Sibling pressure

Since I'm almost the only one that lugs my camera around anymore when we have family get-togethers, I need to be more on the ball about posting them in a more timely manner.  And my bro Ryan has friends in high places that could hurt me if I don't! ;)

Since my baby sister, Holly was little little, we have been going as a family to Lake Powell.  First we started going all the way down to Wahweap Marina...that's when we could fit the entire family...all us kids and grandma Jane and Janette all in the same car (and the occasional motorcycle wreck victim who needs to get to a hospital).

Then, as time went on and the family grew, we made Bullfrog Marina our main destination...with a houseboat trip somewhere in the middle which happened to be the year Will and I got married.  Bullfrog was closer, but didn't have a swimming pool like Wahweap did.  

To little kids, a huge lake to swim in isn't good enough.  You've got to have a pool too.

For over 30 years we've been making the trek down south to the Strong Family's favorite place on earth.  For years we would go down with neighbors, all (about) 30 of us would clean a gas station out of their neon sunglasses, and keep the Wendy's in Price in business for another year.  I really need to find those pictures!

We've gone from staying in 2 joined rooms in the lodge 20 years ago, to needing to rent 3 housekeeping trailers with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a kitchen and a kitchen table to play cards on...absolutely spoiled.

Well, Grumpa Strong decided that each of us kids was going to plan the family vacations from now on.  We each get a turn to plan the family vacation wherever we want---within rea$on, of cour$e.

So no Lake Powell pictures this year :(  No tan either :(  This year was Steven and Jill's turn and Steven did not disappoint!  We went to his awesome, beautiful hometown of Afton, Wyoming!  We had so much fun! Almost everything Steven does involves risk to life and limb and, again, he did not disappoint!

Did I already say that we had a great time?  Want to see?

Here we go...this may be a series of posts also...

Wait!  I almost forgot the biggest part of it all!  The day we left was Will's birthday.  Forty! 4D!  The biggest one so far...or at least the hardest to swallow!  Of course he had to work for part of the day, so that ruined any plan of making his birthday fun...so the least we could do was to let him choose where he wanted to go for lunch, on the road, and he insisted we go to our favorite chicken nugget place.  The Eat more chicken place...which wasn't really his choice (it was mine :) ).  Any time we're near that place, it's a mandatory stop. (because I insist on it!!)

So we joined the rest of the family at Lava Hot Springs in Idaho, where we paid full price for our passes instead of waiting for 30 minutes to get into the pool for 1/2 price, only to stay for an hour.

Jay shocked us all and went up to the 20 ft. platform...SHOCKED!  I thought for sure he would look over the edge and change his mind.  So proud of him...he even ended up going to the 30 ft. platform with Will.

Maybe some of my "fear" genes are diminishing in my children...maybe.

The scary part about the platforms were that you had to sign a waiver before you go go off of them.  

And wear a lovely yellow bracelet.

Larry, Curly and Moe. 

Lauren...working her way up the diving board heights.

 Jay, Aspen, Katie Jane and Lindsay

 The meeting place

 Halle and  her  transportation  Ryan.

 Lauren and Lindsay

And SOMEONE was taking pictures with my camera when I wasn't looking!  Sheesh.

Isn't this cute little girl cute with this cute little girl baby inside?  I hate those sunglasses, Lezlee.  You need a different pair! ;) you know I'm kidding, Lezlee, right??

Emma has a unique jumping technique...not sure if it's a natural thing or if she's getting ready to stomp in the water.  Can't figure it out.  She did it every time.

Will, Lauren and Emma loved the slides...Emma screamed---SCREAMED---the entire way down the slide her first time down.  Started out as a little high pitched, semi-quiet scream at first and got much, much louder the further down she got.  We laughed (while she wasn't watching, of course). I thought for sure she would be crying when she stood up.  She was laughing and grinning from ear to ear and went down the slide a half dozen more times!

This jump of Stevens was the first of his attempts to destroy his body on this trip.  The other times involved a motorcycle and more water.  

Then Will and Jay jumped off the 30 ft. platform.  I must be screaming or something because the kids in the bottom of the picture - who I don't know - are very entertained by me.

Ryan and Trevin.  10 for technique, 5 for lovely-ness, Ryan. ;)

My parents had bought a huge cake in Provo before we left and it had been sitting in a very hot car all day, waiting for us to sing happy birthday to Will.  When we went to the restaurant in Lava Hot Springs to eat and celebrate, it was closed.  So we drove for a while toward Wyoming and ended up finding a Taco Time/ A&W/gas station somewhere in Idaho still.  A town that had "cold beer" advertised on every corner.

That's where Will celebrated his 40th birthday dinner. (small birthday horn sound)

Best taco salad he ever got on his 40th birthday!  Highlight was that he got a big root beer mug from my mom, which he keeps frozen in the freezer now so that when he's in the mood for that frosty mug taste...he can have it.  Coke zero frosty mug taste.

For "remember when" sake...I was going to surprise Will ( I know.  I'm a gem) and get him a delicious root beer float in one of those mugs, so when I ordered it, the girl (the very overwhelmed girl because 38 people just came in and that's more people than they had seen in a month, I bet) just looked at me and said, after a long pause....I don't know how to ring that up.

Silence.

How about trying to figure out how to ring that up?  Or just charge me for a blasted mug and a root beer float and leave it at that.

We never did eat his cake.  We kept in in our condo fridge for 3 days, then threw it away.  The older kids did try it on the last night we were there and I didn't notice any scary/food poison symptoms from them, so we should have just gone ahead and eaten it.  4 hours in a 100 degree car must not have affected it in the least!

So day 1.  Happy Birthday to my sweetheart. First time being in Idaho for my kids. My first time traveling squished in the backseat of the truck so my giant son could sit without his knees tucked into his chest...ready for day 2 in Wyoming.

It's a good one!