In the middle of May we went to Lake Powell with all of my siblings. This trip was complicated. It was a trip in memorial for my mom. My mom always loved Lake Powell, and facilitated trips down there. It was a very special place to her, especially Bowns Canyon. Because of these big memories and feelings about my mom and Lake Powell, this trip was hard and important for me and my siblings. To be honest my siblings felt more deeply about this than I did. I loved going to Lake Powell with my mom, but she and I connected in many other ways than Lake Powell. I miss her the most in my yard and garden, planning trips, talking about yummy food, thinking how happy she would have been when my kiddos did such and such thing. Those all make me ache. Kayla and Marc both felt that this trip was important, but unfortunately had different feelings about timing. Marc wanted to make this trip happen last fall. Kayla was not ready last fall or earlier this Spring. We finally settled on mid-May, which is only problematic because it is a traditionally sketchy time weather wise to go to Lake Powell.
We drove down on Friday and stayed at Defiant House in order to pick up the houseboat on Saturday morning. The drive was no big deal with our kiddos. They are getting older and everyone is getting more satisfied with audiobooks. Picking up the houseboat was interesting. I have never really been in charge of it before. I had to sign a lot of papers, but the most serious of which was that I took the responsibility on myself that I would make sure that everyone in my party returned home safely. I opted to get the additional insurance, which was for peace of mind. I am glad we had it when we ran into a windstorm on Monday.
After we picked up the houseboat. everyone dropped off their stuff, and we headed down the lake. John drove the houseboat a lot which was trickier than you would have thought. We wanted to camp down river so that we could all go to Bowns Canyon together in just the two boats. We towed the Glastron, and Kayla and Cortney drove their boat. Unfortunately when we got down to the area, Kayla's boat started having trouble with starting. So the Glastron was sent to recover them. We were stuck with the houseboat that couldn't maneuver very well in the small canyons. We ended up finding a place in Iceberg canyon to camp which was lovely. Our girls were the only ones that ended up in a tent on the shore. Everyone else stayed on the houseboat. All of their cots lined up in a row barely fit, but they did fit! Kayla rigged up a warm shower on the back of the boat--super spoiled us!
The next day we headed to Bowns Canyon. It was lovely to be out on the water again. It felt very strange to be there without my mom and grandparents. I remember how along exactly that stretch of lake, I looked over and memorized my grandparents' faces. I knew that wouldn't have many more times of seeing them at them at that location. I never thought that I should have been memorizing my mom's face at that time too. It's not fair how quickly she died after her parents.
When I was a kid, the water level was my higher so getting to Bowns canyon wasn't a big deal. Nowadays we had to hike up a large, rocky ascent to get to the top of the bluff and then hike over and down into Bowns Canyon to get to the baptism and confirmation pools. Honestly getting down into the other canyon and back up again felt like the most treacherous part, but the whole thing was an effort.
Resting in the shade after making it to the top.
We used to waterslide down that slope, clear up there!
Not a bad view if you can make the punishing hike.
We made it to the baptism pool! Everyone waded in to cool off after the hot hike. All four of us were baptized here except Marc who they couldn't bring because of boat trouble.
David slipped and fell off the edge just like Dad did! It is slippery!
We then walked over to the confirmation pool where we had a little service about mom. I couldn't believe how close those pools were together. They seemed my further in my memory.
My siblings and I each said some words about my mom. I spoke of her hard working nature, her endurance of pain, her willingness to be uncomfortable and inconvenienced to be a part of our lives. I miss her. Patti brought letters that their family had written to burn. She read a little excerpt from Jane's. It was so touching. Kayla addressed her words to Mom and apologized that we didn't get her cremated and spread her ashes here like she wished to. She brought a pair of mom's sunglasses and one of her bandanas to bury there. Kayla also brought a pair of her own sunglasses so she wouldn't be alone. It was pretty touching with a lot of feelings.
It is an interesting thing to have these shared feelings with my siblings, but also feel so alone in my grief. I had a moment on Mother's day when I was out in my garden when I spoke to her. I don't know if she could hear me, but I told her things anyway. My mom is a big deal in my life and her loss touches a lot of aspects of it.
Standing where we have a painting of us standing when we were confirmed.
The little boys made a cairn in the middle of the pool for her.
So much beautiful life in the desert.
This is where the glasses are buried. Patti brought the little bottles so we could take some sand home.
It doesn't look as far as it was to hike up there.
Unfortunately Kayla's boat had trouble when it was time to leave the canyon. The glastron took a trip back with the first group of people, but then it randomly started. They decided to make a port-a-potty stop and we ended up chasing Marc. It was a little bit ridiculous, but all ended okay.
There is nothing like the night's sky at Lake Powell.
The next day there was high wind forecasted so we stayed at camp. The kids played on the rubber docky and the paddle boards. John and I went on a little hike with Darcy. David and Patti made a nice breakfast, and we made a nice dinner. John and Marc anchored the houseboat with a second anchor, thank goodness. We took down our tent and planned on having our kids sleep inside the houseboat. These were all good preparations because the wind really picked up that evening. The back of boat was well anchored but the wind carried the front of the boat 20 feet along the shore until it hit some rocks! Thank goodness for that insurance in that moment! We were trying to deal with that crisis when Cortney yelled for help from the back. The rail on his boat had bent badly and the boat was only being anchored by one rope. The paddleboards were going crazy, and their was the rubber docky flying about. It was a chaotic time to say the least. Everything worked out okay. We waited until there was a break in the wind and got the houseboat resituated on the sand. We got the paddle boards deflated and the rubber docky rolled up and secured. I feel bad about the damage to Kayla's boat. I am glad we had everything else secured well enough. Those gusts of wind going through the canyons are no joke. It was funny that all of the kids were pretty oblivious to everything because they were watching a lego batman movie.
On our hike we made it up to the high water mark. It was a nice, shady snack spot. On the way back we rolled some big rocks over various edges. It was a good time.
Playing with the cousins in the sand was good time!
Holland turned 8!!! What a delight that girl is! She is kind, fun, smart, creative, strong, loving, generous, patient, and more. She is such a sweetheart! This year she really turned a corner on being able to do things that she doesn't want to do, and it has really made a difference for the whole family. She is tough and cuddly. She is playful and thoughtful. She is amazing!
Here is an interview with Holland. I couldn't help myself and made it kind of long.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a stay at home mom or a scientist.
If you could be a superhero, what would your magic power be? It would be the power of animus. (It means that I could have any power in the world except it would mean I would feel more entitled to use my power for evil things, but I would cast a spell to prevent that.)
What is something that scares you? To be honest, something that comes around is, it is kind of a silly fear, but I am scared of dragonflies. They are just so big!
Do you have a favorite joke? I like the interrupting cow one.
What is something you wish you knew how to do? To be honest, I would like to be able to do a front flip and a back flip.
If you had a time machine, where would you go? I'd start over my life.
What makes you laugh the most? When someone tickles me, which I don't really like. And when someone says something funny.
Who is your favorite Disney character? Elsa.
What does your dream house look like? A castle with a huge cave on one side with the prettiest garden and multiple levels. It has secret passages and secret rooms. It has marble walls. Waterslides coming from a balcony into a 50 feet wide pool.
What is your perfect day? Christmas and everyone in our family's birthdays, plus Easter.
If you could be an animal, which animal would you be? A clever squirrel
What is your favorite thing about yourself? Imagination, love, and creativity.
If a friend asked you to keep a secret, but it made you feel upset, what would you do? Calm myself down.
Would you rather go to the beach or the mountains? Beach
What is your favorite outfit and why? My grey shirt with the gold sparkles and my black pants with the white specks, and my yellow shirt with the flowers by the pocket with my pink pants. I like how the gold specks look like stars. And the yellow shirt with the pink pants, well they just look pretty together.
Do you have a favorite song? I am so Blessed
If you could grow wings and fly, where would you go? I would fly to get everyone first, then fly to the biggest island of Hawaii.
Which pizza topping is best? Sausage
Do you have any hidden talents? I have the talent of doing tricks on the hammock chair.
Would you rather go to the bottom of the ocean or outer space? Outer space
If you could be any toy, which one would you be? A picture because pictures remind people about what happened before now.
What is a job that you would never want to have? A servant in a house with no other servants.
Which season is your favorite and why? Spring and Summer, because Spring with all the flowers. And Summer all the time with my family.
If you could learn any language, which language would it be? Spanish
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
How would you describe yourself? Impossible to describe
What is one thing that makes you unique? Almost everyone in my class loves typing, and I don't like it.
If you were given $50, how would you spend it? 1. On a couple of books. 2. On a small lego set.
What are you thankful for? Everything
Do you have a favorite chore? Dusting because it gets done quicker.
What is your favorite candy? White chocolate and jolly ranchers
Do you have a hero? Mommy and Daddy and Heavenly Father and Jesus
What is your favorite thing to do when it's raining? Most of the time, I like to sit inside and peacefully read and listen to the rain.
Who is someone you wish you could meet? President Nelson and President Biden
If you could be on a TV show, what show would it be? I would be on Liv and Maddy.
What is the best smell? The smell of flowers and the smell of Daddy's chili (from last year's chili cook off).
What is your favorite vegetable? Cucumbers and tomatoes
Would you rather be as small as an ant or as big as an elephant? Small as an ant because I could sneak into places.
Do you have a favorite dinner? Raviolis and Daddy's chili from last year.
What is something you are good at? Ice skating
If you could invent something, what would it be? The ability to teleport.
What qualities do you look for in friends? For one thing, non-ditching. One time I was playing this game and I did not know what was happening. And this girl, her name is Clara, she totally ditched me right then and there. So the qualities I want are loyalty, bravery, ambitious, kind, fun and funny.
If you could buy anything, what would it be? A pair of ice skates.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Daddy's chili competition and raviolis
If you were the president, what rules would you put into place? No drinking coffee, tea, alcohol.
What song do you know all the words to? Give said the Little Stream.
Which teacher has been your favorite and why? Mrs. Clifford, because she is a unique kind of nice. Well, one thing is that I think she is always there to help and honest.
What is the best advice you've ever gotten? To be myself
Do you prefer shorts or pants? Shorts if they are not jean shorts
What is your favorite fruit? Mango
Do you have a favorite drink? Egg nog
What is your favorite movie? Frozen 2
Who is your favorite family member? Everyone
If you could go to a theme park by yourself, what is the first thing you would do? I would go on the ride into the hotel.
Would you live on the moon? No because there no way I would be able to get myself food.
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Lay in bed.
Can you play any instruments? I am learning the violin at school.
Does anything scare you about the future? One thing that scares me about the future is the end of college.
Do you have a favorite family game? Bohnanza
What is one way you help your parents? I play with Darcy.
What is something you like to do when you're bored? Read or play legos.
Do you have a favorite book? That is beyond possible because I have too many of those.
What is your favorite part about school? Read a loud.
What is your least favorite part about school? 95%
What is something your mom or dad always says to you? I love you and Get on your work.
What is love? A serious relationship.
What is your favorite part of the day? Afternoon
If stuffed animals could talk, what would they say? Hello, time to play with me!
The day after her baptism she wore her baptism dress to church and asked Steven Charles, "Would you like a twirl?" She is adorable!
Holland says the funniest things. Recently she told me, "Darcy is not at the age to start worrying about economicking."
Another time she told us, "They might be talking about how much they want to kiss." (About a couple having a serious looking discussion in a nearby car.)
One of the books or shows she liked must have introduced this to her, but for a while we heard Holland tell herself, "I am in my signature black outfit."
"It is almost sun dip." (sunset)
"I do weird things, like this thing I am doing right now.
"Thanks I know I have pointy eyes. (After John told her she had sharp eyes.)
"It was my dream." (About swimming with dolphins.)
"If I die when I am still a child I want you to keep my skull, no all of my body bones. Yeah! I am liking this!"
"Baby Jesus is in my heart."
"I want milk to cheer me down."
Holland's birthday and baptism was a three event celebration. Her birthday was a Saturday and happened to fall on the MCO concert. She didn't really get to celebrate her birthday that day, but we still tried to make her feel special. We had a fun breakfast. After we dropped off the girls for the MCO concert call time, we explored City Creek shopping center. We told her she could pick out any small thing or treat. She picked to get pizza, and then a small birthday stone necklace in the shape of a flower. The day concluded with a wonderful concert. We all loved it!
The next weekend we actually celebrated her birthday. Her friend Sophie had a sleepover. We started the day with waffles. Then they just played all morning. It was fun to have an extra person there to enjoy all of the decorations. We took a picnic to Discovery Park and had the kids play on that extra fun play structure. Then we dropped Sophie off at her basketball game and went to the Clark Planetarium. The Clark Planetarium is so nice because it is free, but there are actually fun things to do see there. We all loved it. On our way home we had a scary moment when we saw someone spin all over the freeway, but somehow no one and nothing was hit. We couldn't believe it, and it definitely got all of our hearts pumping. Thankfully we got home safely and enjoyed raviolis for dinner (love it when the kids choose something easy for birthday dinners!). Then it was time for presents! (She got so many books!) We finished out the night with strawberry napoleons for her birthday treat. (We're just not birthday cake people.)
At Holland's 8 year check up, she weighed 42.33 pounds, which is the 2.32%. She was 47 inches tall, which is the 7%. This meant that her BMI was 13.47, which is the 4.4%
This is her actual birthday dress, but I took her photos in her baptism dress.
I am a little frustrated that I didn't take more photos of her actual baptism. She is such a little angel. My heart melted seeing her in my baptism dress. She looked so tiny in the font, but so perfectly childlike. Her confirmation was beautiful, and I felt the love of God. All four girls sang "I like to Look for Rainbows, " and I loved it so much!
We did a lunch out on our patio, and thankfully people brought pop up shades. This made it quite nice. It kind of kills me that we did a huge family gathering out on the patio during the summer that we did our patio project, but before we actually did it. It was a bit of an eye sore, but was still fine. We served lunch meat sandwiches and brownies with ice cream. People brought sides to share. I was so grateful to have so many people show up. Marc and Miriam came all the way down from Garland. They were one of the first people to tell us they would come. My parents made it too! My mom wasn't doing well and hadn't been able to get out of the house to go to things for a while. But they made it with time to spare. It kills me that I didn't get a photo with her in it. That was the last time she was at my house. Our friends the Davises came too. Holland and Sophie are best buds and ditched the rest of the gathering to eat on the front porch. Kayla's family came, and so did everyone that lives in Utah on John's side. That was so kind of everyone to take time out of their Saturday to come celebrate with us.
I made a little baptism book for Holland to remember that day. It is kind of my favorite. She wrote a few pages about her experience that day. Also, we kept the little notes people wrote her during her baptism.
Holland is such a special girl, and I am so proud of her for making this critical first step along the covenant path.
The next day there was high wind forecasted so we stayed at camp. The kids played on the rubber docky and the paddle boards. John and I went on a little hike with Darcy. David and Patti made a nice breakfast, and we made a nice dinner. John and Marc anchored the houseboat with a second anchor, thank goodness. We took down our tent and planned on having our kids sleep inside the houseboat. These were all good preparations because the wind really picked up that evening. The back of boat was well anchored but the wind carried the front of the boat 20 feet along the shore until it hit some rocks! Thank goodness for that insurance in that moment! We were trying to deal with that crisis when Cortney yelled for help from the back. The rail on his boat had bent badly and the boat was only being anchored by one rope. The paddleboards were going crazy, and their was the rubber docky flying about. It was a chaotic time to say the least. Everything worked out okay. We waited until there was a break in the wind and got the houseboat resituated on the sand. We got the paddle boards deflated and the rubber docky rolled up and secured. I feel bad about the damage to Kayla's boat. I am glad we had everything else secured well enough. Those gusts of wind going through the canyons are no joke. It was funny that all of the kids were pretty oblivious to everything because they were watching a lego batman movie. 
