3 Girls and a Guy

LAKE POWELL 2009

Isn't this beautiful. This was our view from the houseboat. Our whole family loves this vacation and looks forward to it every year. It was cloudy a couple of the days, but the sun would peak out sooner or later. It was perfect temperature. Not too hot and not cold.

HOUSEBOAT FUN


We tried fishing, but it didn't work out this year. Our master fisherman, Kevin Kemp, was running the Wasatch Back and ditched us. My little bro, Jordy, thought he would be the master fisherman. He got advice how to string a fishing line and was telling us all to watch him. Needless to say, Jordy Boy's line was in a knot all week and he caught no fish. Where did he get his advice. The kids had fun trying for awhile. We brought store bought catfish and fried it up. It just wasn't the same.

Dish duty. The men pull their weight just as much as the women. Sometimes more. Renn has to have everything spotless and vacuumed up every day. I won't stop him. Adri got to help with the dishes. Lyle is the big guy in the picture and he's not gay, but loved the picture. Renn and Lyle bought and packed all the food. SO nice!!! Can I just say we are FAT HAPPY in Lake Powell. We don't lack for meals, desserts or snacks. We eat three meals and 30 snacks. We work it off for a month after. (Hamburgers, pork tacos, tacos, fish tacos, chicken pasta, BBQ chicken, french toast, pancakes, nachos, homemade ice cream and smores, chocolate, licorice, chips, junk and more junk)

Everyone dog pile Lyle!!!!

We arrived Monday night at 1 a.m. Long drive. It took a couple of days to get rested up. Adri took her first nap ever. Okay maybe not ever, but she is not a napper.

We had to take a break from the weather sometimes. Sometimes the afternoon would get real windy and stormy. We played Wii and lots of card games. This year our favorite was GOLF. Last year our favorite was SEVEN and we didn't play it at all. Some people would stay up real late playing games.

We love the water tramp and launching blow-up. The guys would jump on the tramp and land on one side of the launcher. The person on the other end would go flying. This picture happened to be me. Alex would not do it until the last day. She flew and had fun. Sometimes it can be scary. I didn't go too far. I guess I'm too fat!!!!

Kaden and Brayden were the funniest. Somehow the men con them into going out on the launcher. We all have our cameras and camcorders ready to go and then the men jump and launch away. They do three flips in the air and land. It is the funnest entertainment all week. We can only get them to do it once and then they are too smart.

We are not dumb. The best way to make smores for a large crowd is in the oven. Layer graham crackers, hershey bars and then marshmellows on top and cook for a bit. When they are melted a little brown, pull them out and you can feed a crowd. They were yummy and messy. I don't think you can see the mess on Lyle and Jordy, but they were messy.

Alex, Abby, Kaden and Adri sure enjoyed them. Can't you tell in Adri's face.

THE BOYS

They were such great pals and had so much fun. We didn't see them half the time. They were so busy on the beach playing in the sand, finding lizards and frogs, throwing rocks, peeing together and being boys. Brayden is one year younger than Kaden, but that didn't matter. They had so much fun. One day Jordy swam with them from the shore to the tramp. It was pretty far and they did awesome. They also caught two TOADS. I'm surprised they lived through capture. One day Kaden was going after a toad and lifted up a rock and a lizard climbed up his swim trunks. That was fun.

The boys doing their things with a bag of chips in hand.

They are too cute.

CLIFF JUMPING

Every year we have to go cliff jumping. This year it was across the way. Landon is a crazy 17 year old that jumps without a life jacket and where ever. The rest of us go to a smaller jump and wear life jackets. Matthew walked right up there and went off. The rest of us took a little time to think about it.

I didn't see when Renn jumped off, but I heard he took a very long time. He is afraid of heights. Abby stood with Alex for a long time. We told them to walk back down finally. Abby was halfway down, turned around, walked back up and jumped off. It was amazing. She wanted to do it everyday. She loved jumping off the houseboat. She is our little jumper. She might not like wakeboarding or sports behind the boat, but jumping was her thing. Alex took about an hour. We were all sick of waiting. She will do stuff behind the boat all day, but heights must not be her friend.

I stood and waited for Abby and Matthew and then I was off. I had to show Renn up because he didn't believe I would go. I showed him. I didn't wait for over 10 seconds. Alex 's face shows how much fun she had.

BOATING

Alex was the first one up and out of the boat. In years past she would wait for Lyndee to be first. She's getting tough.

The boys went out surfing and so did the little boys. Jordy is with Brayden and Renn is with Kaden. I think Kaden loved it. Hopefully one day.

Kaden wanted to try by himself. He didn't get all the way off the back of the boat. Kaden has always fallen asleep on the boat. He gets in a trance and goes to sleep even with straws in his mouth. It was cute.


He fell asleep under a towel a couple of times. I think it keeps the wind off them. He even fell asleep under the steering wheel when Renn was driving. He gets so worn out at Powell from playing so hard.

Most of us love tubing. Brayden was a good sport with his daddy. He smiles even though he was a little bit anxious. Abby and Ashley do not like going fast or being thrown off. They went together on a pretty nice ride. Abby never shows too much excitement on the tube.

Jordy and I went together on a fun ride. I laughed my head off the whole time. Usually I'm cussing, but this time I just had fun. I would climb all over the tube in hopes of not flying off. I didn't care where Jordan was or what he was doing. He was laughing too. The other picture I am standing and Kaden is below me. He didn't like the tube ride at all. His dad accidentally submerged us twice. I yelled at him. Thanks a lot Renn. Now he will never go.

After a long day of tubing, Ashley and I fell off the tube and it riped fell apart. We decided to swim to the houseboat. It was a lot further than we thought. Especially against the tide. It was a good work out for all the junk we had been eating. Michael Phelps would have taken 10 minutes to our 30 minute swim I'm sure.

SIGHT SEEING

One day we went on a day long sight seeing trip. It didn't help that the boat was acting funny and we had to go to the marina to check it out. They did a couple things and we were off. It still acted funny. At the end of the day we went back to the marina and we were almost out of oil. Lyle is the best at boats and stuff so how did he overlook this!!!!! At least we didn't run out of gas like they did one year. The babies, Pita and Linkin, were up in the shade with me, Ashley, and Ashley. The guys were in the back with Heather, Jordy, Renn, and Matthew. It was a fun ride. I must say I am happy to be done with the babies. I've been there and paid my dues. This trip was so much more relaxing and enjoyable than years past. I like my new stage of life.

Adri fell asleep again in the baby crib area. This is Landon the crazy 17 year old. He is Lyle's youngest brother. He is so funny and ugly too. Can you see his sunscreen on his chest. Cute. Jordan and him were a hoot to watch the whole trip.

The first stop was Cathedral Canyon. The canyon gets really narrow in parts and you have to guide the boat with your hands and feet. Two people up front, two people on back guiding. We had an excellent driver, Lyle. We didn't get one scratch. It's cool and the walls go clear up like a Cathedral. We stopped for a swim in the canyon to cool off. Can you believe how many bodies were on the boat.

Jordy posing in cathedral. The next stop was Rainbow Bridge. We had to walk a little ways up a trail to see it. It's an awesome sight to see.

Along the way, we stopped at the marina for ice cream. There are gross carp fish all over at the marina and Kaden wanted to feed them all of our ice cream. They will eat whatever you give them. Gross fish. It was a nice refreshing break.

The last night in Lake Powell. We were so sad to leave. It went by so fast. We showered all the kids in the lake. Alex and Abby took showers every night with Lyndee. Kaden and Adri did sometimes. I bathed Kaden and he jumped in and washed off. Renn bathed Adri. I couldn't bring myself to jumping in that night time water. I won't jump unless it's sunny and warm. I'd rather shower inside.

Lyndee, Alex, and Abby. They were a three some. Adri hung with Chloe and stayed around the houseboat. Chloe and Adri don't like boating so much. They were content to play on the houseboat most of the time. Renn had to pose for one last picture. I'm lucky to be married to this hunk!!!

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We had one very scary event happen on this trip. I had taken Kaden back to our room to get dressed and put shoes on to go clean up the sand toys. We were packing up to leave. I turned around to give him his shoes and he was gone. Our room was on the back of the boat by the back deck. I called his name and looked around to see if he was hiding. Nothing. I then called to the front of the boat to see if he had come through. Nothing. I started searching along with some other ladies. Nothing. I ran on top of the boat and yelled to all the men and Renn to start searching-KADEN WAS GONE. Kaden is pretty smart around the water and doesn't jump in without his life jacket-but ya never know. We searched in fridges, coolers, cabinets, showers, bins, everywhere. Nothing. Renn kept yelling Kaden, he's gone and crying. I was praying, Jordy was praying, Renn was praying, Alex was praying. My three girls were sent to sit on the couch because they were freaking out. Nothing. Finally Lyle yelled I found him and he was wrapped in a long curtain. Renn was bawling and hugging him. I was bawling on the toilet. It was the most horrific feeling ever. I've felt this before when he was 5 weeks old and quite breathing on me twice and I never wanted to feel it again. So many things ran through my mind. Renn's was telling himself to say good bye and let him go because the girls and I would need him and he needed to be strong. He was a wreck. The whole day we were paranoid and would tear up every time we talked about it. I think most of us on the boat were crying and in hysterics. We couldn't bring ourselves to kick his butt, because we were so happy he didn't drown. He was traumatized and wouldn't come out of the curtains for 20 minutes later. Those moments make you realize how much you love your kids and family. We were so grateful to be going home with Kaden and couldn't quite looking at him all day. We love you Kade!

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We are sad it's over. It always goes by so fast. We love Lake Powell and all the memories. We got home Father's Day Sunday at midnight. We were exhausted and happy to be home because the Bass family came from North Carolina three days later.