Intro to Summer Vaycay

O and my sign from last year put to good use again this year

welcoming all the school children to Summer Vacation:

Then, we quickly went south to warmer weather:

our favorite sand dunes in Snow Canyon.

E doing a back flip:

We took the new boat along:

Quail Creek Reservoir.

E & C took a spin on the tube. It was hard to tell if they were crying out of fear or fun.

I love the color of this water!

E's feet:

good times.

Happiest Place on Earth: part 3 the beach

The building behind me is our hotel. We stayed on the 9th floor. After taking this picture, O and I headed back to our hotel room. While we were there, the room started to sway as if we were on Pineview Reservoir. EARTHQUAKE! It lasted for less than a minute and nothing came crashing down, but wow, was it an eery feeling.

Happiest Place on Earth: part deux

It's a small world, isn't it?

Loved California Adventure!

(can you spot me...It wasn't especially warm and I didn't want to get wet.)

The Happiest Place on Earth, part 1

(Whomever invented the the Disneyland "Fast Pass" was a genius and I hope they were given a bonus that would make Bernie Madoff blush. )

You Know You've Had a Good Trip to Lake Powell When...

• Your family agrees to watch your children while you are away.


• Your boat(s) work.


• You find a great place to park your houseboat.


• Your houseboat has anchors and you know how to use them.


• Your daytime high temperature is in the 80's.


• Your nighttime low temperature is in the 50's.


• You get to sleep under a gazillion stars every night.


• You see a shooting star before you fall asleep.


• Your air mattress stays inflated.


• Your husband doesn't care if you try a water sport....well, he doesn't say anything.


• Lots of others can't wait to try the wake board.


• You can find a dry towel


• You find the water may be shocking ice cold when you get in it, but then, somehow, becomes quite pleasant.


• You have a toilet.


• You listen to LOTS of music.


• The people in your group only get a few cuts and bruises....no E.R. needed.


• You can usually find your camera.


• Your expensive sunglasses don't sink to the bottom of the lake


• Your hat floats long enough to retrieve it....visors, not so lucky.


• As far as you know, the rats stay on the outside of the houseboat.


• You get to spend quality time with your spouse around the campfire.


• You have time to lounge around and read magazines about celebrities and fashion.


• You eat..... A LOT of amazing meals, with reckless abandon.


• Someone in your group makes homemade onion rings!!!!


• You only have to cook ONE meal and no one complained about it.


• You have a giant pile of soda on board.


• You you see your friends helping each other into their life jackets.
• Your swimsuit stays in place when you take your life jacket off.


• Your new white swimsuit isn't see-through.


• You experience very little wind. (double entendre intended).


• Your best wake boarder of the group is a woman.


• You get to see some awesome rock formations and Indian ruins.


• You wake up every morning and hear someone say, "I don't want to go home!".


• You have a professional hairstylist on board who braids your hair and paints your toenails.


• You do NOT hit a rock and sink.


• Your houseboat DOESN'T catch fire.


• You don't have to seek shelter in a cave.


• Your tent isn't broken and full of sand.


• You aren't pregnant.


• Your boat window doesn't shatter over your head.


• You wake up willingly at 6am to ski on water that looks like glass.


• You become so sore and wasted from skiing, but continue to ski some more.


• You see "rooster tails" and you are able to make them


• You are sad to leave.


• Your husband fixes the broken wheel on the boat trailer instead of driving home on it.


• You are able to avoid the couch that is in the middle of the freeway without any accidents.


• You realize that you are loosing the boat cover and are able to pull over and put it back on before any gear flies out of the boat.


• You get home safely and all of your kids are happy and safe and, BONUS, 2 of 3 kids are asleep.


• Your crying is from laughing so hard.


• You did NOT, at any time, fear for your life!

Pictures will soon follow.

Summer Vaycay 2009

The Washington Coast
(this is my artistic beach shot)

Then up to Seattle:

We purchased some of these:



and got to see some great places like the Aquarium:

the Children's Science Center:

Pike's Place:

Harbor Ferry Tour:

The Space Needle:

(our own Wall-E)

The Science Fiction Museum:

(this is for anyone who, like me, watched Buck Rogers in the late 1970's/early '80's. This is Twiki. And, yes, he is a total rip-off to Star Wars' C3PO)

Sleepless in Seattle:
(Thanks Dawson, Jenn, and Evi for having us)

The boys and their Uncle watched the Yankees beat the Mariners:Finally, we visited our College friends

who took us out on their fishing boat.