the payoff

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It wasn’t when great black plumes of smoke began pouring from the boat’s engine, nor during the six hour car ride with sugar-pumped squabbling children and it certainly wasn’t when the patrolman’s lights spun in my rear-view mirror (“Just a friendly warning, ma’am.”)

I’d promised Kellie that all the money spent on food and equipment, hours spent sorting through camping equipment, the half-day packing the boat and the bucket toilet would all be worth our efforts. That at some moment at Lake Powell we’d all look at each other and say, “Yep, we’d do it all again just to be here right now.”

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That moment came. Again and again.

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Was it when the three smallest ones decided that they loved wild tube rides and rejected their nickname “the littlies” for “The Ninjas”?

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Or when ‘Cork Man’ and ‘Boy Boy Buoy’ saved the day?

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For Gabe it was eating Pringles straight from the can

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disco dancing on the bow

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and sleeping 12 hours (truly!) a day.

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We learned that Aussies are serious about sun protection. Did you know that Australian schoolkids can’t go out to recess without sunscreen and I wide-brimmed hat? They’re pretty smart.

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Erik’s newest sun-solution was a set of white sheets. The kids loved hiding under them and, well, they provided plenty of extra entertainment.

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I can’t get enough of watching the people I love, laugh and play together.

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Work (and his hernia) kept Benny-boy at home (darn responsible kid). Happily our campsite had cell phone reception and we put him on speaker phone every evening regaling him with the tales of our day.

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Stef temporarily took Ben’s place as alpha-brother.

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Hans channels James Bond when he’s driving the boat,

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but transforms back to a kid when someone falls off the tube.

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Yes, that’s Mary harnessed to the raft, towing Gabe wherever he desires.

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But the best, sweetest moment of all was returning home Friday night, sunburnt and sore, chatting with Ben as he perched on the foot of our bed until 1:18 in the morning

just because he had stories to tell,

just because he missed us.

June 27, 2010
July 6, 2010

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13 Comments

  1. Rachelle

    July 5, 2010

    Oh what a perfectly wonderful post. The pictures say it all. Love it.

  2. Tifani

    July 5, 2010

    What a perfect day! And it is a real joy to see your beautiful face in pictures.

    By the way, can I steal Gabe? He is too much! Tell him I’ll buy him Pringles.

  3. Tasha

    July 5, 2010

    So, so sweet. As always, your pictures are gorgeous. And Stefan looks so ripped in them! What have you been feeding him?!

    Thank you once again for the reminder that families bring the sweetest joys of life. Your blog always helps me appreciate mine more.

  4. Sue

    July 5, 2010

    That looks like the best time ever, and the pictures are simply out of this world.

    You are one heck of a photographer!

    =)

  5. ECS

    July 5, 2010

    Michelle! What a beautiful family you have. These are absolutely gorgeous photos. It was wonderful to meet you today! I loved our run this morning, although I’m still sitting here icing my elbow 🙂

  6. martha corinna

    July 5, 2010

    So beautiful. Those are some serious guns on your boys.

  7. Selwyn

    July 6, 2010

    Again, and again, and again.

    We’re back home now, and my boyos BEAM telling everyone about Lake Powell!

  8. Ken

    July 6, 2010

    Your post brings back wonderful memories of Lake Powell waterskiing trips, but our photos don’t compare with yours! Thanks for posting!
    Love,
    Dad

  9. Tracy

    July 6, 2010

    The first picture is amazing. It took my breath away.

    Oh my Hans is so adorable and growing up.

    So so sweet for Ben to chat with you into the night. I hope my teenagers will be the same, or I will ship them off to you.

    I have missed you.
    xoxo,t

  10. Cath

    July 6, 2010

    Ahhhh Powell. Looks like it was everything you hoped for (and prepped for – phew!) Gorgeous pics – I love that red rock. So fun to see your family at play. And glad Kellie et. al had a good time too!

  11. Claudia

    July 7, 2010

    Steph looks like one of the 3 Nephites. Wowza.

    Love, love, love your pics. Then again, what’s new:)

  12. Christina

    July 9, 2010

    I’m in awe of your photography skills. I love your blog and like to visit ever since my sister-in-law, Kerri, told me about how wonderful you are! Truly amazing stories and photos. Thank you.

  13. Mitchell Family

    July 12, 2010

    It has been way too long since I’ve been to Lake Powell.

Comments are closed.