LP with the Hendersons / 2016

We left for Lake Powell Wednesday around lunchtime.  Zach got off work early and we got my car all loaded up an were on the road just after noon.  30 minutes into our drive Sloan passed out.  I’m grateful she got a nap in, because we had a 6+ hour drive ahead of us.  We only stopped TWICE, which will go down in the record books as the most efficient drive to LP…ever.  We made it to Antelope Point just as the sun was about to go down.  We managed to flag a cart and get all our stuff loaded on our houseboat in less than 30 minutes!  We unloaded all of our gear and got Sloan ready for bed in our room.  At the genius suggestion of my friend Lindsey, we brought an inflatable sleeping bag/mattress for Sloan to sleep on (the pack n play was too large to fit next to our bed in our room).  It worked like a charm and she was down for bed before the other two families joined us on our boat.

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We unloaded the rest of the food and all of our coolers while the sun was setting.  Sunsets at Lake Powell are incredible.

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Everyone soon arrived (8 families total) and we all settled in for the night at the marina.

The next morning the two houseboats, along with Zach’s brother Tony’s boat with his family, made our way to Face Canyon to our camp site where Mark and Jeanene were waiting for us.

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It was nearly a 3 hour ride to Face Canyon – but Sloan was completely entertained being in a new environment.  When we arrived all the men worked on getting the houseboats anchored.  Not long after Zach decided use one of the jet skis to teach Sloan how to ski.  He was the driver, I was on the back – ready to jump in when she inevitably would fall.  I’ll admit:  I was a nervous wreck.  The handle bar Zach had made using PVC pipe seemed to keep Sloan really sturdy, so that eased my worries a bit.  I used our GoPro to film her first attempt.  Her uncle Sean sat in the water with her until it was go time, and with no trouble at all she popped right up on top of the water.

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She wouldn’t stop smiling, and it was apparent how much she loved it.  I screamed obnoxiously the entire ride.  I still can’t get over how well she did.  My biggest concern was her falling, and she didn’t even flinch.  When we had made a few laps around our little cove we whipped her back around to the beach and her uncle Sean was right there to catch her.

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Her cousins were pumped for her and everyone wanted to take a turn!  So afterwards her cousin Jake took a spin.  He did great, but upon falling into the water took the PVC handle bar with him.  It sunk to the bottom of the lake – and if you’ve even been to Lake Powell you know how unpredictable it can be in terms of depth.  It was down and it was deep.  I was disappointed.  I knew she wouldn’t be able to ski anymore.  Zach convinced me to let her try it with just the rope handle bar that came with the ski.  I was even more nervous the second time around, especially without the “sturdy” handlebar.  Well wouldn’t you know it…she got right up again, without that stupid PVC handlebar.

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I think this whole experience made me realize that I am a wuss parent.  I always worry so much that I find myself holding her back from things like this.  I’ve decided that I’m going to be the safety manager in this parenting partnership, but not keep her from doing things that she is completely capable of doing.  She is a thrill seeker, and there’s nothing I can do about it.  Except pray REALLY hard that she stays safe and that I keep a life jacket/pads/helmet on her and whatever else it takes.

The rest of our first day was spent swimming, eating, and being together with all of Zach’s family.  The kids used all the cheese flavored snacks to catch fish – and they were nothing but successful!

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After dinner we bathed Sloan in the lake for her first time.  I’ve dreamt for a long time of the days when I could snuggle my own baby in a lifejacket on a rocking boat, or shampooing their hair out in the lake.  I grew up at Lake Powell – every summer for almost every year of my life.  The fact that Zach’s family also has this tradition makes me heart so happy, I can’t even tell you.

We got Sloan tucked into her blow-up bed and spent the “golden hour” together.  Zach and I took a jet ski out in the sunset.  We brought the baby monitor again, and Zach’s mom was kind enough to listen for Sloan while we played in the evenings.

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Day two brought us more skiing for Sloan.  We did it almost every day we were there (except Sunday) and she couldn’t get enough.  She would cry her eyes out when someone else wanted a turn and she had to wait to ski again.  Zach’s brother Tony recovered the handle bar down deep in the water with some scuba goggles and Sloan was back in action.

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Sloan loved being with her cousins, most of all.  She enjoyed playing with them, eating with them, spying over their shoulders to see whatever they were doing on their iPads.  It was non-stop fun and excitement for her.

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During Sloan’s nap time Zach got to go surfing with his brothers on Tony’s boat.

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When Sloan woke up from her nap, she was treated to a kayak ride with her dad, aunt Gina, and cousin Charlie.

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We ate dinner and after we got Sloan all ready for bed and tucked in, Zach and I went on a sunset paddle board ride.

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Once we got back and all washed up, the adults played a Henderson favorite, “Wolf”.  Hendersons LOVE their games.  (I had never heard of Werewolf until I married into Zach’s family…)

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The next morning a group of us went out for a spin on Mark’s ski boat to do some wake boarding.  A few of us, including myself, got to try our hand.  I haven’t wakeboard since I was 21 weeks pregnant, so it was really enjoyable to get out there again.

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Sloan loved being on the boat, as long as it was going full speed.  I’m still surprised she didn’t hate her life jacket.  She kept it on without a  single complaint. IMG_2839

Later we all loaded up in the various boats and made our way back to Antelope Point for some dinner at the marina’s pizza restaurant.  We all left with ice cream – even Sloan got her own min swirl cup.

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By the time we made it back to our campsite, it was time to get Sloan bathed and ready for bed.  She had had a long day and was totally beat.

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She was all smiles when it came to bath time. IMG_2807

I tucked her into bed and she was out within minutes – and continued to sleep through all of the excitement of our adult game night.

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The next morning we started off with a jet ski ride to a shady spot nearby our campsite.  Despite Sloan’s expression, she loved every second.  Until we stopped.  She wanted to keep moving.  She has a need for speed, I guess.

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Sloan and Zach also had a little swim sesh afterwards to cool off [Sunday was by far the hottest day].

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We also got a family photo – with our whole crew – before Tony and Katie and their kids left to go home.  Can you believe we all survived with this many people?

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It got windy and overcast later in the afternoon – so I strapped Sloan in the Ergo and the three of us went on a little hike for a good view.

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Soon it was time for dinner, Sloan’s bedtime routine, and her last sleep in her blow-up bear bed.  She went down like a champ.

The next morning, bright and early, we pushed off shore and headed back to the marina.  It took a couple of hours to drive back – so Sloan enjoyed the view and the wind in her hair while I packed us all up and organized all of our gear to return home.  We all got loaded up and started our way back home.

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Sloan was fantastic all the way home – up until the last 20 minutes.  Poor thing had WAY too much iPad time and was sick and tired of the same episode of Daniel Tiger over and over again.

We all hit the sack early that night – even Zach and I were out before 9:30 pm.  Sloan must have missed her own bed, because I had to wake the poor girl up at 9:00 am the next morning!  All the fun and sun wiped her out.

We are so grateful for this tradition with the Hendersons.  Yes – it is a lot of work, but as always MORE fun.  Another successful Powell trip in the books.  Thank you Mark and Jeanene for all the memories!

 

 

 

 

 

Just Keep Swimming

It’s been a good week in this Hendo house.  We’ve been going hard – just taking in all that is summer before it’s gone.  I feel like these last few weeks have been packed with appointments.  We had lunch with my grandpa this week to celebrate his birthday [forgot to take any photos], lunch with my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law for two of my SIL’s birthdays [again, didn’t take a single snapshot], had endless park runs/Target runs/Cutler’s runs.  I had a night this week where I felt completely pooped – work stuff had been weighing heavy on me and I had committed to help some friends and family with various projects.  I bathed Sloan and while tidying her room I caught this photo of her, fresh out of the tub.  Wet towel hair, smiling as big as ever.  It made me so grateful to her.  She always makes me forget the trivial things.  She also helps remind me about the real joys in life.  I always put Sloan first, which means my work stuff usually gets pushed until the late hours of the night.  It makes it hard to get up bright and early, but she always gives me this same smile.  So big, her checks just might burst.  Geez, I love this little girl.  This photo is everything to me.

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Sloan had her swimming certification this week.  She had two tests to pass:  the “Fall in and Float” in her summer clothes and the same test, but in full winter clothes.  Megan, the sweet girl who passed her off, let me get in the pool and take these shots.  Sloan CRUSHED both tests and passed with flying colors. IMG_2501

My eyes welled up with tears when I saw her floating in her heavy winter clothes.  I’ve been so worried about staying on a house boat for 6 days in Lake Powell and in this moment my heart felt so much lighter…
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Yes, it was expensive.  Yes, it was an incredible time commitment on everyone’s part.  But seeing her successfully pass her certification made every second and dollar worth it.  I am so very proud of her.

Friday evening we went out to dinner as a family at Ti Amo in Bountiful – Sloan and I’s first time.  One of Sloan’s weaknesses is margherita pizza, which she inherited from me.
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I’d still give From Scratch, Pizzeria Limone, and Arella a higher grade – but definitely worth a try!  However, Sloan gave the gelato an A+, so the night out was a success.

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Saturday Sloan and Zach had a daddy / daughter date at Marine Products where Zach purchased her a “toy” for our upcoming Lake Powell trip.  I spent the morning battling the crowds at Costco getting my list checked off for the trip.  To be honest, I have been hesitant from the beginning to let Sloan try and waterski, but when Zach gets passionate about something…there’s no changing his mind.  He practiced with her out on the grass and it went better than all three of us expected.  She has excellent balance, which she did NOT inherit from me… FullSizeRender-1Then, right before Sloan’s nap, we all made a quick trip to the local hardware store to get a custom “handle bar” made for said ski.  Sloan is obsessed and made me pull her around for 20+ carpet runs when she awoke from her nap. FullSizeRender

I still don’t think she’ll like skiing as much on the actual water as the grass and carpet, but I can’t wait to see her give it a shot!  Either way, I’ll be proud she even tried.  I didn’t successfully waterski until I was over 8 years old – so she’s already got me beat.

The countdown is on:  2.5 days until we hit the road for LP.  Please bless I pack everything we need to survive with a toddler on a floating house.

 

 

Our Fourth

We’ve been spending 90 percent of our time either outside or at the pool.  It’s the only way we stay cool – Sloan gets easily overheated just like I do – so it’s just our current routine.  Sloan is her happiest running around outside, especially on the grass.  Our neighbor’s cat, even though it occasionally breaches Sloan’s comfort zone, has become one of the highlights of her evenings.  I realllllly don’t like cats and need to get over my irrational distaste for them.  Cause it turns out my daughter has a soft spot for animals.  One day our pet store visits are just not going to cut it.
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Our Fourth of July holiday started out with my Fotheringham side down in South Jordan.  We had a family lunch/swim party at my aunt’s brother’s house.  Lots of family showed up and it was fun to see everyone.  Sloan cruised around the pool and was happy as could be.  FullSizeRender

Afterwards we drove back to North Salt Lake so Sloan could take an afternoon nap and then made our way up to Farmington.  Zach’s brother Tony was having a Fourth of July Party/Farewell Keaton [Keato] Celebration.  My nephew left on July 6th to the MTC and the Fourth was a great way for the family to send him off.  It’s weird to think we won’t have Keato at Lake Powell with us this year in a few short weeks.  He’ll be a fantastic missionary and will bless the people of Milan immensely.

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After the party we drove back home, put Sloan to bed, and Zach and I set camp on our roof to watch the fireworks.  Our neighbors put in some serious work and we had quite the show!

Thursday is Zach and I’s new date night.  I had a family baby shower to attend, but afterwards Zach picked me up from the shower in Centerville and we made our way downtown.  We had a bite to eat and then walked around Temple Square.  It made me ache for the days when we lived a block away from this exact spot – in our 700 sq ft apartment.  It got dark quickly, but we enjoyed the views of the temple as the sun went down.

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Zach and I have been really into grilling the last few weeks.  A few days ago, Zach requested grilled shrimp kabobs one night for dinner.  So I found a recipe where you marinate the shrimp in pineapple salsa.  It was BOMB.  I already have plans to make it again this week.  IMG_2369

I’ve kind of hit a lull in my fitness routine lately.  I run occasionally with some weights sprinkled here and there.  But since finishing BBG I have been a total slacker.  I just decided to switch it up.  So I tried swimming this week.  I only swam 30 laps with a few breaks (I used to be able to do 40+ laps without a single rest) but it kicked my trash.  Zach snapped this photo of me walking into the bathroom after my swim sesh.  I couldn’t raise my shoulders higher than pictured below (notice my left one goes a little higher than my right…)swimming

I did get to try out my new fitness watch I purchased and I have to say, I am a Garmin convert!  I don’t know why I have never had one before this.

We went to dinner this week at Cubby’s, just the two of us, and to a movie at the Cinemark with the recliners.  We wore comfy clothes and even though the movie was sub par – just being together was enough of a success for me.

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Sloan is killing nursery.  Honestly, it still kind of pains me to admit it.  She still doesn’t even give us a backward glance when we leave her in there every Sunday.  I couldn’t be more heartbroken and proud at the same time.  I feel like she has already grown leaps and bounds since starting her in there.IMG_2479Speaking of leaps and bounds – Sloan’s swimming skills have improved immensely – even this week alone.  She can float all by herself and can scoot off the edge of the pool, into the water, and onto her back in a floating position unassisted.  Nothing makes me more proud than watching her learn new skills.  My heart could burst every time she sticks that little tongue out of hers while concentrating really hard.
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Sunday after church we played in the backyard until it was time for dinner at my parents’ house in Draper.  These two can look like the spitting image of each other if you catch them in the right moment.  It makes me laugh how alike they act sometimes.  two peas

One of the highlights of our summer (ok, mine, I’ll be honest) is only a few weeks away!  I can’t wait for Sloan to experience Lake Powell for her first time.  I’m praying she loves it even a fraction as much as I did growing up.  I better keep praying…