Oscar Stew

This is the last post from the vacation files. Promise! We will get back to posting about our regular old humdrum lives soon enough!

During our Tour De Utah, we stopped at the JJ&B Acres reunion site on Cedar Mountain. The fam gathers here every July for a good old fashioned family reunion.

Like all family reunions, this one involved many different kinds of torture. Like this…

And this… Yeah, we had it rough – I know!

At least we made the kids work for food. Cornhusk airplanes are fun, and good for the environment. Double points!

The main purpose of the trip was to insulate and sheet-rock this building that will become a Grand Hotel. Ryan didn’t enjoy it at all. Nope! Saws, drills, hammers and screws are just not his thing.

Rowan had it pretty easy. She took a sizzling hot bath in the boiler…don’t let that face fool you! She was one dirty little rugrat!

Brinley stayed pretty close to camp while Drew wandered to unbeknownst locations. The camera wasn’t brave enough to follow Drew, so Brinley bore the brunt of the mamarazzi.

The hardworking kids were rewarded with smores and the privilege of staying up WAY too late.

How do you say snarf in Utahnese? mmmmmm…

Are your humdrum campfire treats always the same? Feel like trying something exotic? Try roasted starbursts!

Two Sheldons bonded near the warm campfire. My Grandpa and my boy…awesome!

Then Great Grandpa busted out the big guns…Its no wonder he is a legend in so many ways!

Great Grandpa found some loose screws on Brinley’s ribs and gave them a good turn. Classic stuff, right here…

Elvis has left the campsite. And so has Brinley. Adios amigo!

Next morning Brinley was up and at it again. She collected a wildflower bouquet and hand delivered it to Great Grandma Laverna.

Great Grandma taught us the names of all the flowers. The pretty purple flowers are flax…who knew they grew in the wild?

Ro-dog enjoyed all the modern conveniences that we managed to cram into the van, high chair included. What’s for breakfast? Cheese, oranges…

Every year there are improvements and changes made to the reunion site. This year it involved moving a lot of dirt.

Or maybe it was moving a bunch of dirty cousins. Aaaaaa!

Looks like this load of cousins made it out OK. They may not all be from the same generation, but they’re all related…somehow.

Thank heavens for this sturdy little park. It entertained the littlest cousins from dawn till dusk!

We were pretty vigilant with the sunscreen, I didn’t realize until it was too late that bum-screen was also required. Bummer!

Drew became an expert tractor operator with Grandpa’s help.

You’d pull over for a looker like this one too, right?

Drew made sure to get in some quality four-wheeler time. Ryan took the paper strips from the sides of the drywall and made Drew the most awesome helmet-hawk ever!

And that’s all folks…

In July we went to Lake Powell with aunts, uncles and cousins from the Johnson family. Cram a bunch of Johnsons into a houseboat and you are guaranteed a good time! It’s a proven fact that has been tested, and tested again for the past 20 years.

Brinley showed up in true style, wearing a 100% wool hat in the 100+ degree heat. Skinned knees were also a fabulous fashion accesory.

This fair-skinned beauty is ready too, but he can give me back my hat anytime now. Now!

This is the lap of luxury right here. Animal House parked on the most beautiful beach made up of sand and rocks. The perfect Lake Powell combination!

We parked at Padre Bay, which is a stones throw from Cookie Jar, a childhood favorite.

First things first! The kids hit the beach and showed it who was boss.

Brinley sprinkled her special Fancy Nancy dust. It’s a little girls’ way of marking her territory.

Poor unsuspecting Rowan got buried and then turned into a mermaid.

We eventually convinced the kids to get on the Water Zucchini. Some call it a Banana, some call it the Water Weenie…my kids call it the Water Zucchini. A little confused are they?

We started off with a chaperoned ride, floating along low and slow, admiring the diamonds in the water…

After Brittany and Addison jumped off the older kids decided it was time for a real ride! faster, Faster, FASTER!!

Woohoo! A big scary wave!

At snack time Brinley opted for some salty, yet satisfying goldfish. Drew went straight for the sugar and made sure to thoroughly coat each and every tooth in the colorful substance.

One evening Grandma took a few of the kids hiking up the rocks near our beach.

Fresh faced Rowan after getting a full nights sleep and a healthy breakfast of Froot Loops. Do you see why the houseboat is called animal house? RAWR! This little munchkin cut her first tooth on the boat without so much as a wimper!

Ryan and Brinley went out for a morning constitutional on the wave runner. Gotta start the day out right!

Drew was brave and climbed aboard the tube with his old man.

Daddy couldn’t hack it. Drew was more than thrilled to have been the only survivor on the tube. Muwahahaha…our evil plot worked! Confidence in himself – check, check and check!!

Ryan decided to try his hand at the wakeboard again this year, with much better results. Thanks go to Uncle Gale, teacher extrordinaire. He crossed the wake and then went in for a flip…

Errr, nope! He claims he was advertising for Liquid Force. Maybe next year, Ryan.     

Brinley was eventually persuaded to hop on the tube with Brittany and Addison. It was more fun to touch the water than anything else!

Who says our favorite snacks can’t accompany us to the lake! Cups of dirt for all!

One day we left Rowan with Grandma and headed up to the lake to see the sights, mainly Rainbow Bridge. It’s a 2 hour boat ride one way, and not much fun for tiny babies with HUGE cheek-pinching life jackets!

She’s a beauty, huh!?

We also zoomed up Cathedral Canyon until we couldn’t squeeze the boat any further between the rocks.

It’s tradition that we swim at the end of the canyon where the water is a deeeeeeeeeeep green color. At this point, Brinley was still having a hard time trusting her life jacket.

It’s also tradition that we stop by Dangling Rope, aka “Ice-Cream Canyon” for some soft serve. Soft serve ice-cream has never tasted so good!

Many much card games were played here… Phase 10 anyone?

Poor Rowan had a hard time grasping the concept of a glass table. No matter how hard she tried, she never did get her grubs on an M&M.

As soon as the sun went down over the rocks we played endlessly on the beach. No sunscreen – yeah!

Keeping this one contained proved to be difficult at times. Rubbermaid tote to the rescue! We found these rogue water balloons floating in the lake. Then Rowan started it! How does she know?!

On the beach Rowan kicked it into 4-wheel drive and was all over the place!

She tried eating sand a few times but after getting her mouth swept out, she decided it wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Lesson learned!

The big kids started building a private lake, but once the little “helpers” got involved it was all over. If you look closely Brinley is shoveling sand off of the dam, and Drew is taking the water out of the lake and dumping it on the beach. It’s the thought that counts, right?

It’s all about a girl and her purple bucket.

Erosion man doing his part.

I hear ya Ro, I don’t ever want to leave either.

We did showers Lake Powell style. Lather up, get your mohawk on (a very important step…) and then – JUMP!

Halfway into the trip Brinley finally learned that her life jacket was her friend! Float Binnie, float!! Oh the freedom!

Rowan never got a chance to be towed by the boat. Aunt Jenna took pity and towed Rowan around the lake.

Uh-oh!! A little Rowie butt crack never hurt anyone! Please, no pinching!

We played. We worked. We got soaked. This three part adventure was filled with all kinds of fun, sweat, and maybe a few tears. Now that it’s over we can’t wait to go back for more! And so the story goes…

We started our road trip to St. George bright and early. Per the ceiling mounted map of felt, we made a beverage stop in Green River. Yellow River may be a more appropriate name after we left town…it was the first potty stop we had made in quite a while. I’m just sayin’…

At approximately mile 610 of the 650 mile journey we experienced a blowout. And we thought disposable diapers would make the trip a little easier…this folks, never happens in cloth! Never!

Rowan and Grandpa had a good laugh about it when we got there. Look out Grandpa! That little crook is trying to steal your watch from right under your nose!

First things first. I needed to finish my quilt.  Kelsey told me about this guy she knows who does a fantastic job finishing quilts. He’s a little goofy looking, but he has a nice smile and strong arms. Meet Steve:

Drew & Brinley vowed to stay in their swimsuits for the entire trip. Their first aqueous adventure was to explore the water park. Drew can ski barefoot with no boat!

Fancy Nancy found her water boa, and fine-tuned her olympic skills at the water luge.

Rowan will be the the cover girl on the Baby Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue next month. Cottage cheese never looked so good!

All the women folk went for pedi’s and Cafe Rio. Ooolala and mmmm in the same sentence!!

How many cousins does it take to scrub down Grandma’s new dog? Drew,  Brinley, Sam & Emma gave Merlin a hefty scrubbing.

Not a tail was left unturned. This doggy is clean!

OK, well Mission: Human Prunes seems to have come to an abrupt end. Sleep is a necessary element of vacation. Separation from children isn’t bad for parents either. Drew & Brinley were singing a musical about how their “Night at Grandma’s” would be an unforgettable experience. Ro-dog seems to have forgotten her lines…It’s OK Rowie, there will be more swimming tomorrow!

One of my favorite parts about visiting my hometown is catching up with old friends! Thanks for the fun afternoon Maegan, I wish we lived closer!

 

Ro-doggy? Naw, it’s Ro-fishy!

Hey Rowan, what does that hot tub sound like?

We had many family swim nights! It doesn’t get any better than this when the temps soar to 118.

Grimy Grandpa freshened up a bit, or maybe that’s Gator Grandpa?!

Swimming and hot tubbing just aren’t enough. Water fights must be involved!

It’s past sunset and we’re still swimming! A big thanks to Jeremy& Sharla for letting us stay in this fabulous house. Look at that view!