Sunday, July 7, 2013

Flaming Gorge

Dalton and Gunnar had so much fun on the tubes! They loved to ram into each other and play "bumper tubes!"
We did something out of the ordinary this year for the fourth of July. We abandoned all the usual festivities and went out of town. We went to Flaming Gorge -and it was a blast! We were so lucky to have Jake's parents come with us as well. 

Ridge loved to curl up under the steering wheel and let the boat rock him to sleep! He did this almost every time we went out on the water!


There's Ridge snoozing while Jake drives

Gunnar found himself a nice spot for a nap as well!

We caught tons of fish! Those kokanee are delicious and so fun to catch!

Dalton and Jake are ready to go! 

Jake, Dallas, Dalton, Gunnar and Ridge. The boys and their morning catch!

Gunnar got himself stuck in the mud!

Gunnar found some nasty black mud that he just had to paint himself up with!


Dalton caught this little rainbow right off the bank. He's become quite the little fisherman!

Dallas kept the rock tower tradition alive!

One of Ridge's favorite things to do was to curl up in Grandma's lap and have her read to him:) 

Dalton and Gunnar became quite the tubers!

They decided to switch tubes and Gunnar tucked himself right down in the middle of the big tube so we could hardly see him!

Gunnar is quite the knee-boarder!  It was so fun to watch him really get the hang of it!

Because I was always the one behind the camera Jake snapped this "lovely" picture of me!

Dallas and Joyce and their monstrous fish!

Ridge loved walking around camp carrying a book to look at. He's quite the little bookworm!

Ridge and I taking a turn on the tube. Ridge loved it! He squealed and giggled the entire time!

Gunnar, Dalt, Ridge and I playing "bumper tubes!" It was a blast! 



Ridge decided to throw his hands up and scream and wanted Dalton and I to do it with him:) 

We finally convinced Dalton to try knee boarding. Here he is his first time. He caught on super and fast and figured out how to weave back and forth. He was out there for about a half hour! We couldn't get him off of it! I think he's hooked!


Gunnar is our die hard knee boarder. He knee boarded every day!

We went down by the little red cliffs and did some fishing:) 

Here's our camp. Jake's Uncle Brent and Aunt Rebecca gave us their old camper. This was our second trip in it- we're loving it! Our truck and camper looks like Joyce and Dallas' twin! We parked the boats back in this little cove, it worked out so nice having them tucked away from the wind and waves. It was also so nice to have this little cove to swim and play in. We had such a wonderful relaxing trip! We decided instead of having a big dinner every night when the fishing and skiing was the best, we should have a late luch/dinner around 2:00 in the afternoon. It worked out so nice! We had fried fish and potatoes that Dallas and Joyce cooked one afternoon, and the next afternoon Jake and I whipped up some Mexican fish tacos.  Jake and I both got to spend some time wakeboarding! We love it! I just need to improve my boat driving skills a little:) One time I was pulling Jake and we had put both tubes in the bow of the boat and I was having a hard time seeing over them. I asked the boys to keep an eye on Jake and let me know when he crashes. Apparently he had crashed like a quarter mile back before they thought about telling me! Good thing there weren't any other boats around besides Jake's dad who was fishing from his boat and watching the whole thing! He said later he was wondering how long I was going to leave Jake out there! Ooops!
 The night of the Fourth we gathered around the camp fire and watched some other campers light off fireworks. Then Dalton told us the poem he'd memorized at school this year called Freedom Isn't Free:

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze
A young Marine saluted it, and then
He stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought, how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?

How many Pilots' planes shot down?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, Freedom is not free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen"
When a flag had draped a coffin
of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
at the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, Freedom isn't free!!

Copyright 1981 by Kelly Strong

It really made me think about how grateful I am to live in this country. To be able to enjoy and visit beautiful places and spend time with my loved ones. I am so grateful for those who have made it possible for us to live in this free Nation and enjoy all the freedoms that we do. 
We had such a wonderful fourth of July! 

1 comment:

Shane and Geana said...

That looks like so much fun. I am glad Dalton decided to give it a try, soon he will be hooked. We sure missed you at the BBQ, next time :)