Mackay Madness: Joe's Valley "Where Heaven and Earth Meet"

Monday, June 30, 2008

Joe's Valley "Where Heaven and Earth Meet"

Every summer we join a bunch of friends and go camping at "Joe's Valley." There are not very many places that you can smell the pine trees and the earth anymore. I love it so much. You step out of the car and the smell of pine almost stings your nose.

Then you look down over your campsite at the most beautiful, calm lake you have ever seen!
Brandon and Chris skiied to their hearts content....and the kids tubed until we ran out of gas. Hannah, Addie and Grace all learned to wakeboard thanks to the "Hall" family! And Wyatt and Dalton (who Hannah couldn't flirt with enough) learned to slalom waterski...thanks to Brandon and Chris. It was so rewarding to watch the kids enjoying the water so much. And I know Brandon's heart was full watching his kids learn to love "his" sport!
Lets not forget the awesome food. Dutch oven lasagna, bbq chicken, peach cobbler, and huge campfire breakfasts! What a great weekend! Thanks to the Halls and the Culley's for all the good times! See you again in August!

11 comments:

margo said...: I will see you there in August! I can't believe you made great great great grandma's lasagne without me:); June 30, 2008 at 10:08 PM
Amy said...: That looks like a blast. Where is it??; June 30, 2008 at 10:27 PM
Amy said...: BTW-if you go to the pioneer womans site, go to sides, then potatoes. They were the crash potatoes. I used parmesean instead of any herbs, and they were the bomb!; June 30, 2008 at 10:29 PM
Bell Family said...: What a fun weekend. I love the pictures. Atleast you waited to break you foot until after your trip.; July 1, 2008 at 6:54 AM
Natali Thompson said...: Man you guys are just our kind of family! We LOVE the water-you will have to tell us where that place is. Hopefully a little closer than Powell. We also love the drive in! That is the best place to take kids to a movie! I am just barely checking blogs since I have been gone so I haven't gotten very far down yours yet, but I just noticed Bree's comment. You broke your foot??? What the heck?; July 1, 2008 at 2:38 PM
jenn said...: Fun, Fun, FUN! So glad we ended up going and that we get to go again in August! You guys are so great and my kids just adore your kids. Thanks again!

p.s.- I'm wondering why you didn't say how much you just LOVE this nice warm, breath-taking water temp.! He, he!; July 1, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Paige Hanks said...: Liz that trip looks like so much fun!! Can I come in August? One thing I hate about living in Arizona is that I can't escape to any mountain air! Thanks for helping me remember what true mountains really look like!; July 1, 2008 at 3:51 PM
Lisa Erskine said...: Oh, I'm so jealous! Glad you had so much fun! You'll have even more fun in August...cuz we'll be there!! :); July 1, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Wendi said...: I love Love LOVE boating. That looks like a great spot! Glad to hear the family is enjoying it.; July 1, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Wendi said...: P.S. I have this really cool board that teaches the little ones to ski by themselves. Its called a "ski sled" and you normally pull it with a jetski, but can pull it with a boat. We have pulled many a 4 year olds on up on this thing. :) Let me know if you ever want to borrow it.; July 1, 2008 at 10:09 PM
schaars said...: So fun what cool memories for your cute kidos!; July 2, 2008 at 3:24 PM

From the mouths of "our babes":

*Our doorbell rang. Chance ran to get it. No one was there. He said, "oh darn,it must have been a knocker-ditcher." (Otherwise known as a doorbell ditcher.)

*Chance climbed in the back of the car this afternoon, and said "ewww mom, the back of your car smells gross...it smells like fries and poo all mixed together."

There was a little boy acting very naughty in Chances primary class...he turned and told the boy that he was an "ANGRY ELF." The teacher told me that it made her whole day and she nearly peed her pants laughing. (We were visiting at a different ward, which makes it even funnier because he didn't even know the boy.)

*Chance's kindergarten teacher's name is Mrs. Rasband, he came home and told Brandon that her name is Mrs. Wristband! Close enough

*As we were driving through the farmlands, Addie blurts out from the backseat, "it's cool how HAY grows, it just randomly pops up in perfect little blocks!" (She was DEAD serious)

*We came home from camping and Addie turns to me and says, "Mom, it feels so good to be home and walk on the grass and have a cup of milk!"

*We ate at a "Thai" restaurant tonight. Addie was so sick of peanuts on all of the food. She finally looked at me and said, "what the heck, do they have a peanut tree in that kitchen or what?"

*Chance asked me, "Mom, why Jesus make me so fast?" (Basically asking why he is such a fast runner)

*Chance was looking through the neighbors fence at their dog and he came running back across the street and said " oh sick, that dog just bless you'd all over my face!" Apparently, that means the dog sneezed on him!

*Chance calls "Walkie Talkies"... "Hickey Tickies"

*Hannah told me that we are going to give her "arthritis" because we are making her camp in a tent this year. (We sold our big fifth wheel last year.) Poor kids!

*We went thru the drive-up at Wendy's and they were out of Frosty's. As we pulled away, Chance murmurs to himself: "damn, damn, damn!" (I will take full responsibility for that one!) Needless to say, we had a little chat!

*Chance says that "chocolate milk" is his favorite taste!

*Chance was picking the seat of his pants today, and I said "what's wrong son, do you have a snuggy?" And he said, "no mom, I don't have a snuggly, my bums are just stuck together.

*Tonight at dinner, Addie told us that her favorite solid food is BUTTER and her favorite liquid food is SPRAY BUTTER!

*Chance told me today that his brain was making him scared to go to school. (He just kept holding his head in his hands)

*We had a "chick" die this weekend. Of course the kids made us do a burial. Apparently it freaked Chance out, and he wouldn't sleep in his bed because he just knew there were dead chicks in the sheets, and his feet could feel the feathers!

Easton "Such a Big Miracle, in such a Little Boy"

For those that don't know, our little boy nearly drowned in a bathtub accident when he was just 7 months old. I had run a bath for myself and left Easton (who could barely crawl) in his room on the floor. I ran out to the kitchen to clean up a glass my daughter had broken. When I returned to the bath... Easton had pulled himself into the bathroom and was floating face down in the water. He had his feet pajama's on which helped him slip over the side. He was under for about two - four minutes and it took four minutes of CPR from his daddy before he took his first breath. He was taken by ambulance to "Primary's" where he stayed in the ICU overnight. He had a full recovery. We are so, so lucky! He is ONE YEAR OLD now and we're so happy that our heavenly father decided that we could keep him!!! He brings so much SUNSHINE into our lives. "We love you Eastie". I put this on my blog for my own journal, but also for people to always be aware of your kids around water...they are capable of sooo much more than you may think!