Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Facing your fears...and a vacation post!

Over Labor Day we headed to Flaming Gorge with some friends for a nice relaxing weekend. The weather was perfect and the kids all got along (which right there makes it nice and relaxing!!)
 
We camped at Green's Lake by the Red Canyon Lodge. One night Chris rented a canoe and took the girls and our friend Pace out on the lake.
 
I should have known what was about to happen after taking this picture. I mean look at Bear. Look at her staring that canoe down. That lake was hers and she was going to tackle it.
 
 

Now take a close look at the picture below. Do you see the head of a yellow lab named Bear sticking out from the canoe? After the canoe left shore, I walked back to the RV with Bear to prep for dinner, I thought Bear was staying in the area...NOPE!

Suddenly I hear yelling "BEAR! BEAR!" I run (well in my case a fast paced waddle) down the trail to the lake and see Bear swimming out to the canoe. It's a nice sized private lake and for my 10 year old lab to be half way out swimming towards the canoe, scared me a bit. I was afraid she'd get tired and panic and well...you can see where my thoughts were going.

However, she surprised me and made it to the canoe where Chris and Pace pulled her in. Even the spectators at the dock were cheering her on. I guess a water dog will always be a water dog and even though Chris retired her for hunting, when she see's him out on a lake in a boat with ducks around...she still wants to be part of the action!


Chris taught the girls how to catch craw-dads. Who knew raw chicken tied to a string could be so entertaining? We caught a bucket full of the little guys, but only cooked up half and ended up setting the other half free. And no, I DID NOT eat one! Bleck!
 
 

We rented a raft and floated the Green River one day. The girls LOVED it. Me? Well let's just say I overcame a fear I've had for many years.
 
Many, many years ago Chris and I ran the river with some friends. It was early summer so the river was fast and high. Let's just say NO ONE was paying attention and we hit a nice sized rock when we went through a rapid. The side of the boat kept hitting into the big scary rock and the boat filled with water. It was scary. I was traumatized. Not only that but it started raining and got cold quickly. Since that experience I've only ran the river one other time. I've always been too nervous and scared to do again.
 
The Green isn't a big scary river. I think the rapids are cat 3 at most. BUT when you have a bunch of kids in a boat and no one is leading and taking charge, things like this happened. No one fell out of the boat, but it was still a scary experience for me.
 
So when Chris suggested floating the river I hesitated. But then I was quickly reminded that MY fears can influence the girls from experiencing life and I do not want them growing up fearful and scared all of something just because I had a bad experience once.
 
So knowing there were 3 other adults in the boat, all promising to keep ME safe, I decided to float the river with everyone.
 



Chris did a great job and leading and making sure we were all safe and on the same page when it came to tacking any rapids. Even Abby got into the rowing action!


As we went down the river I got more and more comfortable with how slow it actually is. There were a few rapids to maneuver through, but the kids screamed with excitement and we went through them. All in all I felt pretty safe and enjoyed the beautiful canyon and river. 
 
See? This silly selfie proves I had a good time!
 

And of course Chris got to fish, so you know he was happy! Chris usually runs the river once a year on his annual guys trip, but this year he was excited to take his girls down the river...and have the wife along for the ride!

 
 
 
Pace and Jan are the funniest couple. We've had a great summer camping and hanging with them.
 

  Of course I had to take a pic of me and Perk after the river. Successful day! Fear tackled!


 


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Here's to another school year!

I love summer. I really do. But by the time the first of August rolls around, the kids are bored and I'm exhausted from hearing "we're bored!" And don't even get me started about the days being so hot.

When you're saving up to build a home, you can't exactly go out to Lagoon or the Zoo or the water parks daily. That stuff adds up (as does designing the interior of a home which will be a separate post)!

We did the best we could this summer. Being pregnant in the dead of summer kind of sucked. Okay it didn't "kind of" suck, it just plain sucked. It was too damn hot. Seriously, 97° to a regular person feels like 107° to a pregnant lady. But like I said, we did the best we could.

We did spend a lot of time inside since it was so hot outside this summer

 
When it did cool down a bit we went to the park and had lunch, played, and looked for ducks
 
 
We went with friends to the open house of the Ogden Temple


 
 
We ventured out to lunch and took funny pictures
 
 
We celebrated turning 8 with old friends
 
 
We went to the Living Planet Aquarium
 

But with that being said, it was bound to happen. The end of summer and the beginning of the new school year. Anna is once again in a new school. I feel bad that she's had to change so much, but we did not know Jackson was only going to be a year stance. Since we are living with my mom Anna is attending the same elementary I attended. I think she's adjusting well. I've promised her that once the house is built, that elementary will be her last until junior high. We shook on it.

 FIRST DAY OF 3rd GRADE


She wasn't too happy that I wanted to take a picture of her by her desk.
After this pic, she said "Okay mom, you can go now!"
 
 
Abby and Bear loved walking Anna to school the first week
 

Then the following week Abby started preschool ran by the same lady I went to back in the day
FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL 
 

 
 
It's weird to have both girls in school...but that too will be another post!