Camping at Tushar

It was camping time last weekend for our family up to Tushar and we all couldn't get there fast enough! It may be a bit comical looking back, but if it could go wrong for us, it did! We started out with blowing a tire on the trailer just north of Paragonah, and didn't have the right wrench to get the lugs off, so our good family friend who owns a station in town sent my mom out with what we needed.  Got that changed and a new tire put on when Troy got into town, and then headed up the mountain.  We discovered that the kitchen faucet in our trailer had been broken somehow, and it popped right off in Troy's hand.  Saturday morning we woke up to a flat tire on the truck.  We pumped it up and drove down to have it repaired and find a new faucet fitting.  We've had a little leak in the trailer roof in one corner and have tried to repair it, but when the dark rain clouds rolled in we hurried to put a tarp over that corner in the roof, and then discovered that when Troy parked the trailer next to our house under the big tree to get it ready to go, the branches peeled back the broken rubber part and the tar paper. So that's next on the list to get fixed before the winter rains set in. Then I discovered a leaky fixture under the bathroom sink, which Eric quickly and easily fixed (maybe one day none of us will have any issues with our trailers and Eric may actually get to 'camp'.  But that's what he gets for being so dang handy with everything)

But we didn't let any of that spoil our fun! Which we had plenty of as usual! Valerie brought up a huge pinata for the kids, and Grandma had some fun games for the kids. My Mom always celebrates her birthday by throwing a party for her grandkids and gives them each presents instead.  Her birthday is in July, but this year decided to have it while we camped.  She rented the movie theater in town so we drove down on Saturday for pizza and a movie.



We always have amazing food, and plenty of it! Everything tastes better in the mountains

 

Kason loved digging in the dirt and was covered head to toe the whole time! 

 There is always lots of fishing and canoeing, the kids like to canoe over to see the little families of ducks that hang out there every summer.

Kason kept yelling "awesome" during this ride

 

Kason and Carson have always been good little buddies.  Kason was never far from Carson except for the 3 times he ran and climbed up on the stage in front of the movie while it was playing! The first time he threw his arms up in the air and yelled "tah-dah!" He was proud!

 

We all crowded in the back except for a few of the kids were up at the front on love sacks.  Stephanie and Eric stayed on the mountain and I'm sure Mark had a good reason for skipping out on "Smurf's 2"  LOL

  

Cash was posing and patiently waiting for me to take this picture!

  

Pizza and Presents in the lobby



 Sadly, this year is probably the last for our camping fun  at Tushar.  After 23 summers of hard work, fun, and meeting so many great people, Mom and Dad are thinking this summer will be their last to be the volunteer camp hosts. It's too bad that politics have to ruin such a good thing for after so many years, for so many people besides us.  It's  been a tough decision and one that makes us all sad.  Tushar has been a family affair, whether it was replanting trees after the dam broke, fixing toilets and leaky valves (Eric!) repainting markers, cleaning restrooms, collecting and checking people in, laying sod, pouring cement, spreading gravel, helping make new campsites, last minute runs to Cedar for plumbing supplies, the list goes on....and we've all been involved right from the start. We've seen that little campground grow to be one of the most popular places on Beaver Mtn hosting many weddings and other functions besides just camping. So, no matter what happens next year, to me at least, Tushar will always be "Val and Ila's campground" and to my kids it will always be "Grandpa's lake."  So many memories!!

Happy Birthday Troy!



I was pretty impressed with my block 'U' skills




After we went out to celebrate Troy's birthday, we stopped at the park and let the kids master the climbing wall for awhile.  Camrie wasn't too sure about it at first, but then she was climbing like a wild girl! So glad that pictures are not availiable of me and Troy Climbing it! It probably wasn't a pretty sight when I got stuck trying to get over the very top ledge, but I made it!



A little 5 speed  Happy Birthday present to save on gas since our truck is such a guzzler.  It was really intended for Troy to drive back and forth to Hurricane and for when he does Home Health, but it's so much fun to drive, that I take it when I'm on call and when I work in Hurricane! Here's to over 300 miles on 11.5 gallons :)

Summer Time Celebrations....July 2013

There really is no place like home ( Beaver, that is) for parades and summer festivities.  We've stayed in St. George a few times for the 4th of July, but it's just to plain hot to even be enjoyed! I've faked it those few times, for the sake of my kids, but a grumpy, hot mom, is not a fun mom! The fireworks on the 4th are amazing, and I do love those, so if we do go out of town, we are usually back to see them.

With that being said, here are some pictures of the 4th and 24th in Beaver...

The 4th was just me and the kids, Troy stayed home to work so he could have the 24th off... Tanner and Camrie decided to ride their bike and scooter in the parade for the first time and we did a last minute decorating job.  I couldn't even keep up with them walking down the side walk to meet them at the end of the parade, they flew down main street like they were in the bike races and I didn't even get a picture of them! We played all the games on the park, ate lunch at Grandma's, and made it to St. George as the fireworks began.  The kids were out cold, so Troy met me in the parking lot to watch the fireworks and the kids slept through them.  Braxton stayed in Beaver for the rest of the week.



We can never just walk past a bounce house....



The kids aced the Tic Tac Toe game!

Shopping at Mike's is always a favorite with their kid sized carts!

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 As a kid, the 24th of July parade was the 'big one' and there were always so many people in town, with horse races, bike races, rodeos, dances, and plays going on that whole week.  I still look forward to going up to spend the day and visit with old friends on the park and letting my kids have a little taste of my childhood.... 



Class reunions are always held around the 24th since everyone 'comes home' for the holiday, and usually they ride in the parade.  Seems like yesterday I was dancing in the parade with the drill team, this year I was among the "alumini" throwing candy to all the kids.  I was suprised at how many adults run out for candy just like little kids...




It was great to see some of my classmates that left before our senior year and have them ride with us




I don't even know exactly how long my dad has been the "voice of Beaver" and surrounding areas for the parades, rodeos, horse races, etc.....but ever since I can remember he has been there for every event, missing only one 4th of July while we vacationed in North Carolina, and the 24th a few years ago when he and mom were the Grand Marshalls and we made sure others did his job so he could enjoy the day.  I decided I better have a few pictures of dad and the black truck. 

 

The kids had a ball swimming



Camrie, Tanner, and Cash on the run for candy!



My very best friends from High School - Christi, Debbie, and Rance

Back Row: Sterling Bradshaw, Clint Albrecht, Jason Brown, Toby Beaumont, Matt Knudson, Clifton Farnsworth, Mike Smith.
Middle Row: Paul Foster, Nate Robinson, Nate Harri, Mark Hugh, Matt Wilden, Jesse Nowers, Jeff Thomas, Royce Williams, Rance Hutchings
Front Row: Christi Lowe Kelsey, Kerrie Erwig Howell, Alison Yardley Webb, Debbie Stoker Gates, Andrea Smith Webb, Kim Marchant Issacson, Heather Anderton Harper

 We had a great turn out for our reunion and stayed so late visiting and catching up, and it was midnight before we got to St. George.  It's too bad the ones that live in town are the ones that never come We always have so much fun when we get together and laugh at the crazy things we did.



another picture of dad and Carson



CALIFORNIA 2013

June 9-16th we headed for Southern Californina for a week full of family and fun in the sun.  When we left home it was 103  and it never got above 75 the whole week we were in Cali! Since we did Disneyland last September, we took the kids to Legoland and Seaworld.  Tanner was just learning to crawl the last time we went to both places, and I'm sure we'll go back again when Kason is older to make it fair for everyone! Lots of fun and time to plan for the next vacation!

Here's what we did: 

SUNDAY: stayed in Anaheim

  MONDAY:  Huntington Beach.....

Troy and I have always wanted to rent a beach buggy...they are so fun and good exercise! whoever was in the front basket was in charge of ringing the bell.

Tanner and Braxton building their sand castle hood



A little beach picnic, I think we had more 'sand' in our sandwiches than I cared to eat!

We stopped at the Newport temple on our way to San Diego to walk around the grounds but the gates were locked.  Guess you have to do that in this neck of the woods when the temple is closed for the day....so pretty though!

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TUESDAY:  LEGOLAND

We stayed in San Diego Tues-Thurs

They all sucessfully completed the Volvo drivers course and got their licenses. 

Driving school is 3 and up - Kason barely even looks like he is 2, but they let him go anyway.  He could reach the gas pedal with his tippy toes and had a fun time.

Me and Kason waiting for Dad and our taller kids on some rides.  He was giving me his best pirate look since we were by the pirate rides. I have a picture of Tanner in this same swing 5 years ago....awe, sentimental, I know!

Look who we ran into at Legoland!

 

Jumping on the circles to make the instrument fountains play music

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 WEDNESDAY: SEAWORLD

Holding the Starfish

 

The Sea Lion show is always my favorite

Hanging out with the dolphins

Shamo show



We loved watching the penguins!

  

The kids loved chasing the birds, and they were EVERYWHERE!

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THURSDAY: USS MIDWAY AIRCRAFT CARRIER/ LEGOLAND WATER PARK

Sitting on the chains, each link weighs 130 lbs

In the ship's brig- living on that ship would be bad enough, Let alone spending time in jail!

We stopped at Legoland again to play at the new waterpark, it's amazing! The weather was too cold on Tuesday for us St. Georgians to play in the water, so we stopped to use our hopper ticket Thursday afternoon on the way back to Anaheim. Tanner left his dry shorts in the car, so he sported my cover up to walk back out to the car!



This picture won't go away without deleting others, so here's me and Tanner at Legoland earlier in the week.  We stood in line and visited with some nice people from SLC while waiting for this ride.

Tanner getting his picture drawn at Legoland

This was my splurge for the trip, I think it turned out pretty cute and just need to get it framed

Love this! If only they could be like this all the time!

We had to stop at our favorite strawberry field right by the turnoff to Legoland.  We made smoothies, strawberry shortcake, and ate them non stop the rest of the trip!  Nothing beats these red, sweet beauties!

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FRIDAY: Anaheim

We have stayed at our Anaheim condo several times, but were always so busy that we've never just hung out there.  We had the whole day to just relax so we swam and played lots of ping pong and pool in the rec room.

We took the city bus over to Disneyland and walked to Downtown Disney just to browse around the shops and had some ice cream.  Camrie discovered the rolly pollys in the planter and then they all got in on the action. I think we left with 6 bugs from Disneyland...not the kind of souveniers you'd expect.  I was sure they'd want to go into the park, but either since we'd just been there or because we'd told them enough times we weren't going this trip, they didn't even bug us about going in.  We had great views of the fireworks from the roof of our condo that we went up and watched.

Later that evening was the Anaheim Angles Vs. New York Yankees game. I supported my Yankees and the rest wore their Angles shirts and hats.  Troy was nervous that I wore my Yankees shirt, but I was more worried for them when we found our seats in the middle of a big Yankees section! It was a fun game and the Angels won, so I wore my Angels shirt the next day for my kids.

View from our seats

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SATURDAY: CALICO GHOST TOWN / Vegas

I was 7 the last time I've been to Calico and have wanted to take the kids, but it's always been too late when we've passed by.  So this trip we finally got to stop on our way back to Vegas.  It was a fun little stop walking through all the shops, going through the Mystery House of illusions which messes with your equal librium, and would like to go back and do the little train ride up to the mines

Welcome to Calico!

 

Braxton walking up the plank

How is the broom standing straight up?

Bad picture....but there is water running out of a faucet into a barrel, but there are no water pipes connected to the faucet????
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SATURDAY/SUNDAY: VEGAS

It was a little later when we got here, so the plan was swim first, eat later. We played until the pools closed then sat down to eat grilled pizza and strawberry shortcake at MIDNIGHT!  Isn't that what vacation is all about??  We played in the pools Sunday morning,  headed to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Father's day, then home and back to reality..... 

Me and Braxton basking in the sunshine on the lazy river at the condo in Vegas

 
 

We love the pools here