Lake Powell 2009

The highlights of our summers always include a trip to Lake Powell with the Meadows. Tim's uncle has a houseboat timeshare and the they are so nice to invite us to spend the week with them! We always have so much fun with them. We fish, hike, swim, wakeboard, jet ski, play games, and eat cookie dough. That is one of my favorite parts! My kids would spend all day in the water if we let them. They were awesome too. So happy almost all the time and never complained about eating, sleeping, and playing in their life jackets. I'm not paranoid or anything. My sister, Val, was awesome and let us leave Keslie with her so we could enjoy Brooklyn and Tallan even more! Seriously owe her big time!

One of the highlights of the trip for me was evening out my farmer's tan and also going down one of the little canyons that gets so narrow we just had to wedge our boat because we couldn't go any further. Once we wedged we had a nice lunch in the shade and decided to swim the rest of the way in to see what we could find. All we found were more corners and at the end, a trail with more corners. It was seriously a way long swim but it was awesome.





We had really nice water for some wakeboard runs and Tim even got up on the air chair for a few seconds. So fun to spend time with the Meadows and Havertz. Another memorable Lake Powell trip. Thank you, Uncle Mark!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

On our way to Lake Powell we stopped in Hurricane so I could make a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday to my mom. Her birthday was a few days earlier, but Jenn and I wanted to celebrate it with her so we did it all again when we both arrived!


My mom is amazing. Always down the earth, practical, and level headed. The best person to go to for advice on anything from cooking to child-rearing to life's major decisions She is strong and independent and has proven to be a fighter. She loves to have fun, play games, is an amazing quilter, plays the piano, and loves to be with her family.

(Brooklyn and Tallan were actually already at Lake Powell with Tim. I joined them the next day!)

Next year will be another party and everyone is invited!

I actually loved Girls Camp

I hated going to Girls Camp growing up. I wasn't a fan of dirt or heat, or spending a week with girls I didn't get along with very well. I didn't like hiking and not having normal bathrooms or showers. But, I got to go this year as a leader (camp cook to be exact) up in Heber and had SO much fun! Girls camp in Utah is way different than in CA for one thing, so that was a positive in some ways. But, all 22 girls were amazing. NO one complained or fought or anything. Everyone was so happy and fun and so willing to help others out. I was so impressed. I had great "tent-mates" and each night was very entertaining because Mandy talks in her sleep and you never knew what she was going to say next! We had some food fights, "bear" attacks, and had some awesome spiritual moments with devotionals and the Testimony meeting the last night. We ate good food and my very favorite part was singing around the campfire every night with Blair playing the guitar. Seriously some of the most talented girls I know! It's been a long time since I have laughed as hard as I did and I really hope I get to go back again next year!

July has been busy already...

July 2nd
Tim and I actually went on a date! Dinner with the Whitfords and NO kids! Went to Los Hermanos for dinner and Red Mango for dessert. Went back to Melissa's parents house for a game of spades just like old times. For the record, the girls won! I have to add that because it just doesn't happen that often.

July 3rd
Started the morning with the Provo balloon festival. It's a worthwhile tradition, but glad it's only once a year. Met up with the Whitfords who were visiting from Washington. It's always fun to see Parker and Brooklyn reunite. They truly are best little friends. Had a really yummy breakfast at Melissa's parents house, the boys went golfing, we stayed with the kids and all had naps.




July 4th
Hosted the 2nd annual neighborhood pancake breakfast and had about 15 families come over. Went to the Whitfords for a BBQ and then to the Provo Temple lawn for Stadium of Fire fireworks.







July 5th
BBQ and fireworks for our neighbor, Drew's, b-day. He really wanted to pose for the camera once he found out it would probably end up on my blog! We have such fun neighbors! Happy Bday, Drew!





July 6th

dinner at P712 with Jen and Kristin; 2 of my favorite girls from USU. I can't believe it's been almost 10 years since we met! It is so fun to catch up whenever we end up in the same state at the same time!


July 9th
Relief Society vs YW softball game. I should have kept my mouth shut, but right before I went up to bat I told some of the girls that last time I played softball I broke my nose. This time I only ended up with a black eye and the cut above my left eye didn't need stitches, so that was good.

July 11th
Tallan gave me a fat lip to match my black eye. He threw a temper tantrum when I took him out of Keslie's crib after he climbed in a woke her up and head butted me in the mouth. He almost spent more time in the "naughty chair" today than all of the other times put together.

I cooked 3 pounds of sausage, 4 pounds of bacon, and 8 pounds of ground beef getting ready for Girl's Camp this week. Sick!


...and the month is just beginning. I'm tired already!