9am, Ross, Jeff and I met at my parent's house to go repelling. We went up Battle Creek to the waterfall up there, we were supposed to do a double wrap off the waterfalls there. We got out a little later than planned and then as Jared was dividing up gear and handing out wetsuits (the water coming off the falls is very icy) we saw a couple groups start up the trails but figured they were all just hiking, until we got up to the falls and saw this guy setting out his gear right where we wanted to go. We were going to wait until they were done but the guy with the ropes didn't seem to know what he was doing and took forever. Then it took 20 min for some of them to back off the edge. The guy did offer to let us use his ropes, however, after watching him we really didn't trust his rope job and finally just set up our own off some bolts that took us right over the trail. It was still fun but not what we planned, at least we didn't have to put the wet suits on.

After repelling we had to rush home to shower before going up to Salt Lake to meet my aunt and uncle. My uncle works for Utah Power and they have a picknic spot up Big Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake and they had planned a family activity up there for the day. It was a lot of fun to just hang out, visit and play some games. It was also quite a bit cooler than in the valley so that was definately a plus. We had dinner then set up the badmitton net and all the little kids played and in the midst of that my uncle and brother were trying to play a game, which was interesting because Nathan and Celeste actually kept them on their toes, they were able to return quite a few.

Sunday was a little more relaxing, except for having to get up early again on my day off. My brother blessed my new niece in church Sunday and their ward starts at 9, but after that it was more relaxed than the rest of the weekend. After the luncheon we went home and got a nap, so nice, but as the day went on we became more and more bored but was invited to my parent's house to do/watch fireworks with the little kids. It was definately a family packed weekend, but its not very often that my brother and his family comes into town and we can actually get out and do stuff together.

Finally!!!

So Ross, me, Jeff and Melanie have had a secret for a couple weeks now and it was sooooooo hard not to tell anyone and finally we can. WE BOUGHT A BOAT!!!! It actually happened pretty fast. On June 19th Ross called on his way home from work and said, we should get a boat. That day we were meeting Jeff in Salt Lake to hike and Ross told him about it and by the next Wed we had found a boat we liked, Jeff had called on it and he was willing to lower the price on the boat. However, the boat was in St George and we didn't want to drive down if we weren't serious about it. It happened so fast and I was a little nervous but Jeff and I drove down to St George on the 27th and took the boat to Gunlock Resevoir for a test drive and long story short, we came home with a boat. On the way home it still hadn't hit yet, even though every so often we would declare "We got a boat". We kept looking back at the boat thinking its really ours. The only problem was that it had a broken joint in the outdrive that had to be fixed before we could take it out. On the way home from St George we let my dad in on the secret so he could talk to his neighbor, who is a mechanic, and see if he could help us out. When he got into the motor he found much more damage than we had thought but with an extra trip to Bountiful he was able to get it fixed and on the 6th of July we were finally able to take it out for the first time. We had decided we better play with it a little before we invite others so we can be comfortable with it, since none of us had driven a boat or tried to get one on or off a trailor. Monday when I took over the wheel it was pretty choppy and a little nerve wracking but we got better at it and then the water smoothed out and it was a blast. Its not a very large boat, it seats 8 people and we can't put more than a certain weight limit on it but its a powerful boat, it can get Jeff up on ski's which to ski you need a lot of power. We spent a while out on the lake and the next day I was so sore, but couldn't tell anyone why I was sore. We did take the boat out again on the 8th to play and had invited my family on the 9th to meet us up at Deer Creek to surprise everyone with the boat. It didn't work quite as planned, the surprise part, but it was still a lot of fun. We played for quite a while and everyone that wanted to was able to take a ride and we played until the sun went down.

Lobsters, Racoons, oh and Family Reunion

I am so glad last weekend is over. Don't get me wrong, I had an enjoyable time with my family and its one of the few times a year we are all together, however Ross and I were in charge of the weekend and so its a nice burden off our shoulders now that its over. We got to plan the location, the reservations, the food, and the assign meals for others to cook. We decided to try a new place this year, we went to Millsite State Park near Ferron. It was a really nice place, the water level on the reservoir was pretty high so it came right up to camp. The only problem with the weekend was the weather. It was so windy and cold. The morning would be warm and sunny but about the time we started with lunch the wind would start. It would be windy and cold and shortly after we put on our jackets it would get warm enough until we took our jackets off. We were hoping to be able to swim, however the wind and the storms prevented that, so there was pretty much just fishing and hanging out. The fishing wasn't that good but when you did catch a fish it was a pretty good fight. We took our water trampoline and on Friday morning pumped it up and Ross, Jeff and Bre and I took it out and was going to swim because it was very warm. We were all getting ready to jump in and Jeff made it in the water first and came up screaming, the water was icy and the air outside wasn't quite warm enough, and boy was I glad I didn't make it into the water. Instead we rowed the floating trampoline out and lounged and fished off it.

The worst part of the weekend was when I drug Ross out on the trampoline with me. Just as we were about to get to a buoy to tie off on the wind picked up really hard and no matter how hard we paddled it kept pushing us further and further away, we ended up missing all the buoys and next thing I know we are on the other side of the lake near the shore. I had my fishing pole on the tramp and as we were about to run into some trees in the water my hook caught on a tree and drug my pole off and under the water. I was trying to keep us off the trees so we wouldn't pop the tamp and grab my pole and well, I missed the pole. So Ross and I got off the tramp when it was knee deep. Ross, the sweetheart that he is, tried to get my pole back, the problem was my pole was in chest deep water and that water was so icy cold. While he was trying to get my pole back I was in knee deep water trying to hold onto the tramp so it wouldn't hit the sharp rocks. Then I looked over at the boat ramp and see Brandon's jeep spinning in a circle. Jeff and Brandon had seen us with binoculars from camp (it was quite a ways away) and had come to help us. They weren't able to get the jeep down to where we were so Jeff and Ross were going to strong arm the tramp to get us to a place where Brandon could get to us. Before we left I had to try one more time to get my pole, I didn't want to loose my expensive pole and reel, and I took one last ditch effort and went almost up to my neck and luckily was able to see my fishing line still attached to the tree and follow it down to my pole. Jeff and Ross were able to get us over to Brandon's car, which was better than the alternative, Ross and I were going to have to wait out the storm standing in the icy water. Our legs were so red from the cold. When we got back to camp we had to hurry and get out of our wet clothes, I didn't think I would ever be warm again.

Coming home from this trip I am so sun burned, mainly my face. I got a little burned on Friday and Saturday used sunscreen but still got burned. My face is so burned and I have raccoon eyes from my sun glasses and my forehead is so sunburned it was swelling up. It got so big that it looked like I had a huge growth on my face and was giving me a huge headache. I looked pretty ridiculous going to work today with my big swollen forehead and my white eyes.

As a whole I think the weekend went really well and people had fun. It was a lot of fun to watch the little kids playing together and I am looking forward to next years (partly because I am not in charge of anything.) Below are some pictures and videos we took this weekend.

Jackson is eating hot dogs, don't know why he had an urge to stick them in his ears and eyes. He is definitely a ham.