July 30, 2017

We've had such a good day.  We slept in, got ready for church, and moseyed on up to the Kramer's church in Cedar Hills.  Jake gave a great farewell talk and the kids were really good besides Lance being SO crazy. :)

After church, we had hamburgers at Jill's house.  They combined with their next door neighbor who had a daughter just coming home from her mission.  Greg somehow got behind a grill and cooked for probably an hour in the hot sun.  It was super nice of him.  The food was good and everyone had a good time.

Elder Jake Kramer and Greg

Owen and Jake

My cute kids: Miles, Julia, and Emma
Austin, Owen
Lance

All of us with Jake.  Good Luck, Elder Kramer!!

Finally we all hugged Jake goodbye and wished him well and got on our way to St. George.  We are all getting SO sick of making this drive.  Lance fell asleep just as we got under way.  So I know I'm in for another late night.  :(  But when he woke up, he was pretty hard for the last hour and a half.  We were all so tired and stressed by the time we got home.  But we all pitched in and got things cleaned up and put away and then did a once over on the house because we knew that Cathy and Nate and Brad and Briar and Briar's little sister Amelia were headed our way to spend the night on their way to California.

I've got all the kids in bed.  Lance and I are sitting on my bed.  He's watching Cars.  It's 11:00 p.m. and our visitors just showed up.  But the house is clean and we are ready for bed.  I'm so glad that we got to go support the Kramer's, and especially Jake.  We are so proud of him.  I am super ready to just stay put for a while and live our regular life.  Emma and Julia were happy to get home and sleep in their own bed for only the second time in two and a half weeks.

We have been busy.  But we've been busy making memories and having fun.  And I wouldn't want it any other way.  (But I don't want to go on any more trips with Lance for a while! Ha ha!).

July 29, 2017

Today we made the drive back up to Provo.  And I'll admit, I'm tired.

We met at the Provo Train Station where Emma and Julia and Marshall arrived on the train from Hooper.  Laura met us there too so we could all pick up our kids and deliver Truman.  It was fun to see the girls and hear about all of their adventures.  They've had a good week away from home!

Truman and Miles have had loads of fun this week!

My stomach started acting up on the drive.  I was anxious to get to our hotel.  We checked into the Springhill Suites at Thanksgiving Point (our go-to hotel this past year or two! and we really like it!) and got settled.  The boys were so excited and hyper that they were bouncing off the walls!  After a while we made our way up to Jill's house to visit with everyone before heading out to dinner at Pizza Pie Cafe.

We all had lots of fun with the whole family and honoring Jake Kramer before he heads to Samara, Russia for his mission.  We love him and will miss him.  He has been so good to my kids.  My boys have especially loved him.

L to R: Owen, Julia, Luke Jacobsen, Austin (in the back), Grandpa Jake, Shannon, Amelia Morgan (Briar's little sister), Briar Jacobsen (Brad's wife)

Bryce Jacobsen, Macee Jacobsen, Emma, and Austin

Greg, Miles, Grandma Jake, Ben Kramer, DJ Jacobsen, Nate Jacobsen, Jake Kramer

Brad Jacobsen, Nate Kramer, Jill Kramer, Rindi (Austin is behind me), Suzette Jacobsen

Lance fell asleep at the restaurant.  It was nice to have a peaceful dinner but I knew it was going to make the night in the hotel really hard. After dinner, Lance and Owen and I went back to the hotel while the rest of the family went back to Jill's to visit and play.

Everyone went right to sleep at about 10:30, but I wrestled and fussed with Lance until after midnight.  I was SO tired.  He didn't have a binkie so he kept trying to bite me.  I just think he was really out of sorts.  I was so thankful when he finally closed his eyes and went to sleep!!

July 28, 2017

Friday.  My day started at 4:00 a.m.  And it ended after midnight.  I went with my friends to run part of the marathon course.  We were aiming for eleven miles.  I was so nervous because I have kind of been out of the running scene lately with all of our vacationing and traveling.  And I have been so drained of energy.  But I knew I needed to get this run under my belt.

Good Morning!!

And it was such a beautiful run!  Everything about it was so great, except for my bathroom issues.  The biggest issue is that I needed one (in the worst way) and there just isn't one along the course.  I tried squatting behind a bush, twice, but in the end I just had to walk the last half mile.  I was pretty uncomfortable.  But things turned really bad once I got home.  I ended up staying in the bathroom for most of the day.  I took two hot baths, tried resting and drinking lots of water, but my stomach was just off for the whole day! It has really scared me.  I hope I can run again.  Yikes!

I used the day to binge watch Hart of Dixie--the series that the girls and I are watching together.  In my effort to catch up to them, I passed them!  But it was fun relaxing and watching it for quite a few hours while I didn't feel well.

I finally felt well enough to take all the boys out swimming in the afternoon.  It actually felt good and refreshing on my body.  We all had a really fun time.  But once we came back inside and got dressed I needed some more bathroom time.  And that's precisely when Lance fell asleep!  Ugh.  With such a late nap, I didn't get him to bed until after midnight.  And I was SO tired.

In some ways, this was a rough day.  But in other ways, it was great too.  I got to relax a lot.  The boys played and had fun.  I enjoyed the slow pace.  I made homemade salsa with a batch of tomatoes my father in law brought me.  AND...I ran eleven miles along a beautiful stretch of road, watching the sun rise up over the red rocks and shine over onto the lava rocks in Snow Canyon.  It was breathtaking!  Thank goodness the running part felt great.  I still felt strong and in shape.  Now I just need to fix my bathroom/bowel issues and I'll be back on track.  :)

This run was rough.  But I did it!!

July 27, 2017

Today we had Miles, Austin, Owen, Lance, Truman, Stu (Miles's friend), Avree, and Eliese here for a good part of the day.  I took all the kids out swimming in the morning.  The kids all had so much fun together.  Then I made sandwiches for everyone and got the kids settled.

I had to go meet with the vice principal, Mr. Sharp, to go over the calendar for my PTA President job.  Everyone assures me it won't be too hard.  I hope it turns out okay.

I've been trying to get myself feeling better today.  I've done lots of back therapy.  And I ate a whole bowl of cream of wheat and took my vitamin with iron in it.  I'm just so tired and worn out.  Tomorrow I am going to run a big long run with my friends.  We are leaving our houses at 4:30 a.m.  I am super nervous to keep up.  I haven't done much running lately!!

Greg got his windows tinted on his new car so we had to go pick it up about 5:00 p.m.  We decided to take the boys out the The Habit for a hamburger.  It was fun.

It's now 9 p.m.  The girls are safely in the care of my mom and dad.  They rode the train from Provo up to Roy.  They had such a good time at their camp.  Emma's team won the whole tournament.  She had such a good time!  And Julia loved it too.  I miss them lots.

The boys are out watching Star Wars.  I'm ready to turn in for the night.  I've got a really early start tomorrow!  I hope I can do it.

I love this crazy life I live.  I am so blessed. Blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

July 26, 2017

Wednesday.

I made pancakes with strawberries for the whole crew.  At about lunchtime all the Jacobsens got on their way.

We then spent the day playing and swimming and hanging around.  We had Miles's friend, Stu, over for most of the day.  He is the only kid at home so he comes over a lot, especially when his mom has to go to work.  We really love having him over. He had a lot of fun with Miles and Truman.

I made chicken and rice for dinner and Greg took the boys for ice cream while I put Lance to sleep.  We have been working on getting Lance off of juice and trying to get him to eat better.  He had gotten to where he wouldn't eat a thing!  Today he had a pancake, half a hotdog, half an apple, some crackers, a bite of banana, and some yogurt.  That is a major improvement!!  He is also giving up his naps.  It's a lot of work to keep him on track.  I love that little guy but he has been pretty hard lately.  I think he needs a stable schedule, but here we go, back up to Provo this weekend.  I am tired!!!

July 25, 2017

I ran a sluggish four miles on the treadmill today.  I can hardly get out of the bed in the morning because my back hurts so bad!!  But running seemed okay! I've really got to get back into it.  I'm still so dizzy and tired.  Ugh!

We had a calm, quiet day.  It rained and rained all morning.  It was so lovely.  I cleaned the house and we made homemade play dough.  Lance played play dough for hours.  It is one of my favorite mommy activities.  Finally the rain stopped so I took the boys to a new park with lots of ropes.  They played and climbed and worked up quite a sweat.  It was so fun.

Then we stopped at Lin's.  I grabbed some groceries while the boys ate shakes and waited for me.

We came home hot and tired.  We cleaned up and made a big pan of lasagna.  Just as I was putting the finishing touches on dinner, Garr, Lill, Shannon, DJ, Luke and Macee Jacobsen all showed up.  We ate a nice dinner, went swimming and played.  They are all on their way up north for Jake's mission farewell.  We will head up there on Saturday.  But it was fun to see them all.  It was a wild water gun game in the pool!!

Truman and Miles with their In N Out hats (Austin is trying to Photo Bomb!)

Climb, Lance!

We are having fun with Truman!

July 24, 2017

I used to LOVE this holiday when I was younger.  I loved the parade and the cookouts and the fireworks.  It's been a while since I was in Ogden for the parade.  Greg left to take the girls to their BYU volleyball camp, I stayed back with the boys and we went to the parade.  It was a grand old time.  Mom had saved our spots two days ago!!  She brought donuts for everyone!  It was so fun.

Lance loved the fire trucks!

My favorite parts were when the missionaries came by.  The whole crowd was screaming and cheering for them.  The missionaries were going crazy--waving, back flipping, dancing.  It was fun.  Then when the military guys came by, the whole crowd went wild.  It was super inspirational.  Man, I love this place!!

Greg got the girls checked in and settled and then we all headed on our way back to St. George.
We decided to bring Truman (Haws) back with us to hang out with Miles all week.  We stopped at In N Out for lunch and somehow (with two Dr. Pepper stops) made it home in one piece!  I will miss my girls this week!!  But when we talked on the phone, they were so excited to report on their day.  They both got pulled up a couple levels.  At the end of the day, Emma got pulled to the TOP team of the camp.  She was so nervous but excited.  When the coach called her over, the coach she had been with all day said, "No! Don't take Emma!" and he said, "Hey, you've been hiding her from me!"  Emma has been playing with the girls getting ready to be seniors.  It has been so fun to hear about!

We popped popcorn and let the boys watch Star Wars.  It's been a great day!

July 23, 2017

We had a great day going to Wayne and Jan's welcome home at my old church.  It was fun to see everyone and visit all afternoon.  We had a great potluck lunch in their yard and laughed and talked for hours with our cousins.

Then we moved the party back to Mom and Dad's house where we kept the laughing and talking going.  Mom and Dad made a delicious steak dinner for us all.  It was super yummy.  Mom passed our some old pictures she had found of all of us and let us choose a few knick knacks from her parents' house that we could have as keepsakes.

The exhaustion level was high, but the hearts-filled-up-to-the-brim was even higher. :)

Some of my best gals!
Stalee, Me, Emily

July 22, 2017

GREG'S 40!!!

Just to add to our exhaustion, we got up, threw our stuff in the car and headed up north.  We stopped in SLC to get Greg's birthday present!

 I think he is so HOT!  And he looks mighty fine in his new car!  Happy Birthday to this man I love so much!!

We had a big Haws Family Reunion.  It was so fun to see my cousins and laugh and talk together.  Then we all went up to Uncle Wayne's house for a great fireworks show. It was a great way to celebrate the 24th of July and also to welcome home Uncle Wayne and Aunt Jan from their two-year mission to Peru.  The kids were in heaven playing outside at my mom and dad's house with all of their cousins.  It was a massive pack of cousins having lots of fun.  I was exhausted and dizzy (still swaying from the lake), but I was happy to see my kids having fun.  I love a summer evening in Hooper!!

July 21, 2107

We woke up on this morning of our departure ready to head home.  I don't think we could have handled another night!! Ha!

It was so beautiful and fun to unhook, wave goodbye to our amazing spot, and head off into the sunshine.  Stalee and I worked and worked the whole way back while the kids played and enjoyed their last day at Lake Powell.  We stopped a few times to swim and have fun.  Julia and I had to take the ski boat into the marina to wait while the rest of them fueled up and dumped the houseboat sewage.  I've gained so much more confidence on the ski boat.  We are old friends now.  Finally Greg pulled the trailer down the ramp and I drove the boat onto the trailer.  Then we began a hot and arduous unloading and loading session of all of our gear.  We spent a few hours in the hot sun getting everything situated for home.

We finally kissed the Westons goodbye, knowing we would miss them so much, and got on the road to St. George.  Greg's foot was hurting so badly that I decided to drive.  I pulled our big, ole boat on the fast highways, through a huge thunderstorm, fighting fatigue, all the way back to home.  We even saw lightning strike a bluff along the side of the rode.  It was crazy.

We were so excited to pull in and reunite with Lance.  Sunee and Kyle were here waiting.  Lance was so happy to see us and we were all SO excited to be together!!  It was a great night.  We were all exhausted, but we worked really hard and got everything put away.  Finally, we fell into bed, still swaying with the waves but happy to be home safe while the storms raged on.

Battle wounds--Greg's feet

That rock off in the distance is called Gregory's Butte, so we had to get a picture with Greg's Butt.
Oh, boy, we had a good laugh over this!

Owen -- he loved using the binoculars!  So cute!

Clint's poor foot.

What can happen to my hair when I don't wash it for days on end!  Yikes!

The crew!!

GOODBYE LAKE POWELL!!!!

July 20, 2017

We had a calm night and a beautiful morning.  Today is our last full day.  I told everyone that we would use every second of it for FUN!!

I told everyone, "If I don't ski on one, I'm not Rindi Haws!" 

Emma on the wakeboard!

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Miles getting ready to get up on the kneeboard.

Owen - Look, Mom, no hands!

So much fun!

Kamree

Maggie

Julia

Julia on the wakeboard

Austin on the kneeboard

Austin!

Miles

Miles

Lucy

Maggie and Lucy

Charli and Owen

Emma and Julia

Charli, Rindi, Owen, and Maggie

Mom and Austin

Greg jumping off the massively high cliff! He's up there with Emma, Julia, Kamree and Austin (lower down).
This was such a fun activity!

Owen loved "cliff jumping" off of his little rock.  So cute!

Swim! L to R: Austin, Miles, Lucy, Maggie, Julia, and Emma

Sometimes Miles needed a nap!

Rindi and Julia--having so much fun!

Clint on the surf board.  Got up on his first try!

Stalee shredding some waves!

Julia -- she's so cute!

Go Emma!

Greg rode the board for a LONG time!

Greg's epic crash!

Julia and Lucy

Kamree and Emma -- best friends!

Maggie, Stalee, Heber, and Charli -- they got brave, and it got wild!

Kamree and Lucy and Emma -- they kept begging for more!

Julia, Lucy, and Emma
I gave them my best shot!!

Lucy, Julia, and Emma

The crazy tube driver! Rindi!
At one point, I yelled out, "Here's CRAZY RINDI!"

Miles, Julia, and Lucy

Miles, Julia, and Lucy

Maggie :)

While we were out tubing, I spotted some lightning out over Gregory's Butte.  I decided that we'd better get back to the houseboat.  We got everything tied down and tucked in for the afternoon and settled down to watch Pride & Prejudice.  Since I was the only one who had ever seen it (Stalee had watched it years ago) I had to keep explaining it to everyone.  But we were having a grand old time when Lucy screamed and a big huge wind gust came at us from the side and blew a bunch of rafts into the water.  We ran out front to grab the paddles and other things that were blowing away.  All of a sudden, a massive wind gust came rushing at out side, dislodged two of our ropes and sent the houseboat rushing sideways to the rocky shore.  We all went into full panic mode.  Greg screamed for me to save the ski boat (which was flush with the side of the boat rapidly approaching the shore), while Stalee ran on shore and grabbed the anchor rope (which slipped through her hands, ripping all the skin off of her fingers and giving her a terrible rope burn just above her thumb).  Greg ran along the steep shore to grab the other rope, slipped on the rocks, careened down the rock face and fell into the water, leaving behind chunks of skin from the bottoms of his feet and the side of his leg.  I heard Clint yelling too, but my focus turned to the ski boat.  Without a life jacket, I jumped into the water and swam for the boat.  My first thought was the blower.  So I turned that on.  But I immediately realized I was all tied up and ropes were sinking and flying every which way.  I jumped back off the boat, and was practically standing on the shore.  It's hard to describe, but blowing straight towards me was the ski boat being pushed by the houseboat.  I thought, "Well, this is it.  This is all getting smashed right here, right now."  It felt like pure chaos.  I planted my feet against the shore, reached my hands up onto the ski boat and braced for a huge impact.  But just as I pushed with all my might, both boats swung back away from shore, giving me enough space to jump on the ski boat, reach along the side to untie it and turn it on.  I then heard a thunk as the ski boat settled onto a huge rock underwater.  I stepped off the boat onto the rough rock and pushed the boat away, jumping on as it moved.  Then I flew out of there, amazed that I had saved the ski boat.  But there were waves and a storm and I didn't even have my life jacket.  I fished through the back compartment and found the orange life preserver and put it on.  I watched helplessly as everyone struggled on shore.  Finally when things seemed a bit calmer, I came back in and tied up the boat alone.  Which was hard with the waves and the wind.  Then I assigned Miles to watch the ski boat and went to help my bloodied comrades.

We finally got the situation under control with lots of help from the older kids.  It involved cutting one of the anchor ropes that got stuck under a rock, sealing the end with a bunch of matches, retying two ropes, repositioning the front end, and nursing everyone's wounds.  The worst part is that we were really rattled.  But we got through it and were able to have a yummy steak dinner with potato cakes, all prepared by the men and kids while Stalee and I went out into the channel to try and get a radar signal to check the weather for the night.

At one point, someone said, "Why didn't the houseboat crash into the rocks on the shore?"  I just innocently said, "I stopped it from hitting."  Everyone looked at me with disbelief.  And that was the first moment I realized how unrealistic that probably was.  So then I joked that angels must have helped me because as I put my hands up, the boat stopped moving and actually went back the other way.  We all laughed and joked about it, wondering if really everyone had all grabbed the ropes right at that exact second, but then I decided that maybe we shouldn't laugh so much.  Maybe angels were helping us.  Whatever happened, I watched that houseboat come full speed toward the shore, pushing the ski boat next to it.  And nothing happened to either boat.  And although everyone was bruised and battered a bit, none of us were seriously hurt.  We now count that day as a big blessing.  I am so grateful for any help I received that windy afternoon.

We all bedded down upstairs except for Greg and Austin and Owen.  The little boys were too tired to stay awake while we finished the movie and Greg felt better sleeping below.  In the middle of the night, huge raindrops started falling in an otherwise calm night.  It was a mad dash getting everyone and everything back indoors to finish the night.  We sat up for a while watching over things, slightly less confident in our ropes, but after a few hours, all was calm enough to sleep.

It was an amazing day when all was said and done.  We had cliff jumped, done all the sports, swam and played to our hearts content, eaten well, and had so much fun together.

We were right to anticipate this trip with equal parts excitement and nervousness.  It was fun beyond our wildest imaginations and there were scary moments exactly like we had imagined.  But it was a whole week unplugged from the world, full of family, fun, and glorious scenery.  We will never forget it.