Broken Boat Can't Ruin Our Fun!

We just got back from this year's trip with Brett's family to Lake Powell. What a great week we had (even though our boat broke AGAIN!) We just can't seem to get our boat working. I'm starting to think the darn thing is cursed after having a terrible time with repairs last year and now this year not working. Brett even took it for a trial spin a few weekends ago at Utah Lake and Lake Powell and all seemed to be in working order (he forgets that he is married to me and that if something is going to go wrong it will).

Despite the boat not working we still managed to have a great time as others had boats for skiing and tubing.



Brett's dad always seems to come with an idea every year for the kids. This year's idea was to make a giant slip and slide out of plastic sheeting. It didn't work but it was a great idea. On the day we packed up they had to fold up the plastic sheet and it was really windy. We realized that the plastic was making a better kite than slip and slide and it took Brett off his feet and knocked him to the ground.



Brett also celebrated a birthday at Powell and I made him wear a Burger King crown (a Twilight one) he would kill me if I posted it though so you're out of luck on that picture.

The kids enjoyed swimming, launching water balloons at wave runners, eating pancake breakfasts, hiking to high places, exploring places they called Pirate Island, Scorpion Island and Coco Moco Cave (all names they made up).







It is a lot of work taking a trip to Powell but well worth the good times we have. Hopefully we will be able to figure out what is wrong with the boat so we can use it soon. My fingers are crossed.

I love Summer

Summer is finally here and I can't believe the weather is finally cooperating... the rain a thing of the past.

Each morning we have a regular routine of getting dressed, having breakfast, cleaning our rooms, reading for 20 minutes and doing some kind of schoolwork activity whether math or writing related (Sheriff has piano practice every 3rd day) and the two older boys do something from their cubscout books. Once all this is complete then they can go off and play.

I have been trying though to have some kind of summer activity planned almost everyday whether it is going to the library and choosing books (we signed up for the summer reading program to get a free book at the end of the summer if you complete the program - even adults get a free book!),

taking tennis lessons,

or going to the county fair,



bowling with our free passes from school,

or playing at our local park that has a splash pad.

We still have lots of fun things planned because it is going to be a long summer!

Good Times

Summer is going by too quickly and for some friends it comes to an end next week. :(

Sorry guys!

We still have another month.. really I'm not trying to rub it in or anything. I'm actually glad to have a real summer this year. It has been made even better by friends sending emails with ideas for places to go and things to do. Thanks everyone! You are awesome.

A favorite discovery is a park with a splash pad not far from where we live.



There are actually two parks with splash pads close to us and we are enjoying both of them. I love that I don't have to gear myself up for a full day at a water park but can just plan on a picnic lunch and an hour and a half at the park and get on with the day.

The boys have had a lot of fun playing with friends this summer. Good luck to everyone starting school!

Summer Favorite

For Carin's latest challenge of something you love doing in the summer, I was at The Gateway today for a class and passed the fountain.  I couldn't resist pulling out my camera and taking some pictures of the kids playing in the water.  

I wanted to get some closer shots but as these aren't my kids (I was alone) and I didn't want to be mistaken for a creepy person with a camera.  I also remembered Carin saying she was kicked out of Gateway for looking like a professional photographer so I didn't want to look too conspicuous.

When I was growing up though I loved anything to do with water... swimming, sprinklers, fountains, playing in the rain etc. 

Oh to be a kid again....