Lake Powell

The Huntsman's invited us to go to Lake Powell with them this summer. As always we had a great time. Kimberly and I planned and bought all the food. This is always such a huge project and in the middle of shopping I really wanted to quit, but we did it and it all turned out super yummy! We were kind of small in numbers this year. Mom and Dad couldn't leave the Heber Valley Camp and Garrick and Kelly decided to stay home since Garrick was just about to start a new job. Matt and Mariel had gymnastics obligations, and Ryan and Kristy parked their houseboat next to Huntsman's. It was not quite the same without all of the family but we still had a great time.

We drove down Saturday morning and got the houseboat all loaded up. We decided to stay in the slip that night. Sunday morning we left the Marina and Ryan and Kristy had found us a great spot up Warm Creek, Gordon drove the houseboat to our destination! It's always a lot of work to get all the anchors put in and get everything situated. Around 3:00 the anchors were in and we all were cooling off in the lake (although the water was quite warm, I loved it!. We started seeing some clouds coming our way. We had a rock wall in front of us and it blocked our view of the whole sky but Gordon looked and me and said "Should we be worried about those clouds?" I just kindof shrugged but he quickly got out of the water and started checking all the anchors of the houseboat. Shortly after he got out the wind started picking up. Anastyn has been terrified of storms since the lightening and thunder that she experienced at swim lessons a few weeks prior to Lake Powell so she was getting a little nervous. I got a towel around her and started yelling for Taeya to get out of the water. The rest of the story happened so quickly, and we each have a different view point but needless to say we had one of the scariest storms I have experienced on the lake. As I was getting kids out of the water I looked over at Ryan and Kristy's boat and it had come un-anchored and turned sideways on the beach. We all knew that Ryan was out on the ski boat so all of the men went over to try to help Kristy out. In the mean time the wind really started pickung up. The sand was really blowing, actually gusting, and things were starting to blow away. Kent and Kimbery's boat somehow came untied and Kimberly was trying to get the rope tied back up. Kenzly was in the water trying to make sure the canoe didn't hit into Casey's boat, the other girls were trying to secure boats and all the men were at Ryan's boat. I got all the kids inside the houseboat and was trying to keep everyone calm. I looked out the window and noticed one of the paddle boards was trying to blow away on the shore. I jumped off the houseboat and grabbed the board on the shore but as I got back to the houseboat the front anchors had just come loose and it was starting to float away. Panic really set in - I felt a little helpless, I tried to kind of hold the boat but knew it was useless. I jumped on the houseboat which was now several feet away from the shore and once again just stayed with the kids and tried to keep them calm. They were all very nervous, so was I, a few of them were crying, and Anastyn was terrified of the storm. I just kept telling the kids, "everything is okay." There was a lot of yelling and nervousness as we were drifting further away from the shore but closer to the rock wall behind us. Casey couldn't start the houseboat engine til the boys could pull in all the anchor ropes and get the ski boat off of the houseboat. Kimberly couldn't get her boat started, miraculously Kent jumped in and pulled his boat away with literally inches before being smashed into the wall by the houseboat. We slammed into the wall 3 or 4 times before the boys could get in all the anchor ropes so Casey could start the engines. He only was able to get 1 of the engines started which drove us away from the rock wall but was really difficult to control the houseboat. Thankfully Gordon somehow made it onto the houseboat and was able to read the owners manual to figure out how to get the other engines started while Casey tried to keep us out in the open water.

Four hours later the wind stopped and we were able to re-anchor. It was pretty intense and it's amazing that we and all our gear were safe. We only lost 1 paddle to the canoe and Kimball's raft (which we found the next day). Casey only lost the little light on the front of his ski boat - miraculously that was all!

We all have a different version of this story based on where we were during the chaos but it was crazy! The kids were great, thankfully all safe. We loaded them up with treats and turned on a movie while we were fighting the wind. The quote that my girls often repeat when we think about this trip to Lake Powell was cute Karsten saying "This is an emergency!" The rest of the trip was much less uneventful. We had some rain one night and a little wind another night but that was nothing compared to Sunday's storm. Of course we relaxed and enjoyed the lake as much as possible.

One thing we did do that was different was take a tour of a slot canyon. We drove the boats to the Antelope Island marina and went up to the visitors center and arranged a tour. We were taken by truck to the Canyon and then the driver led us through. It was really cool. We watched the movie "Parental Guidance" on top of the houseboat one night. Fireworks on the 4th of July were amazing! Although we were watching for the park rangers the whole time! We didn't want a $400 ticket! Taeya and Kierra learned to wakeboard this trip thanks to their awesome teacher Gordon. Those girls were so persistent! They had Kent's boat to themselves practically. All the "big" kids went on Chan and Casey's boat and that just left Kent, Kimberly, me, Gordon, Karsten, Taeya, Anastyn, and Kierra. The week always goes to fast, but we really did have a great trip! Thanks Hunstman's for showing us how to party! Now here's a million pictures:

Taeya and Anastyn helping Gordon drive to Warm Creek

Anastyn made the sand castle all by herself!

Karsten and Anastyn waiting for their turn on the molecule.

Devin was so great to play with all the kids - we all love him! In the very back is Cael with Cameron in front of him.  Kimball is on the left side, then Devin, Karsten, Taeya, and Anastyn, and Daylen on the right side. 

The awesome wakeboarder - look at that great form.

Kierra did awesome also - she won the award for staying up the longest.

Cute Taeya with all her missing teeth - she definitely didn't eat corn on the cobb this summer!

Best cousins - Taeya and Kierra

Best sisters - Taeya and Anastyn with the sunglasses that Grandpa Lee gave them.

All this swimming makes little people very tired!

Sleepy Karsten

Taeya, Kierra, and Anastyn on the little "Train" that drove us to the Visitors Center.

The cute newlyweds - Chelsea and Devin

Waiting for our tour driver to pick us up. Back row: Devin, Chelsea, Cynthia, McNeal, Collin, Kenzly, Kimball, Daylen, Kimberly and Brandalyn (pregnant with Baby #3), Front row: Karsten, Taeya, Anastyn, Cameron, Cael, and Kierra

Kimball, Cael, Kent, Kimberly and Chantel on the truck ride to the canyon.

We got stuck in the sand on the way to the canyon.  The driver didn't seem to be worried (Karsten, Anastyn and I rode in the front of the truck with everyone else in the back).

Taeya holding the "torch."

Such cool formations.

The whole gang at the other end of the canyon - Ryan and Kristy didn't come but we took Daylen with us.

This was our driver/guide. 

Anastyn and I - she loves to have piggy back rides!

The whole gang back at the beginning (or end?).

Our family.

Loaded up again to drive back to the Lake.

Kenzly, Collin, Chantel, Casey, Kimball, Cameron, Daylen, Taeya, and Kierra

These paddle boards were really fun and Taeya was really good at it.  I love her drink on the front.

She was good to take Anastyn for a ride - the wall in the background is the wall the houseboat bonked into - you could definitely see the marks. 

We couldn't get Anastyn to waterski.  But she did like surfing with dad, just driving around in the boat, swimming (of course), and tubing.

Before we left to go to Lake Powell we were telling the girls that they had to keep their life jackets on all the time.  Anastyn didn't really like that idea so she said she was going to stay home with Kelly and Jayne. :) A few days before we left Gordon took her to the store and she picked out this pink and purple life jacket.  That made her excited, we were so glad she decided to come!

Read to surf!

Big smile!

Taeya wanted to try it too!

Taeya doing some more wakeboarding.

This is Taeya saying "Yes! I got up!"

The girls were excited about the fireworks - until the started, Anastyn freaked out during them so she and Gordon watched Scooby Doo inside the houseboat. 

Chantel made us some very patriot jello - Anastyn thought that was the coolest thing ever.  She really likes Jello!

The "Nitro Circus" gang was parked next to us.  It was quite entertaining watching their crazy stunts.  On the last day we walked over and watched.  We even toured their massive houseboat.