Dreamcation...

Our trip this year to Lake Powell was what I would define as a "Dreamcation"

With the past five years being very stressful, dramatic and having nothing but issues with boats and trucks, I had very little expectations for the trip this year.  If we arrived into Bullfrog in one piece I would have considered the trip a success...seriously LOW expectations!

But - it was a GREAT year, some would say a Dream Vacation!

All trucks and turbos worked, boats were all in "mostly" working order, my kids were so fun and enjoyable and we just had a great time soaking in the sun and playing in our most favorite playground EVER - Lake Powell! 

We arrived into Bullfrog Bay on Sunday around 5pm and the party started...

 To celebrate the first obstacle of just getting to Lake Powell we popped some tops and cheered each other!

 Ever since coming to Lake Powell as a parent the carefree days of worrying about what bikini I'd wear along with what trash magazine I'd read for the day are far gone.  Now I have to worry about keeping my kids alive!  The pure fact that for a week straight we are surrounded by water that is 200 feet deep and if for one minute I take my eyes off them they could be gone forever weighs pretty heavy on my mind - It's all I think about weeks before going on this trip, and I sometimes wonder if its even worth going!  So instead of living in fear, the life jackets were packed under their car seats (kind of like an airplane - emergency pack) and the minute we pulled into Bullfrog the jackets were on and they then had to live in them the entire week...

 Luckily, Eli loves his jacket and had no problem being in it!  He also has no fear now of jumping in the water, so keeping him on the dock/boat was also a constant challenge!

 Unloading is never the fun part, but we've got it down to a science and take plenty of beer breaks!

 Having a snack with his jacket on - good boy!

We are always anxious the first day to find out if the houseboat is in working order.  The boat definitely had some cosmetic issues this year...some dings, scratches and you know the slide was gone!

 Yep, apparently the slide, which is welded on to the top of the boat just fell off into the water!  Crazy, I know, and I am sure there is more to the actual story, but for our week aboard the Dream Haven we had no slide...The boat did have an electrical problem as well, but as long as we ran the generator all week we would be operable - so we were CLEAR for take off!

To celebrate the next obstacle we headed out for drinks and dinner, before our first night aboard the Dream Haven!

We all slept great the first night and were excited to head out to camp on the lake, but my dad wanted the electrical problem fixed, so we stayed in the Marina the first day...

 Luckily the Carnivals were already camped waiting for us, so we headed over there to hang for awhile.  The kids literally jumped out of our boat before we were anchored to start playing...

 After playing in the water and drinking I don't know how many beers - more then my limit for the day, I know that - those Carnivals drink like fish - we headed back to see if the Dream Haven was getting fixed as ordered by the Captain...

 It looked liked the Dream Haven was fixed as good as it could be, so my dad finally approved us for departure the next morning - Whoop Whoop!

 Ashtyn feeding the ducks - she even named all of them!

And Eli playing trash truck with the cooler - what kids do when they are stuck in a marina!

 We took a little cruise that afternoon and had our appetizers and drinks aboard the Sea Ray - it was so great!  Probably my most favorite part of the trip were our late afternoon cruises touring our favorite canyons...

 Cougar Bait!

 On Tuesday morning we were finally headed out of Bullfrog Marina to meet the Carnivals in Halls Creek and start having some fun on the lake.  Mona and Vince were so excited to finally leave the Marina.  They came with us a couple years back - the year where EVERYTHING went wrong and we stayed in the Marina all week!  I'm surprised they came back...

 Kevin is now the new Captain of the Dream Haven and did great!

We are slowly taking over the reins...

 This is why you come to Lake Powell - its just SO great!

We set up camp next to the Carnivals and the week was a wonderful Blur after that...

 We pretty much did this...

 SWAM!

 PLAYED IN THE SAND! (red sand that doesn't come out of clothes)

 and DRANK!

Vince brought some Moonshine and we all toasted to celebrate them finally being out on the lake.  Let's just say that afternoon was a great afternoon...Vince painted Kevin's toe nails and so on!

 I'm not sure what day it was, but one day my kids fell asleep at 6:30 and didn't wake up until 8am the next day!  I think we wore them out a little bit!

 Since our slide is now at the bottom of Lake Powell, we borrowed the Carnival's for the week...

My kids loved it!

 Yay Vinny!  You are floating in CRAZY deep water!

 Cougar Bait!

 Eli looking like an Old Man!

 My dad being ornery...

 My mom hates to get her hair wet...

 ...and YEP my dad pushes her in!

 Besides for swimming like fish all week, riding on the jet skis were my kids next favorite thing...They were constantly talking someone into taking them on rides!  I'm pretty sure I was like sixteen before I got to play on jet skis - my kids are so spoiled!

 Cougar Bait passed out!

 The Famous Campfire the Carnivals always host was fantastic as usual!

The absolute funniest part is when they sing "Ol' Mr.Ford" and all the old guys have to act out the different parts - I laughed - hard!

 Kenny, Vince, Gary and my Dad...

Eli joined right in on the fun! 

 After all the song singing it was time for the marshmallows!

 Back in the day tubing is what us kids did all day long!  We loved it and it is so much better in Lake Powell!  My kids are now getting old enough to where they wanted to tube, so I thought I would break them in a little bit, show them the ropes of tubing in Lake Powell! 

Kevin was going to take it easy, so taking them both at the same time was going to be fine...or so I thought...

 Here we are ready to have some tubing FUN!

Pretty FUN so far, nice and easy... 

 Getting a little crazy now, but still enjoying the bumps...

 Ok, now we are outside of the wake - we are not supposed to be outside of the wake...freaking out a bit and Ashtyn is saying "Uncle Kevers what are you doing?"

 REALLY freaking out now because I can see a huge wake up ahead and I am pretty sure we are going over it...Ashtyn now says "Oh, Holy Hell" as we...

 ...fly over the wake and I'm just trying to hold on to my kids and praying my expensive sunglasses don't fall off - Note: Eli is laughing while this is happening...

 ...and then after what feels like an eternity in the air, we safely land with Ashtyn half in the water, my sunglasses around my mouth and Eli still laughing...AND that was the end of tubing for Lake Powell 2013!

Matt belly laughs every time he sees those pictures! 

 Eli with the sunglasses in his shirt cracked me up!

 Ashtyn loved taking the jet skis on little excursions up and down the canyons.

We found this really cool spot that had a little beach and then some small cliffs to jump off,  I didn't really think they'd be brave enough to cliff jump, but I was wrong - they just jumped right in - over and over again!

 I had so much FUN going on our little family excursions!

The kids were SO much fun this year!

 Before we knew it our week was over and it was time to go home!

 It was an awesome year at Lake Powell - great company and great memories made with my sweet kids!  I can't believe I've been going to Lake Powell since I was seven years old, and even though we've had some tough years, I still LOVE spending a week on the Lake!

There's just no other vacation quite like it...

It's a Dreamcation!

See ya' next year!