POWELL!

Jason and I have been so lucky! We have been able to make a trip to Lake Powell every summer since we started dating. And 2011 was no exception (....although I'm betting 2012 will be, given our soon-to-be family addition).

This year was especially nice because we were able to go for a whole week! The last couple years have been minimized to a mere weekend. Richard was working in Lake Powell again for the summer, this year accompanied by his girlfriend. Another year at Lake Powell, another Tadje Family Reunion, and another house boat hook-up.

Just like last year, we went in the month of September...which makes for perfect weather and perfect water. Our campsite was perfect as well. Jason and I brought a tent with sleeping bags, and camped out on the sand for the week. It was actually really fun! The houseboat was plenty full, housing most of the Tadje family. They did an excellent job planning out the trip, including assigned meals. Each couple was assigned to two meals. Jason and I brought a lasagna dinner one night, and helped Rich and Kamilla with a quesadilla lunch and pancake breakfast. The rest of the trip, we didn't have to worry about any meals, they were taken care of by other family members. And let me tell you, none of them fell short of a feast! We were so impressed by the size and quality of meals that were brought. I'm not going to lie, leading up to the trip I was a little nervous about leaving the fate of meals in someone else's hands, but I was pleasantly surprised. Everything was so delicious and impressive. Jason and I were the ones feeling like cheapskates with our frozen lasagnas! Everyone else brought fresh meals ranging from Cafe Rio Pork Salads to personal pizzas.

Our wonderful Lake Powell hosts:

The boat ride to our campsite:

Setting up camp:

Everyone had to take their turn completing the "dive off the slide" challenge:

...even "Saders" 

And some have to take it to the next level:



 

I made Jason jump off three or four times before I was able to finally get a good shot of him in the air...yeah I need to practice my photography skills...he wasn't too impressed



It wouldn't be Lake Powell without some good fishin':

Play time:

One of the awesome memories of Powell this year was the huge slide we made in the sand that we covered with tarps and wetted with soap and water. A bumpy ride, but so fun! Sadly, the only picture of it is from an arial shot of the camp:

It's very small, but you can see the thin black line running in the middle of the camp



Jason and Richard perform their yearly "rock dropping" rituals:

They go so high! It makes me so nervous!

You can barely see them up there!



Water time:

That was the only challenging thing with a big group...organizing water time...

We were thrilled near the end of the week when Nate and Sarah joined up with us! We were so happy they were able to make it this year.

Jason, Nate, Sarah, Rich, Kamilla, and me

Oh baby, the Relaxtion Station was such a treat! One of Richard's many great finds...geez, the things people leave behind when they leave Powell...

Rich and Kamilla showed us a gorgeous hike up one of the slot canyons. Sarah and I only went about half-way...that was enough for us. The whole hike can take a good six hours or so!

Cliff jumping off a crazy ledge:

Rich would do a gainer... 

Jason contemplating whether or not to go against his wife's wishes and do a gainer... 

After several minutes of anxious waiting (and apparently there was no other way down), he finally jumps off

Our home for the week:

Jason and I definitely had a blast at Lake Powell this year! The trip was so relaxing and so needed. I got a lot of reading done (I was reading The Help at the time...such an awesome book)! One of my favorite memories is just sitting around the campfire each night, roasting s'mores and eating candy.

I was also able to do a lot of personal reflecting...the morning I returned to work, I put in my two weeks notice...more to come...