Lake Powell 2011

The Shipp Family had a fabulous family reunion at beautiful LAKE POWELL...one of our favorite places on earth! It was very fun to see the next generation loving this extraordinary place as much as our little Shipp family did. There is just no place like it! We rented a houseboat at Wahweap marina, Ryan and Adam brought their ski boats, and Bill arranged for two wave runners which were exactly like two of the four we had years ago...very fun! This is a nearly PERFECT picture of all our cutie pie granddaughters, except we were missing Ava!

Our boys brought several high tech "water toys" that entertained everyone. With 85 degree water, the beach and lake may have been enough entertainment, but they were really fun for everyone! The water at Powell was up 56' this year due to record snow fall in the Utah mountains!

This was such a cute candid picture of David and Mindy...holding hands as we cruised along! I couldn't resist.

Ryan and Adam spent a good part of each day coaching the younger ones as they attempted wake boarding and skiing. Around and around they turned their boats, cheering the kids on and making any attempt a positive experience. They were great!

With the warm water comes hot temperatures, so a refreshing dip in the lake is just the thing . I think we were heading over to a great cliff jumping site in this pic!

Sophie, Hannah, Sadie, Kate, and Ellie..........inseparable the entire trip. How fun to have cousins!

Each night when the kiddies were tucked in their sleeping bags atop the houseboat, David, aka "Fernando," told the kids a story with a Spanish accent.. Now I've never heard one of these stories that David makes up (just a minute or two as I snapped this picture), but for years, at all reunions, Fernando entertains the children at bedtime. The children LOVE it and always ask if Fernando will tell them a story.

We all slept atop the houseboat and the first night was absolutley spectacular...no clouds, and no moon. The stars sprinkled the skies like fairy dust as the Milky Way arched across the universe. This was the night one hopes for but doesn't often get, a perfect sky for star gazing. Mason counted 20 shooting stars...may have been a slight exaggeration!!! Unforgettable!

Jamie and Michael at our sandy cove in Gunsight Canyon. The water being so high made a beach more difficult to find. We were lucky, this was perfect!

The kids played on the slide at the rear of the houseboat all day. Here Weston dives in!

Excuse the language, but this is what the kids (the adult "kids") called a "Barf Ball." It was pulled behind the boat and was hilarious to watch as adults were tossed around and spit out of this water "toy." Ryan was particularly entertaining with his long arms and legs flailing about. The smaller kids played with it on shore, and here is Miles hanging on as the girls inside spin it around.

Adam and Steph brought their boat all the way from Boise which is a 13 hour long trek for them. But all went smoothly. However, the trip home was a nightmare. I won't go into that frustrating experience here. I'll just say that Adam had to leave his boat in Kanab for "repairs" (which were not made) and make a second trip down to retrieve it, then drive 59 miles an hour all the way home to Boise by himself. We felt so bad for Adam. The trailer needs some major repairs. Both boats were wonderful and we appreciated the "captains" and all their work and expense in providing them for our family.

Tyler, Mason and Weston...(Where is Will?)

Michael and Dad, Bill....who looks pretty handsome for a senior citizen, don't you think? Roles have changed as the "in charge" baton has passed on to the next generation. It is much less work for both of us now as the boys drive their own boats and the women share the meal preparation. Growing "older" is not all bad!

Cute Lily and Julie! We didn't "invite" the three year olds and younger on this trip, too worrisome with the water and all. So Ava, Austin, Henry and Charlie were left behind. Abby came as the Jacksons had a serious family matter, but she was perfect in every way and happy to keep that life jacket ON!

I don't even know what this "toy" is called, but I should have tried it. It looks about my speed, especially if I had ridden with this group!

This is NUTS, right?! A tradition with our boys is to find out the schedule of the tour boats that cruise up and down the channel a few times a day. The tour boats make a nice big wake which if timed just right... results in THIS! The landing is as important as the launch...has to be hit just right or I think the water bike would crack in two! Like I said....NUTS! Michael forgot to wear his swim shirt and blistered his white shoulders...I hope it was worth it! It did make a great picture!

Parker and Zach jump off the back of the houseboat with the help of Uncle/Dad Adam.

Steph took a picture of me and Zach on the beach that I don't have a copy of yet, but it was the cutest moment. I kneeled down to be eye to eye with Zach saying that it won't be a very cute picture with my Lake Powell hair and no makeup. Sweet Zach looked over my face and said, "Gramma, you're cute, you have cute hair, (he continued to look over my face), and cute eyebrows, and shiny teeth." I melted. He is such a sweet boy...and I will never look at my eyebrows in the same way again!

This looks like Adam and Ryan. Big Boys having fun!

Cliff jumping is a tradition at Lake Powell, and even I LOVE jumping off the cliffs! I was grateful that the daddies didn't try to outdo each other and were sensible and more cautious ...maybe a symptom of fatherhood. In years past, there was no cliff too high! I guess it will be the grandsons to worry about next!

Mindy put together a very fun "devotional" one night..a spiritual thought and then several wonderful...don't know what to call them...catchy rap songs that we "tossed" to each other and boogied the night away! It was a special night and I appreciate her efforts to do that. She brought floss for friendship braclets and a bottle cap necklace craft. Julie brought beads to make Geckos for a humanitarian project for our soldiers to give to the children in Afghanistan...love the idea of doing a service project at family reunions. Great idea, Julie!

In the houseboat we also played Uno, Spot It, Blink....a box full of games...but mostly, Lake Powell is all about the water and having fun with family and cousins! I love these kids, big and small, more than all the stars in a Lake Powell sky!!!!!