A Visit to Grandpa and Grandma Monson/Lagoon Trip

 Dean had a couple day's off around the 24th of July so we decided to head up to the Monson's side.  We arrived late afternoon on the 24th.  We visited with grandpa Monson while grandma ran errands, and then we all headed to Chuck-a-rama. We ended the night with visiting and playing with some cousins.  Friday morning we woke up to head to Lagoon.  We had surprised the kids on the way up with tickets…to say they were excited was an understatement.  We had such a great time together as a family.  While Dean headed to find us a place to put our things.  The kids and I headed to wicked, and colossal.  I scream like a little baby on wicked.  I loved it, but I did get a little motion sickness and had to set the next couple out.   We had a fun morning and hit up most of our favorite rides twice.  We then headed to the pavilion to eat lunch around 1:00, and then go swimming at Lagoona beach.  While Breck slept I stayed with him under the pavilion and the kids went with Dean to Lagoona Beach.  We all met up around 3:45 to hit up some more rides, and go to the new show they have at Lagoon.  We ended the night around 8:00.  We were so exhausted, but had a great time together as a family.  The kids are already talking about the next time we go back.

 The next day we headed out to do some back to school shopping.  We headed up to Farmington and found plenty of clothes there.  All we need now is shoes, we are still on the look out for shoes.  When we got home from shopping we took mom and dad out to eat, at one of our favorite restaurants El matador. It was really good and we were all stuffed.  We took a picture of our empty glass which held a lime slushy and no one with grandpa has ever been able to finish it so my kids of course had to rise to the occasion.  It took them and all of us awhile, but we did it.  They were pretty excited.  After dinner we came home and had a fashion show to show Grandpa and Grandma a few of our finds from the days shopping.  Preston couldn't just do the fashion show he had to make it into a entertainment show.  He had props, and all sorts of things…(he didn't want to have people just look at his clothes).  Then Grandpa showed us the famous family desk that was made by his father.  They kids thought it was amazing, hand carved and had so many secret compartments.  We ended the night playing a game grandpa taught us, and eating cotton candy Grandma made with her cotton candy machine. It was the Best night together. We woke up Sunday morning to head back home. We had to make a stop in Sunset and Visit Great Grandpa and Grandma Williamson.  It's so good to see them and for my kids to get to see there great Grandparents.  We stayed for an hour and let the kids play.  We then sent Preston off with Grandpa and Grandma Eves up to Bear Lake while the rest of us headed home.  It sure was a much  needed, and much loved vacation.  it was wonderful.

On a side note we learned how to keep Brecken happy for a little while in the car.  Suckers!!!

Fish Lake

Fish Lake 2014

The Weekend after we got back from Centerville and Bear Lake, We headed back up to Fish Lake as a family.  We knew we couldn't stay to long, but we wanted the kids to go and get some fishing in this summer.  We have not had the best of luck fishing with our family.  In fact no luck at all.  We left around 12 on Friday, and got up to Fish Lake around 3.  The kids headed start out to find penny rock.  This is a rock that has a hole in it and back when Dean was a child they found the rock that goes in that hole…so they started putting a little treasure of Pennies in the rock, and each year everyone looks for the rock to take and add pennies to it.  While we were getting our poles ready to go fishing, the kids explored around the cabin, and then mom and dad show up with the Hansen cousins.  So we help them unload;  then head out to see if we can catch us a fish or two.  We pulled up around 5, and went to Johnson's reservoir, because we heard from a reliable source that they were catching them like crazy up there a few weeks before. (Thanks Uncle Joe).  I threw in Shaylee's line to show her how to cast it and reel it in, because we were in a rocky area and we didn't want many snags.  So while I was showing her we caught our first fish.  I was talking to her and my pole started to jerk, so I handed it over to Shaylee to reel it in.  The kids were so excited.  First Fish EVER!!!
After that I think Addison caught one, and then the rest of the crew showed up.   Breck wasn't having too much fun…where we were at was really rocky a steep slope to get to the water, so he was getting mad that I had to keep holding him away from the water.  Shaylee caught another one, then Paige and Ammon got one.  Just as we were ending the night, Preston pulls out this little fish.  When I say little I mean I thought it was his bait little.  He was excited to just have caught something though.  We headed home with half the spinner's we started with and two broken poles, but fun was had and that's all that matters.   We stopped on the way to the cabin to get pictures at what Dean calls the Devils dance floor.  We got back to the cabin around 8 and ate a wonderful dinner that grandma made.  She treats us a little to good.  She goes above and beyond when she does anything.  She's the first to get up and the last to go to bed at night.  We sure do love our grandparents.  We decided that it would be best to keep Brecken home for our 5 o'clock fishing time the next morning.  So with that decision I stayed with the little guys while Dean took out the other kids plus cousin Ammon.  Around 9 they came in with there worn out bodies saying they caught nothing.  Dean said they lost the remaining spinners, and broke a pole again.  He was exhausted from fixing and untangling so many poles all morning.  I can only imagine after the night before.  We then ate an amazing breakfast and headed off down the mountain for a little hike.  We could have driven, but it was such a beautiful day we walked.  Breck and I got a late start then the  rest of them so we hiked by ourselves for most of the way.  Dean met us down at the bottom with the van, and things to get the boat ready to go out on the water.  We were leaving in a couple hours and didn't think we would have time to get the engine brought down and all ready so we rowed around for a bit in the lake since the kids had never been in the boat at fish lake.  We had fun looking over the boat for fish and saw quiet a few big ones.  Brecken loved the boat and water, and was sooo quiet the whole time.  It was then time for us to pack up and leave.  We wanted to let the kids have a chance at fishing and going to fish lake this summer.  It was way to fast, but worth every minute of it especially to see their smiles when they pulled out their first fish.

I had to get a picture of this girl casting her pole.  It sure looked interesting, like she was going to jump right off the rock, but it worked and went far.  Sure gave me a good laugh though.

Right at the end when everyone had left and we were packing up our little family I told Dean to take some time for himself and cast out a few times.  He was more then willing and so I caught him in his element.