Swimming, Boating, Game Nights...Family Vacation 2012

Every summer we try to go on a family vacation with my side of the family. Usually we stay pretty close to home so that everyone can come but this year we ventured out to a lake about 7 hours away.  We stayed in a cabin among hills and forests and although we still had the heat, it was a nice change from home.  Because of the heat, most of our activities revolved around water.  The first day we tried out the lake by the dam and it was really cold!  Some of us braved the cold anyways and had a great time throwing a frisbee around and eventually dunking each other.

Zane gets the award for treading water the longest in the cold water (he is the guy in the back of the picture)

The kids eventually got tired of the cold water and played with the rocks on the beach instead.

On Tuesday we headed out in the boat to water ski.  This water was the perfect temperature!

Water skiing is one of Zane's most favorite activities. 

I on the other hand don't really enjoy skiing probably because it was so hard for me to learn to get up.  It didn't help that while I was trying to learn my brother (who shall go nameless but you know... the older one) thought it was funny to kill the boat and yell out at me," Sorry Shamu. The boat can't pull you up." Every one of my siblings water skiied before me.  It probably took me three or four summers before I finally got up.  That first time I cried the whole time while I skiied because I was so proud of myself.  I surprised Zane this trip by saying immediately that I wanted to go skiing and then going in and out of the wake (hence the picture below showing the shock on my face that I did it without falling.) The biggest surprise is that I enjoyed myself!

My little sister Lindsey and her husband Derrick drove 24 hours to be on the vacation.  They brought their dog who the kids all loved (probably a little too much.)

Dallin and mommy enjoying a tube ride.  I couldn't figure Dallin out. Sometimes he acted like he loved the tube rides and other times he refused to go.  He had a cut on his foot which bothered him while riding on the tube but I also think going too fast scared him.  It is nice to know that something does scare Dallin. 

Gavin can apparently take a nap anytime and anywhere.

Zane, Derrick, and Clayton trying to see who can stay on the tube the longest.  Boys amaze me sometimes because you can tell by this picture that Clayton's arm is in a very uncomfortable position and Zane's shoulder was in pain the next two days from this tube ride.  When he moaned about his arm I just kept saying, Why didn't you let go?"

Caleb, Dallin and Aunt Lindsey riding the tube.  Dallin didn't want to go again but then the competitive side of him won out and he got on.

Zane and I trying to hang on while Matt tried to dump us.

We finally got Gavin to try tubing with Grandpa and Caleb.  He didn't look like he enjoyed it but he didn't cry either.

Maybe he did enjoy himself.

Stay tune for part 2.