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Pineview

I am so so proud of my boys! Can I just tell you? Maybe it is the aggressive side of me? I didn't know I really had, maybe it is just the side of me sharing something I LOVE LOVE LOVE with my boys? I don't know. But for this trip to Pineview, I was the proudest mama around! The trip started out fantastic! So fantastic in fact, that my sister Mandy and her girls came with us on our first trip after setting up camp out to the lake. Can I just tell you ALL THREE OF MY BOYS SKIED!! And yes, can you believe I forgot to bring my camera and left it back at camp? I mean honestly, why would I think a miraculous event like this would happen on the FIRST DAY? I honestly thought the coaxing and talking into would have to happen first. NOPE and I missed it.....so needless to say I did have to talk Kaden into trying again, and alas the stubbornness kicked in and he just didn't want to do it when I had my camera? Zeke on the other hand did try but failed and would only try one time. He was so tired and it was the last day of a very long week! But bless his heart for trying again!
Jaxon was a pro. Once he tried it and had success, he was so proud and has not been too scared since! [Unless we are at Deer Creek in the windy white capped mess!--and trying to show mom and dad he was ticked off at us--another story]
Zeke is so darn cute! He is a tall boy, but those skis are taller than him and probably weigh as much as him! So so brave! He was so tired and when my mom tried to pull him [so I could get the pictures]....the planets were out of alignment and it didn't happen this time! It will again! I have faith it will! :)
Other than that....I thought the fact my three boys skied would be THE most memorable and eventful thing that happened on this trip. NOPE. Not when Mandy is around....you know she has always had a talent for making the biggest show of whatever we do! Just kidding Mandy! I know I say that only because I know she NEVER reads my blog! :) Anyway, I know she didn't want to make this show either.
So it was a typical morning Mom and Dad waking up at the butt crack of dawn to get skiing first thing in the morning and Mandy more than happy to go along! They had been out roughly 1 1/2 - 2 hours. None of them had had breakfast and knowing how they all ski they were so so tired! Next thing I know I see Aspen come running up saying Mandy needs Chris. I look over and see my mom assisting Mandy up the shore to camp. Knowing Mandy I thought and said to Aspen 'oh I am sure she is fine'. [you know how you say things and so regret them later?--that is one of those times] Next thing I know my mom is saying grab her a chair. I help get the chair over and she gingerly sits down. Then she proceeds to remove the red towel from her face revealing the almost 1 inch gap of skin missing from her nose! 'oh my!' I said. Instantly regretting the 'oh she will be fine comment'. I ran to make an ice bag for her and grab the first aid kit....what was I thinking? I was going to put a band aid on it? I have no idea. I helped to remove the wet suit and help her get dressed so she could go to the hospital. Gregg, Chris and Jeremy gave her a blessing and the three of them were off! Oh my gosh! I am shaking thinking about it right now! Jeremy being the intuitive one thought she had for sure broken her nose. Me trying to be the optimist said no I think it just split her skin?! Was I ever wrong. She not only broke her nose, she SHATTERED IT!
To make a very long story short she came back up camping after they put stitches in? 24 total for her nose and 3 in her eye lid. She has always [as are most of us Draper girls] been so tough and try to make do with what is given to us. I think she didn't want to ruin her family trip for her kids and to let them know she was okay. Anyway, that was a bad idea. After a bit more drama thankfully they decided to head back to Mom and Dads for the night! They left their kids up there with us and tried to get some much needed sleep, then left the next day back to Idaho!

Can I just tell you how beautiful she is? Honestly, she didn't hardly bruise and was slightly swollen even with a major accident like that. Leave it to her! She was always so beautiful and able to pull any look off....even a shattered nose? She even went home and had her nose put back together a week later and didn't bruise at all! She came back down just before she had her surgery for her daughters baptism and even still looked amazingly beautiful with out stitches! She is such a woman!

But we tried to have a great time and let her kids know everything was alright....I went a bit crazy on the beach with the camera and couldn't just choose a few shots to take! And I know this is a HUGE POST so I decided to put all of my fun and adorable nieces and nephews on the slide show! What great memories despite horrific accidents!

I Just love the beach and boating and most of all spending time together as a FAMILY!

YUBA

Last year our trip to Yuba was canceled. Yes, there were a couple of things that kept us from going. This year I was so dead set against it, I don't think there was anything that was going to keep us from going!
My boys, how they love camping, and boating.....me I could take it the other way. Boating first then camping! But at any rate they had so much fun. It was COLD!!! In fact, it rained on us like crazy one morning. So instead of boating that morning we went on a little hike/walk. It was so fun though. I could tell the trail hadn't been walked on for quite a while! The boys found animal bones on the trail. The trail came and went, meaning you could tell we were on a trail sometimes and others we couldn't tell where we were supposed to go! So being the mom I got a little nervous at times that we were going to get lost. It was getting warmer too. And with Gregg bad back, I had to hike Zeke on my hip/shoulders/back etc. [not very much fun 4 months pregnant!]. But the boys honestly had so much fun, and really it was only about 1/2 hour - 45 minutes [which makes my complaining seem so stupid]. So it was back on to the lake!
Can I just tell you how adorable he is! I especially love the food that is always on his mouth [in every picture almost!]
Typical of Kaden...always pulling a face!
Again, typical of Jaxon too....he is just too cool and has to pose that way!?

So we did not fair so well last year when it came to boating with the boys....I mean they did awesome at first. They loved the tube and even tried to ski. But that was short lived when they all of the sudden decided they didn't like it anymore. So they weren't going to do anything on the boat except to swim or something like that.
That is NOT how I was raised! And I didn't want that to happen. Especially this year when I was not the one that was going to everything! So I went and got them a little tube....hoping it would make a difference....oh boy did it!
They had a blast! Zeke at 3 was so cute! He didn't want to get off! He would have been happy to just ride it all day long, even if he was by himself. I was a little nervous to be honest. I mean come on he is only 3! But he did not have any fear and thoroughly enjoyed himself!

Which is more fun? Camping, boating or smores?
Maybe they just all kind of blend together....but honestly, the faces that get pulled when just the right smore is made is just priceless......
But even better when said face maker tries to eat the perfectly toasted smore.....and shortly after the picture cries to have it taken out because he just can't do anything to move his mouth and actually eat the smore. Is again priceless!
But to actually see all my boys [in their clean camping glory] having a blast making family memories is just the best.
Seriously it has been like 2 months since we went...[yes, I am right on top of blogging] and Zeke is still talking about the animal bones we found on the walk. I love it!

And really the only pictures I get of me are the lovely ones I take by myself! [Or of ones I find flipping through when we get home of my big butt! :(]

Short sweet summer....

Being on year round school has its ups and downs.

I am not sure if it is so good all the time!
For example, I feel like I have to smash all the fun
necessary into a 3 week summer! They have more time in June
also, but July, and the end of the school year just is more
summery than anything to me!

So needless to say I feel like I have/need to give them
some of the fun that was had to me when I was
growing up into 3 weeks!

Boy did we work hard to accomplish that this year.
It was a super hard year for everyone and we all needed
to celebrate new beginnings and new opportunities!

The boys have not had the best most confident
experience swimming.
In fact, down right disappointing to me!
I am NOT a good swimmer, Gregg is fantastic
so when they all of the sudden decided to be scared
of the water and not want to swim or do anything
with water, I decided swim lessons were LONG overdue!

It was so much fun! Jaxon and Kaden were in the same class.
Zeke got to take lessons with his cousins in the morning!
They all loved it!
It gave the boys so much courage and confidence I can't even tell you.
Just after one week of lessons, all of the boys were confident enough
to step off to the deep end of the pool with only noodles!
Such a big step for them!
Zeke at 3 was in the 6 foot and was not scared at all. He floated
and swam all by himself! I am not completely positive that was the best
thing but certainly a great start.
So much so that all of the boys made HUGE progress in the boat for later
trips during our 3 week summer! (More posts to follow on that one!
such a proud proud mama!)
A while back Gregg and I went to Boondocks with a big
group of friends (absolutely a memorable experience!).
I had never been there and while I/we were there
we both decided we definitely needed to bring the boys!
Oh my goodness was it fun!
They had so much fun!
The go-carts were by far the funnest for them!
I thought it was hilarious that Jaxon and Kaden
both mentioned how they 'ruled' the track.
They felt as though 'no one was any match for them!'
They also felt really jipped that they couldn't ride on the
bigger carts. Leave it to Jaxon to feel like he was ripped off
in some sort of way. Like someone was out to get him.
I was out to get him you know. I always try to make him miss
out on something! what a funny kid!

They enjoyed miniature golfing but found it much to slow compared
to everything else there was there to experience!
I think if they could have just driven the go-carts all day
they would have been happy!
That is until they experienced the 4D theater!
Over and over!
You would think the same coaster ride on a screen would
bore you....NOPE they just did it over and over!
Zeke liked it too!
What is summer without Popsicles?
Chocolate to be precise!
What a fun way to cool off!
But beware all those drippings on the front step...
you know those ones that are so temping to touch
and smear around?
They tend to make your fingers icky....
Yes, icky enough to ruin a good Popsicle!