Boating at Jordanelle

(Yay! Thanks to my brilliant cousins, I learned how to upload more than 5 pics! Thanks Geana & Lynsie!!)

So we joined the ranks of those with "toys" this past weekend when we headed up camping at Jordanelle State Park and rented a boat for 4 hours. (Brief background note: Jeff and I were at a neighbor's party last year when a couple asked us what "toys" we owned... meaning RV's, boats, 4-wheelers, etc. We felt like those kids who compare Christmas gifts to see who's cooler, and we were the uncool ones with fewer gifts... clearly indicating we weren't as loved as the cool kids. But we have decided that though we may be the uncool ones with no "toys", we are also the debt-free ones with no monthly payments. So it all evens out in our minds...) Nevertheless, we thought boating would be a fun adventure to take the boys on for their last weekend before it's back to school... Thank goodness for companies who rent "toys" so that we don't have to take on the monthly payment!


We stayed overnight in our tent (not my favorite thing, but yet again, something I endure for the sake of fun memories for my boys). Then bright and early the next morning (we're talking BEFORE the sun rose), we headed over to pick up our rented speed boat & tube (we got a discount for renting during the 7-11 a.m. block).

It was still a little chilly for the rest of us but Drew insisted he was ready to be the first to ride the tube.


Jeff drove the boat like a mad-man trying to make waves for Drew to jump over. Drew was a really good sport about it until Jeff caught some major wakes and Drew went flying off the tube head first into the water! Thank goodness he's an awesome swimmer, but the impact of the water on his face really freaked him out... from then on he made us promise never to go above 20 mph with him on back.

Eventually we convinced Will to ride the tube with Jeff. He wore his pajama shirt on top and his swim trunks on bottom. He made me promise not to drive more than 4 mph, but after about 30 seconds he was signaling for me to go faster!

Then we couldn't get him off the tube! He just kept wanting to ride it again and again with each of us.

We even brought Max along (which being a new dog owner seemed weird to me at first, but it turns out lots of folks bring their dogs on their boats...) and they supplied us with this adorable doggy life vest. Who knew they made such things?!?

He was such a trooper about wearing the vest too. He couldn't sit with it on though so he had to lie on his side if he needed a rest. It was really quite cute! Notice his leash is still attached... we attempted to take it off him but Will was so freaked out that Max may jump overboard that he cried and cried until we hooked him back to the leash. It was cute to me because it shows that the boys are really growing a bond with Max... making the thought of getting rid of him fade slowly away (I don't presume to speak for Jeff, of course... he'd get rid of Max in a heartbeat!).

Finally it warmed up enough for me to give it a go on the tube, and I decided to bring Max with us. He loved it, but he kept trying to jump out, so we had to put him back on the boat.

I actually really liked riding on the tube... except when Jeff decided to drive like a mad-mad trying to flip us off the tube... that part was not so much fun.

This is what I was looking forward to doing on the boat... just relaxing and soaking up the sun! Ahhh!

We all took a gazillion turns on the tube and then took turns driving the boat around the lake. We would just stop the boat sometimes and hang out too... 4 hours proved to be the perfect amount of time to enjoy the boat.

And of course, we had the do a family pic before we returned the boat... gotta love the self-timer!

Three cheers to an amazing and fun day on the lake! It was a great day... and worth every penny!!!

Cramming "Summer Break" into 6 weeks!

(And then narrowing it down to 5 pics to represent said break...)

Thanks to the boys' year-round school schedule, we have been commissioned to squeeze 3 months worth of activities into just 6 weeks! And let me tell you... we have been BUSY accepting this challenge!!

Here are just a few pics of how we've been spending our limited time this summer:
There's been swim lessons, golf lessons, Little Gym day camp, Cub Scout day camp, hiking all through these beautiful mountains on as many different trails as we can find,

visiting water parks, museums and botanical gardens,

followed by more hiking, lounging by the pool, playing at the Daybreak "Lake" (it's more like a pond, but it has a beach so we'll take it!),

spending as much time as possible with cousins and friends and other family, BBQing almost every night (Will's been asking if we'll ever have Beef Stroganoff again), and more that I can't think of right now!!

Some days I am overwhelmed and therefore turn into the grouchiest mother in the world, other days I am loving all this running around and quality time with my boys! Such is life... and I'm just taking it as it goes!

So here we are with our final week of Summer upon us... Drew heads back on the 27th & Will on Aug. 4th. Man time flies when you're cramming 8 million activities into a small block of it!

Recipe for a fabulous 4th of July: Head North!!

I just love the 4th of July! You get to hang out with family & friends, picnic and watch parades... and you don't have to buy anyone a gift! How awesome is that!

This year we hit the traditional Riverton Town Days parade (and for the 1st time in 3 years, Jeff actually got to come with us!), then the boys and I headed up to my cousin's place in Plain City. All my life I've wanted to participate in the festivities in Plain City, but have never had a chance until now. It was awesome! Everything I'd hoped it would be and more!

Friday night we decorated the boys bikes so they could ride in the Children's Parade the next morning, then the kids all set up their sleeping bags with hopes of sleeping outside on the trampoline in my Aunt Julie's backyard (unfortunately they got rained out by midnight.)

Bright and early the next morning, nine cousins dressed in red, white & blue paraded down the street in the Children's parade each in their own special way... (my boys thought it was a race and sped down the route as quickly as they could.)
In this pic is Marley, Jake, Denim, Troy, Dakota, Drew, AJ, Will & Austin (Braxton was at the front of the pack... he too thought it was a race and wanted to be right on the starting line!)

This is what parade watching is supposed to be like... our group of family took up an entire block of space! The boys loved having so many cousins all around them. They all scored tons of candy!

After the parade we all regrouped at the Plain City park for all sorts of games and fun! (I wish I could figure out how to post more than 5 pics because I have lots of fun ones I couldn't fit on here.) The boys each caught a fish with their bare hands in the "Fish Scramble", they competed in a pie eating contest (a total joke seeing as my children are the SLOWEST eaters EVER!), dug for goodies in sawdust, bounced in bounce houses, dunked and got dunked in the dunking booth, had their faces painted, got balloon swords from a clown, watched the ATV Polo match, ate candy, hot dogs and ice cream and had an all around FANTASTIC day!

Seriously! This was the best 4th of July ever! We've had some fun 4ths before, but the combination of fun family members and all sorts of fun activities made this the best one yet! The boys will be planning on going to Plain City for the 4th from now on, I just know it!

Then after the fun died down in Plain City (when everyone else was settling in for afternoon naps), Jeff met back up with us (he'd just gotten off work) and we headed up to his Grandpa Evan's house in Pleasant View, just 15 minutes from Plain City. Jeff's cousin's were visiting from Illinois & Texas and we hadn't seen them in over 10 years! (His cousin Tyler I'd NEVER met and we've been married for 13 years!)

We had a fun visit and the boys met their cousins and before long they all grouped themselves up and began playing as if they'd know each other all their lives. I wish adults played as well as children do. We all just sit around and talk and it never fails that someone feels left out... if we were all kids, we'd just start playing a game together and everyone would feel part of the group!

Anyway, it was so good to see long lost family members and it was a great way to spend the evening. After our visit, Kelly & Dan and their boys joined us down at Weber High School where we all watched the fireworks display. It was a LONG day and we were so ready to head home! Will fell asleep in the car before we'd even gotten down the hill from the high school!

I hope you all had a great 4th of July as well. I just realized that I've officially been blogging for a year now... One of my first entries was about how we spent the 4th last year!

So Happy 4th of July, and Happy blogging! Thanks to all of you who read this, and to those who don't read it, it's your loss:~)

MS 150 - We did it AGAIN!

Ta da! For the 7th year in a row, Jeff & I rode in the MS 150 Best Dam Bike Tour through beautiful Cache Valley Utah. Though this was our 7th year participating, it was only our 2nd year riding the ENTIRE 150 miles (75 on Saturday/75 on Sunday)! Hooray!!
And this time we each rode our own bikes, saying farewell to the tandem for a while (thank goodness!! We were both really happy about this decision.) I borrowed my neighbor's bike and Jeff borrowed his brother Josh's and we totally kicked butt, riding faster than we ever have before! We averaged 18 mph the first day and 17 mph the second day... not too shabby if we do say so ourselves.

I am particularly proud of two accomplishments I made on this ride:

1) On the first day during the last 3 miles, Jeff was drafting behind me trying to keep up and I was hardly even tired! It was probably the first time in my life that I've been happy to have such large thighs!! I've always had a complex about them, but after seeing what they can do, I was truly thankful for them! This is HUGE for me... I hope everyone who reads this understands the enormity of this statement: I've got legs, and I know how to use them!!

2) I made it to the top of Blacksmith Fork Canyon in great time! True, Jeff got there 4 minutes before me, but I did the entire thing and still had a smile on my face! It was a series of tough climbs and I contemplated turning around and giving up several times, but I am so glad that I didn't give up and that I made it all the way!!

So another MS 150 ride and training season is behind us and I must say this has been the absolute best year yet! I was in great shape after training more than I ever had, I had the best partner to ride with (but thankfully not on the same bike with), we raised $790 to help find a cure for this devastating disease (thank you to everyone who contributed), and we just had the best time ever!

Now I need another goal! I'm thinking a half marathon... the sky is the limit!!