Laura's Adventures In Powell-Land

   Last week we went on vacation.  Lyle's family had planned to go to Lake Powell for a week.  Lyle's sister Jenette and her husband Gary had a time share on a boat so they invited the family to spend the week with them.  I'd never been to Lake Powell and I'd never been on a houseboat.  I was excited for some new experiences.  And boy...did I have them (some of them were a bit more than I bargained for)!
     Sunday morning, bright and early we packed up the car and headed over to pick up Lyle's father, Ralph, who drove down with us.  We got to Bullfrog Marina about 1:30pm in the afternoon.  The houseboat wasn't quite ready for us yet (the people who had it the last week were still finishing up cleaning and fueling and such) so we parked and got out at the beach to get in the water a bit.  Gary took the ski boat, Willard, and launched it into the lake.  He and Jenette set off across the bay to pick up Lyle's sister Brooke and her family, who were on the other side, with a promise to return shortly.  We played in the water and talked.  We were joined by Lyle's sister Colette and Jenette's kids, Juli and Greg.  Time flew by and we started wondering when Jen and Gary were coming back.  We soon received a text which was a concern: on the way across the bay Willard's engine started taking in water.  A hose had broken and they were now on the other side of the bay trying to get the boat fixed.  We continued our leisure activities but soon were tired of sitting around (some of the time in a sand storm...don't ask how many knots my hair was in that night!).  We received updates every hour or two but the afternoon ran on and evening approached.  We finally went out to get something to eat.  By the time they were back and we were boarded on the houseboat- with Willard still not fixed, but able to function...very slowly- it was 7 hours that we'd been waiting on that beach.  Needless to say, it was a hard and tiring day for all involved.  We really only had time to get settled and go to bed that night.

Annie and Lyle playing in the lake

     The temperatures were warm enough the whole time that sleeping in the houseboat was really a bit stifling, so many of us slept on the top deck on thick mats and we were able to enjoy the night breeze and on some nights dozens of beautiful stars...many more than can be seen in the city.
     Monday morning dawned and some of the men left in Willard to try a different shop to see if they could get the right part for the fix it needed.  They found a hose that, though it wasn't the right size, could be stretched and did in fact hold for the rest of the trip without breaking down again.  The rest of us enjoyed the day on the houseboat, Diamond Sunrise, in the marina.  We swam in the lake and had fun on the slide which went from the top deck, down and into the water, or jumping off the top of the deck.  Some of the children had a fantastic time and were much less hesitant to be daring than some of us adults.

The Diamond Sunrise

     Tuesday we left the marina with Diamond Sunrise and Willard and journeyed down the lake to camp on a beach in an area called the Rincon.  That day was spent mostly exploring and swimming and relaxing.  Annie and her cousin started work on a sandcastle.  It took them a couple of days, but they ended up adding a courtyard, guard towers a moat and (my favorite part) man eating alligators swimming in the moat!  They also named it: Equestria.
     Our running joke for the week came from one of the rules of the boat: Irritability is the first sign of heat exhaustion- cranky people get thrown in the lake.  The adults had fun threatening the kids anytime they gave an answer that wasn't completely cheerful.  Wait...I just realized that this was the first time I've spent a week constantly in a bathing suit and dripping wet...hmmm.  No, I didn't get thrown in the lake; I threw myself in...alot.  Me cranky?  NEVER!
    Wednesday was a busy day.  We all piled onto Willard that morning and set off to see some of the sights.  We stopped at the restored ruins, but were unable to hike to them since they were roped off and closed.  So we went to Fifty Mile Canyon.  The water level at the lake this year is really low.  They're draining some of the lake to supply Lake Meade with more water.  So some of the areas we weren't able to get to because of the water level.  We went as far as we could go and set off to hike farther up the canyon.  It was very beautiful.  There were green plants growing in profusion everywhere and the colors of the canyon and the shapes of the rock are so amazing to see.  Afterward we went to a close by alcove, with very shallow water, and ate
 lunch in the boat and jumped in the lake to swim a bit to cool ourselves down.  Then we went to see the Cathedral in the Desert.  Once again, the water was so low we couldn't directly get there.  We found a small opening with water coursing down it and were able to shimmy up the rocks carefully and with help from others to see the Cathedral which is a part of the canyon almost bowl shaped so you're almost always in the shade.  We looked around up there and turned around, but in order to get down to the boat, we had to jump down into the water from rocks a bit higher than some of us would like, since we couldn't go down the way we came up.  It was fun challenging each other to jump in.

Annie and Alexis's sandcastle kingdom

     Thursday we got up early and once again piled into the boat and went exploring.  First we went to Rainbow Bridge which was down the lake quite a ways.  We docked the boat and did the 1 1/4 mile hike to it in very hot sun (this is the day I got a bit sunburned).  It was worth the hike.  It's a beautiful sight!  We had lunch again in the boat and we came back up the lake making 2 more stops.  The first was at Dangling Rope, it's a dock, fueling station and store in the middle of the lake and only accessible by water.  They served soft serve ice cream there...a welcome treat for a hot day!

     Then we continued up the lake and stopped at the Hole in the Rock.  This place has an interesting story.  Long ago when Brigham Young was president of the church, he sent saints to settle in the northern part of Arizona.  In order to get there they had to cross this great canyon in their way.  There was no easy way to cross it.  They ended up crossing it at Hole in the Rock.  They took all of their wagons and horses and supplies as well as all of the people down this canyon at this point.  I have no idea how they did it.  We hiked up it and I barely got myself up it, not to mention back down again.  I felt pretty proud not to have slipped more than a few times and to have been able to do what seems to me to be a bit of mountain climbing to get to it...and the funny thing is, going down was just as hard as going up.  It was scary sometimes to climb down some of those rocks trying to find hand or footholds that you can't see.  It struck me at the time that it's a bit like life.  Not only are the uphill climbs sometimes, but downhill isn't always easy either.  Even when things are going as we wish in our lives, they don't necessarily happen the way or the time that we want them to and it can sometimes feel even then that there are obstacles to overcome.  This was the hike that made my 'jelly legs' at the end of the day so prominent.

Rainbow Bridge

     Many nights, before bed some of the adults would jump in the water to cool off after the kids had been put down.  This night most of us were girls and for some reason we were quite giggly that night.  I wondered if Lyle and Brooke's husband Jim who were swimming with us just wondered what makes girls laugh so much.

View from the top of Hole in the Rock

     Thursday night I had a fun experience which for me was strangely enjoyable.  I like to think of it as the Great Snore-along.  Many of us were sleeping on the top deck that night and I think most people were tired from the day.  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I had a bout of insomnia that night.  Fairly soon after we settled down for the night Lyle's dad started snoring.  Lyle then informed me that he might be doing that as well since his sinuses were stuffed up that day (by the way, thanks for giving me your cold, honey, I love it when you share!) which is just what ended up happening.  So I had Ralph snoring above my head and Lyle snoring by my side.  I started thinking: 'all I need now is someone else snoring as well'.  Be careful what you wish for, Laura.  I started hearing what was later confirmed to be the very soft snoring of Lyle's sister who was sleeping below my feet.  I was surrounded on all sides by snoring family.  It was really getting to be quite funny.  But what I didn't plan on was Annie...who started talking loudly in her sleep.  At this point I busted up and had to hold my hand over my face while I was shaking with laughter so I wouldn't wake them all up.  At one point, Annie talked so loud that Lyle woke up and looked around saying, 'Who said that?'  I broke down and laughing through the entire explanation told him of the fun familial vocal celebration I had been a witness to.  It may sound strange but when I lay back down, a wave of love came over me for my husband and his wonderful family.  They have truly accepted me and I am so thankful for them in my life!  And what fun to hear them in all their sensational nocturnal serenade!

Climbing up Hole in the Rock
Yes, I'm at the back of the line
wondering, 'What did I get myself into?'

     Friday we were tuckered out from the last couple of eventful days, so Lyle and I read our books and took naps, did some swimming when we got hot and hung out around the houseboat most of the day.  Annie went out with some of the family to do waterskiing in the morning, which she had never done.  Gary was impressed: she almost got up on the water.  I'm sure I would have done much worse on my first time (I've never been either).  I did go out on Willard that afternoon to join in the fun of tubing behind the boat.  We made a campfire that evening and roasted marshmallows for some modified s'mores: marshmallows with fudge stripes cookies.  That night we had a spectacular wind storm.  The winds were so strong, we were afraid that the anchor ropes would snap and we would find ourselves in trouble.  Thankfully they held.  I lay there thinking about how Jesus had calmed the seas and winds with a few simple words and marveled at the power of God.
     The next morning we started at 6am to take the Diamond Sunrise back to the marina.  One of the engines had already not been working and as we were on our way up the lake the second engine started taking in water and we ended up bailing out a little bit of water and in the end, without any working engines.  It was a bit scary to tell the truth.  At first we couldn't reach the marina to radio for help.  Thankfully Willard was still working so we tried towing the houseboat behind it.  I sat there and worried what to do to help.  It occurred to me that the best thing I could do to help would be to pray.  I went down on our room and knelt down by the bed.  I sat there not really saying anything at first.  But I immediately felt the Spirit and I knew that Heavenly Father knew about our situation.  I knew he loved us.  And I knew that he was the master over the skies and the oceans and everything that he made and I knew that he could help us.  So I simply asked for help and gave thanks for the blessings of safety and enjoyment we had so far been blessed to have on this trip.  As I was praying I heard Gary finally get in contact with the people we needed and they sent out a boat to tow us back to the marina (at quite an expensive rate, but what can you do?).    
     I'm thankful for my adventures at Lake Powell and for the opportunity to get to know some of Lyle's family more and to enjoy being together as a family.  We may have had bumps along the way this trip, but I have to say I wouldn't change it.

Annie the Trekkie

TREK

BY:ANNIE 

        Day 1: First thing we did was unload the buses.  Then we had a prayer and took off.  About half way there it started to drizzle, then it started to poor, and that's when I made my first friends Eduardo and Savannah.  Over the next 24 hours we became extremely good friends.  We all woke up at the same time the very next morning.  

        Day 2: We all woke up and sat by a pond that was by the camp.  We talked and talked and talked until more people woke up.  Then Eduardo went to hang out with some of his other friends while me and Savannah talked to her friend, Jody later that day.  He introduced us to Dixie we all talked and talked and talked.   Eventually Eduardo came back and Jody left with Dixie.  At about noon we started walking, we walked 4 miles and we were  at our next campsite.  the whole big group got together and just started talking we were so bored we made up a nickname for Eduardo, his nickname was: Pablo and that was his nickname for the rest of the trip.      

        Day 3: We woke up and started early within half an hour it was the women's pull it was the most spiritual thing I have ever experienced.  Even the guys had a hard time.  After that everyone was emotional and half of us were crying, especially me.   We had a little family home evening and started up  again.  Savannah got picked up for heat exhaustion and I got picked up for a bloody nose.  I walked but Savannah just couldn't handle it.  

        Day 4: We got up early ate and headed out, we hiked 4 miles and we eventually saw the buses we all cheered and headed home.  

THE END!!!!!!!!  

         

Mom Moments

Inside the storage container

That's us.  Go team!  We rock.
Even Lyle on the end picking his nose.
He's so cute.

     Today Lyle, Annie and I went to my mom's house.  She's starting a remodel Today was the big day to move all of the furniture and everything else out of one floor of the house so we can start the destruction.  My bros were there today too along with Josh and Nate, two of Reed's kids.  We moved mattresses and boxes (some filled with books and some filled with light stuff like baby blankets...yes, I carried those ones).  We moved the refrigerator and couches and bookcases and more.  Tons o' fun.  And Lyle was deliriously happy having so many people to tease and harass.
     I'm glad to be able to help my mom when she needs it.  She's been a terrific mother and I've learned a lot from her.  I've always wanted to be a mother like her.
     Lyle and I visited Taylor tonight.  It's good to see him doing well.  We brought him donuts and played a game with him.  Then we came home and something was waiting for us.  While we were gone, Annie had made this for us:

I love the little Superman and Wonder Woman on the bottom.

Looks exactly like Lyle!

     I cried.  Many times I don't feel like much of a mom to Annie and Taylor.  I
mean, they already have a mom who they live with and who they adore.  And sometimes I'm not sure just how much of an impact I really have in their life.  This was a mom moment for me.
    A few years ago I was in the bishop's office crying to him about my infertility challenge and we had a great conversation.  He told me I needed to look for mothering moments in my life: times when interaction with children led to a feeling of being a mother, even if I was not that child's mom.  He said that the Lord would give them to me to help me through the experience I was then having.  I have tried to look for them.  I haven't seen many of them, but maybe I haven't looked hard enough.  Every now and then one pops out at me and fills my heart.  Sometimes those moments have come with the stepkids.  Sometimes those moments have come at Primary.  And the bishop was right.  They help.  They remind me of what someday I may be able to truly feel for more than just one moment.  And they give me hope.

     On the way home I saw a rainbow.  I love rainbows.  Not only are they pretty, but they have meaning too.  In the Bible, a rainbow appeared in the sky as a sign from God.  After Heavenly Father had flooded the earth because of the wickedness of the unrepentant people and the land had dried again, He put a rainbow up in the sky and told Noah that it was a promise that He would never again flood the earth.  And so the rainbow became the symbol of hope.  Our hope of Heavenly Father's love and the knowledge that He is in control.
     I believe my life is no surprise to Him.  I'm exactly where He knew I always would be.  His plan for my life is daily unfolding.
     I'm so thankful for that reminder in the sky tonight and for the 'mom moments' I have experienced which fill me with hope and remind me that Heavenly Father is in control of my life also.

Now enjoy one of my favorite rainbow songs:

Don't you love stupid entertaining videos about guys who are high freaking out over a double rainbow...and the songs that are made with the intent to make fun of that guy?  Psst...this is a video appreciated by those who love stupid humor.

   

Up and Running

Josh, me, Landon, Kurt, Mom, Lyle, Reed and Zoe at Black Ridge Reservoir

     For the 4th of July, Lyle and I went to have a BBQ at Reed and Heather's house.  We had hamburgers, chips, salads, cherries, soda and cookies (which, believe it or not, we were too full to eat). We sent Josh to the store since we were lacking or low on a few things.  It's kind of weird to have a teenage nephew who can drive.  Anyway, poor guy, we kept thinking of more things to have him get and consequently kept calling him so it took longer for him to get back.  In fact, by the time he returned, we had finished eating and were full.  That's life!  My mom and Paul and Kurt all came as well.  Zoe the Golden Doodle (Reed's dog) had quite a fun time barking furiously at Kurt when he first came in.  We never could figure out exactly why (other than the fact that she has a thing about some men).  But as she started barking at Paul later on as well, I think it made Kurt feel better.
     We decided to hike (more of a walk) to Black Ridge Reservoir near their home.  They've jazzed it up since the last time I've been there.  They made a beach and had some grassy areas and pavilions, a snack shack and a boat ramp and there were lots of swimmers in the water.
     After we came back, Heather finally came down.  She's 2 weeks away from delivery and her pregnancy has been a terrible one.  She's had constant nerve pain her entire pregnancy and can only be out of bed for minutes at a time.  We sat and chatted with everyone for a little while.
     I was a sad on the way home and I realized I was thinking, 'Heather is in horrible pain and yet, I'd still trade places with her in a second.'  That was a saddening thought...and it's breakdown time again!
     I've been rethinking my motherhood status lately.  That probably sounds stupid since it's something I think about more or less constantly.  I reread some of my notes from the last Time Out for Women and was affected by some things that Laurel Christensen said.  She talked about the times in life when everything is going as planned and then something trips you up.  The following video was shown:

     Her question followed: 'What if this girl had assumed the race was over when she fell?  Discouraged, tired, convinced there was no way this was going to turn around?  She's done and she sits there and watches all the other women lap past her?  Not an option.  It was too important to her to keep running.'  Since I feel many women lap past me constantly while I sit on the sidelines and watch, this goes to the heart.
     Here's the part that really hit me.  She said, 'Don't play God with your life.  Don't make judgments on His behalf.  Don't decide for yourself that you misheard His promise.  Trust Him enough to get up and run.  Trust Him enough to know that He will be there for you.'
     It occurred to me that I've done exactly that.  I've assumed that because I haven't been able to have children that meant Heavenly Father didn't want me to be a mother.  That's an extremely painful thought if you think about it.  I've convinced myself that I had misunderstood the impressions I've had about what He wants for me.  So I decided to ask Heavenly Father: do you want me to be a mother?  Is motherhood part of the plan for my life?  And for the first time I felt a feeling that's...well, difficult to describe.  It was of assurance that yes, this is something He wants for me.  However it also is a realization that the plan of motherhood I had for my life is not how it's turning out.  That is the frustrating part...the not knowing when or how this will happen.  But honestly, it doesn't really matter if I know the plan or not, because He does and He has much more control over it than I do...which is a good thing.

Me weeding the garden in preparation
for our home visit this week.
I thought I should take a picture of this moment
since this may never happen again!

     Lyle and I have decided to look into another avenue for parenthood.  We haven't yet been able to find a baby to adopt and I've always thought about adopting older children as a possibility.  So while we wait for the baby we still hope is coming, this week we have a home visit with the Foster Care foundation to talk about the possibility of adopting an older child.  It's really just a preliminary interview to find out information, but I know there are other children out there who are in need of loving parents.  And I feel I have so much to give.  If this is the right path, then Heavenly Father will help us along it.
     And I'm back up and running...hopefully I can find it in me to trust that the Lord will give me the strength I need to finish the race.
     Hebrews 12:1- "...Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."