Flaming Gorge 2009

We were so lucky to go to Flaming Gorge with the Nelson Family at the end of June. Not everyone could make it, but most of us did. It was so fun. It is like Lake Powell up in the mountains. It was absolutely beautiful. We spent most of our time on the boat, but did some sightseeing, walking in the mountains, played games, and most of all, enjoyed being together. Every time I am with my family I am reminded why I love them so much. Good thing we live closer and can see them more often now. A few highlights of the trip:

Bart and Anna on the "death tube"

She would still be on that thing if we hadn't pried her off of it.
Captain Jake

Kids in the tube

Tubing is even better with your cousins!
Jacob and Isaak

Cousin Jack with Anna

My nirvana: anywhere this boat is!

My sister, Karin, and the bug, Everett take a swim

My sister, Wendy, and her family: Todd, Tillie, Isaak, Jonah, and baby Henry

I thought getting 3 kids to smile was hard and here she proves that 4 can do it!

My cute Mom

Rachel just kills me in this picture. She screams, I am so cool, doesn't she?

3/4 of the loves of my life

(Jake is with cousins somewhere)

I was so proud to get up skiing at my old age on my first try! WAHOO!

Really, there is NOTHING better than this.

See how happy I was after I skiied? Hope my girls will love it too.

Did I mention how freaking cold the water was? My brother, Jeff, can tell you!

The sunset after the ski

Taking the kids to the overlook of Red Canyon, a part of Flaming Gorge. So beautiful!

Bart had our camera on a tripod hanging from a tree here. I was beyond irritated cause it was so hot, but look what we have to show for it. Way to go, honey!

So, the only question is, when can we go again?

Water World: America's Largest and BEST Water Park

I forgot how much I LOVE water parks. I remember going a few times as a kid, but I am not a good swimmer and had a few near drownings in the wave pool. Plus, I was small and the rides sometimes scared me. But, after recently visiting Water World I am a renewed fan of water parks. We had so much fun taking our kids along with our nieces and nephews and Bart's Mom and sister. Seriously, when they were closing at 6:00 I think I was as bummed as the kids were and we had been there since 10:15 a.m. I even ran through the whole park with Jacob taking a couple of last rides. It was hard to get me out of there. I can't wait to have an excuse to go back. Money well spent, for sure. Just look at the fun!

Jacob and cousin Cooper on the raft slide

Anna and cousin, Taylor, on the same slide...Anna is screaming!

Rachel wins for best baby at the water park, ever! She played, ate, and slept like a champ!

It's hard work being this cute in my lounge chair.

Jake and Cooper eating their pizza. I think Jake's hair got 15 times whiter that day.

Anna and Connor (she calls him big giant, but I think it's cause she has a crush on him)

The gang towards the end (Jake and I are running around doing rides right now)

In the wave pool. I still don't like them, but the kids LOVED it. They all took care of Anna in there for me too.

They aren't lying when they say it is the biggest and best. We had such a wonderful day. Thank goodness it was FINALLY warm enough to enjoy the sun and water!

Memorial Day Weekend in Utah: Family, Food, Fun

We spent Memorial Day Weekend in Utah with my family. We haven't all been together in nearly a year, so it was a treat to gather together. I am one of 2 that live outside of Utah, so I live for these adventures. Sometimes I wish I could just go to Mom and Dad's for a Sunday dinner or to play games, so we made sure to get it all into one weekend. Luckily the kids and I got to stay a couple of extra days. We were exhausted by the time we got home, but we ate lots of good food (thanks grandpa, the cook), we saw all the family (thanks to everyone for accomodating), we played with cousins, with friends and most of all, we had fun. Bart got to do some golfing and we got to eat at Cafe Rio. Moment of silence after that for anyone that knows true goodness. I took literally over 500 pictures so I have slimmed it down to the few below. However, it is still a lot, so look or don't, it's up to you! Thanks Mom and Dad for a great time and we love all of our family that is far away. I'm kicking butt next time at the games! See you in Flaming Gorge.

Rachel and Anna in my sister's new backyard

The best you get with 3, but so cute!

Our kids with my sister, Karin's kids--Everett and Oliver

Rachel is over this picture thing, Mom (Bart gives me the same look)

Fun cousins

Jacob, my biggest monkey in the tree

My cute Mom and Dad (they just celebrated 41 yrs together)

Gramps and Gram with all but one grandchild-hilarious trying to get this one. Note screaming Darla on the back right side. Classic.

Our little family

Not the best, but everyone had been crying and at the promise of being done, Anna and Jake immediately smiled their best. Rachel, not so much.

Jack, Jacob, Isaak--3 dangerous cousins/wanna be ganstas

Samara, Anna and Tillie (they let her play with the big girls)

Kate and Rachel working on walking

My brother, Jeff, and his wife, Merili--you RARELY get pictures of them.

The little girls-Darla (17 mos), Rachel (14.5 mos), Kate (12 mos)

No visit to Utah is complete without a jaunt to Great-Grandpa's house in Preston. Our family with Bart's great grandparents or better known as Old Grandpa and Grandma
Anna curled up with Old Grandpa-he can't hear or see well, but he still gives the best hugs

"Twister"ed Metal

Well, as most of my friends, family and neighbors know, we had a twister come on through these here parts yesterday. It makes me feel like I am in Wizard of Oz and livin in Kansas or somethin.
Anywho, we lose points for being the smartest tools in the shed yesterday. We were in church when the hailstorm started and then we heard rumblings about a tornado. Bart abruptly said to me,"The windows are open, we're leaving NOW!" I barely even got my seatbelt on before we were driving like maniacs to get home. It was freaky dark outside and I wondered if it really was a tornado, but didn't want to scare my kids more than they already were.

We ran inside to close the windows and Bart realizes that our trampoline is gone. What? I didn't believe it for a minute but sure enough, no trampoline. My really smart husband went outside in tons of mud with his church clothes and shoes on and I finally realized where the trampoline was. It had apparently been picked up, carried across the empty lot and slammed through the railing of our neighbor's deck. It was like it was part of a ring toss that had landed on the post of their railing. It totally tore up the trampoline. After the storm had passed, everyone started coming out to assess the damage. Bart and I walked to the end of our backyard and could see a house across the main street (Arapahoe Rd) that was putting a tarp on it's roof. It must have had a direct hit for that hole to be there. You can follow it across the main road towards our house and see a set of trees in the middle of several that are just completely pulled out of the ground and snapped in half too. Just crazy. At the top of the hill from those trees (moving closer to our house) is another house with 2 sections of it's roof missing. And the street right up from there has almost all of it's trees snapped in half. The street would be 3 houses up from my house. Holy cow! I can't say I saw the funnel or for sure if it came through that close because it was so loud and windy and all the hail, but I'm just saying it was WAY too close for comfort.

WAY TOO CLOSE!
Here are the pictures we took:
The 'twister'ed metal--may she R.I.P.
Died at age 3 months

From our backyard to the neighbors backporch where it landed. Note the missing railing on the right side, but it gives you an idea of the distance.

Up close of the damaged railing and pots

Other stuff strewn about everywhere in all the neighborhoods. The one doesn't show too much, but the neighbors to the right had all of their huge, heavy patio set thrown all over the lawn

Against the house is some of the leftover crazy hail and it shows why the railing stayed--it was pinned against the house.

Around the corner from our house--lots of trees damaged

Neighbors patio was in upheaval

You can see a couple of the marks from the hail

If you look closely on the right side of the green house, you can see a part of the roof missing

You can see it better here when they pulled out the blue tarp

At least we are all safe, which keeps me going when I get irritated at insurance or thinking of buying another trampoline or stupid material things that tend to distract me. At least we are safe and I will hold my kids a little tighter during the next few storms, I'm sure.