Friday, September 24, 2010

My Favorite Place

OK, so I guess it's not my single favorite place since we also have an awesome cabin to visit on a regular basis, but Lake Powell feels like home to me. We spent last weekend swimming in the water, basking in the sun and partaking in the general awesomeness that is Lake Powell. Each and every time we go I am reminded how much I love it. I love driving the boat at high speed across Bullfrog Bay, feeling the wind in my hair, the sun and spray on my face. I love sitting in the shade at the end of Lost Eden canyon, bobbing like a cork on the water and looking up at the overhanging rocks. I love walking on top of the hot sand and shoving my feet into it, feeling the coldness just below the surface. I love my kids sunkissed faces, watching them catch lizards and play in the sand and water all day, and putting them to bed in sandy pajamas and sandy sleeping bags. I love their glee when they wake up in the morning and realize we're still there in play-all-day land.

 Chance and Conner, rocking it in the tube.
 Carter loved sitting in the boat, he could sneak treats when nobody was looking.
 The Captain!
 Me in my awesome new sunglasses. Like the camera reflection? I knew you would.
Home Sweet Home
 Payton refuelling before the next swim
 Always a model
 This must be one of my favorite pictures EVER.
And one more of the model.

I do not love the laundry, house cleaning and general return to work that comes after such a super fun, relaxing weekend!

P.S. I didn't get many more pictures than that because I hung a wet blanket over the top of the boat on the third day and it dripped on my camera. *SIGH* The good news is that my camera did in fact dry out and survived the tragedy :)

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Best Birthday Ever

Last week marked my 33rd birthday. 33? How on earth can I be that old? My brothers alternately complimented me at my big family birthday dinner the Sunday before - one asking how it felt to be 38 and the other telling me that I was the grumpiest person he'd ever known. Nice, right? Luckily my Mom made me feel better with delicious raspberry cheesecake dessert.

My own family more than made up for it on the big day. Conner made me an awesome solar oven, Bella drew me a super-cute card, and everyone pretty much doted on me all day long. Shane gave me two super cute graphic tees, a huge bag of Dove milk chocolate, and an upcoming sushi lunch date. He also took the day off and changed all the diapers. I got my hair colored and cut in the morning, ate pizza with Shane and the boys for lunch, came home and took an awesome nap, followed by an amazing steak, corn on the cob, a baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter (a-la Ruby River) and chocolate volcano cake that Chance made. MMMM! The next day we got up, finished preparations, and headed out to Lake Powell - which deserves its own picture post. However, I have to share the cutest thing ever first: