Cortez, CO - James with a couple of his favorite characters - Rocket & T-Bone
Hotel Time
Headed out for LAKE POWELL!!!
We camped out on Halls Crossing Monday night. We woke up early Tuesday to take the boat with all our stuff over to Bullfrog Bay to meet up with all our Grubbs Family. We spent the first day setting up camp, visiting, eating, swimming and just getting everything settled. We already having lots of fun at the Grubbs Reunion!
Wednesday Begins - Jade's 2nd Birthday!!!!
Uncle Bill making breakfast
Silly Birthday Girl
Sleepy-heads waking up - Andrew, Angela & Jaycee
Ashlee & Abrianna
Tiffany, TJ & Jade - her 1st Sea-Doo Ride
Our cute Lake kiddos
Brandon & Karen
Beautiful prego Kathryn
Aunt Kaye & Emme
From the first day we were out there the kids played and played in the water. Some of the kids saw spiders on this litte group of shrubs in the water in the left side of the picture. From then on they called it Spider Island and always had adventures going along with attacking it or making up stories about it.
The kids were often throwing mud balls at Spider Island.
Ashlee & Julie
Our home away from home with Moab enjoying the small amount of shade.
Play Time
Jaycee, Conner & Lydia
Walking Moab
Moab has always loved the water and so the lake was the perfect vacation to bring him on.
Plaster grandkids getting Aunt Karen
Our bright-eyed birthday girl is all ready for her party!
Jade picked out this outfit for her birthday to bring for our trip. I knew this hot-air balloon outfit was hand-made for me when I was little, but I never knew who made it. I'm so glad Jade picked it out because now I know Aunt Debby made it. It still looks amazing and adorable almost 3 decades later :)
It was also Iesha's birthday - celebrating together!
Of course, it's TJ's birthday too but it's quite over-shadowed by Jade now.
Birthday song with strawberry cake!
Blowing out the candles!
I think she likes it!
James donned the hat for me because he knows I love em'.
Campbell, Davis, Conner and Jade enjoying the party bags while watching a movie.
Prego ladies trying to rest from the heat. We didn't know Karen was pregnant at the time, but the news it out now.
Todd & Todd (TJ) visiting (Uncle Jim in the back).
Paddle-boaters - Abrianna, Jaycie, Hallie and Ashlee
Paw was often enjoying the back porch to himself.
TJ slalom skiing on his 31st Birthday - Go, Baby, Go!
Our Lake Powell spot for the week...
Beautiful Sunrise
Treasure Hunt
This kids played some games before
All the girls!
Back - Hallie, Jade, Abrianna, Ashlee; Front - Aubrielle, Megan, Jaycee, Lydia, Emme, Iesha, Jaycie
The boys!
Back - Andrew, Dallin, Benson, Daric; Front - James, Conner, Kimball, Campbell, Davis
The kids found pirates treasure after following the map they found floating in a bottle. It has become quite the tradition over 20 years of Grubbs Reunions at Lake Powell. Somehow we always park where a treasure it and somehow we always find a bottle with the treasure map while we're there. Gotta love it! After their treasure of coins in a box was found the kids all enjoyed their Otter Pop treats.
Benson and James enjoying some H2O baseball
The man crew unloading the many gallons of gas we refueled to make it to the end of the week.
Mack (Captain of the Seabo II), Bill, Camron and Jim
Our mass of Sea-Doos to enjoy for the week
More TV time. Can you imagine going to the lake without being able to watch your favorite movie?
Aunt Kaye, Granny and Kim in the kitchen
Conner passed out with Todd
Debby and Granny were often working on Granny's life story. Debby was typing away everything she could.
Granny was writing away to try to keep up with Debby.
Lake play time really wore out our babies.
A little more TV time while packing up to go..............so sad to leave everyone.
We enjoyed getting to spend time with everyone, playing, hiking, eating, visiting, and just having so much fun. The only thing I missed this reunion was singing together. Uncle Bill forgot his guitar at home so we didn't have a musicians to play and sing for us. That tradition is by far one of my favorite things at every reunion. I wish his musically talented kids could have made it too. I missed seeing all my cousins who couldn't come, but as the years have passed it's obviously more and more difficult for everyone to come. I cherish every reunion and hope I never have to miss.
Saturday morning the house boat crew left out early while we finished our clean-up. Lake Powell is always like a dream to me after I leave. I know I was there and I remember everything, but it's just such magnificent beauty that I don't see everyday that it's almost like it can't be. I love living in the forest, but Lake Powell is by far one of my favorite places on earth.
Our love-driving-his-truck Daddy. He was enjoying some sunflower seeds so that accounts for the funny face.
Another landmark we stopped at in New Mexico was the Mormon Batallion. We saw a sign for it and thought it would be neat to see. There weren't very good directions to it, but we finally got to it. I wanted a picture from my youth experience in the Mormon Battalion. Our 1997 stake pioneer trek included the men being called off to war. I didn't know why they were taking the guys off and I figured it was to do something "manly" so I thought I was tough enough to do whatever they were doing. I tucked my long hair up in my hat and snuck off with them. My leaders were a little worried while I was missing, but once we joined back with our families I realized if I'd stayed I would have had to do the tougher work the women were left to do when their husbands were called off in the real Mormon Battalion. It was a great stake activity I've always remembered and the monument reminded me well of the experience.
We had a wonderful vacation together celebrating TJ (31) and Jade's (2) birthdays and an unforgetable Grubbs Reunion at Lake Powell. I love being with my family as well as all my extended family too. These are always my favorite vacations.
