A Weekend at Bear Lake

This weekend Sarah, Anna, and I were at Bear Lake, UT. Jordan had to work, so we left him and had a girls vacation.


Wow, was it wonderful! We left Friday afternoon and met Mom and Becca there around 4:00pm. Sarah didn't take her nap, little stinker!, so we all decided to launch the boat and go wakeboarding.

Of course in the early evening hours the water is really choppy. So we went out on a ride, came back and spent some time on the beach, and then Mom left to make dinner. Becca, Anna, Sarah, and I decided to catch minnows in the marina. It was a hard task trying to catch little fish with sand buckets! But, alas, we did. Becca and I got into the water and were the ones catching while Anna and Sarah sat on the dock and supervised. Becca and I also caught a crayfish as well. It was pretty neat.
After dinner, we decided to get back in the boat and off we went wakeboarding! It had been over a year since the last time I wakeboarded, so I was a little leery at how well I'd do.

Well, they got new boots last year for the wakeboard and needless to say, they were really tight on me! I could barely get the board on, even with slime! My little sister took the liberty of taking this blackmail photo of me while I was trying to put on the boots without breaking my foot.

Here is some footage of me wakeboarding. It isn't anything fancy, so don't expect any jumps or tricks or anything. I'm not Becca or Rachael (my cousin Rachael took 2nd in Nationals in wakeboarding in her division and is now heading to Worlds in Florida! Go Rachael!!)

Becca was next to go. She's really good at wakeboarding and really shows me up. Then again, she can make it to Bear Lake more often than me and has more time to practice. Regardless, Roo is great!

Sarah doesn't take after me. She loves the boat! When I was little I hate the boat. I hated turning, going fast, or doing anything but sitting still in the water. You couldn't get me out of the water, but I wanted nothing to do with boats. Mom always joked around that I'd died on the Titanic in a previous life and that's why I was deathly afraid of boats. I was the only child/baby she knew that would scream the entire ride and want out.

Well, Sarah loves the boat so much that she was more than content to be on the boat. She loved it! She wanted to drive it, honk the horn, and do all Nana did. We had to hold her down too, we thought she was going to jump right in the water all the time. She is one fearless child!!

Nana let Sarah 'drive' the boat around a little bit. Soon, however, Sarah would throw Nana's hands off the steering wheel and want to drive all by herself! She even reached for the throttle so we could go faster. Talk about a stinker-roo!! And people wonder why she has the nickname 'Miss Independent'.

I asked Anna if she wanted to try and wakeboard, but she told me she had a bad experience when she was a child and would never try water skiing or wakeboarding. Tubes, however she was fine on. The problem was, we couldn't find the tube.

Later that night Dad finally came. We stayed up playing games till way too late. Sarah was pooped out, since she missed her nap, and went straight to bed. It was a wonderful Friday evening.

The next day we woke up and quickly ate breakfast. We had waves to catch! I helped Gabe with a few computer issues (he's the maintenance guy at Bear Lake) and then we headed back out. It was a little choppy, since the wind was blowing, so Becca and I didn't last too long on the boards. It's hard on your knees when you have to absorb the shock of the waves.

But, we had fun cruisin' around on the boat. Sarah had her sippy cup with her and soon the boating excursion was called, "Sip and Cruise'. It was pretty fun how comfortable Sarah felt on the boat! She loved it! Before we left in the morning I told her we had to wait for Nana to get ready to go out. I told her to tell Nana to come so we could leave. Standing next to the door, she turned to Nana and said, "Nana! Boat! Now!" It was so clearly said, there was no mistaking her words. We got a kick out of it.

After boating, we decided to head back to the beach and have some fun in the waves. It was so warm and nice out, despite the clouds, that we couldn't resist. The water was even nice! It was perfect!!

After we got back from our boat ride, I saw a 3-point deer running down the side of the hill. It was very large and very beautiful. I thought about snapping a shot, but the deer was running too fast and my camera shutter time is really delayed. So, I just watched it. However, at the base of the hill was a large cat. Becca and I saw it and began chasing after it. We'd seen cats before around Bear Lake, but we'd never been able to take a picture of it. I swore it was a Lynx. Becca thinks it's a domestic cat that's gone wild. However, if that was a domestic cat, it must've been very, very large. That cat was at least 30lbs or more. Like I said, I thought it was a Lynx. Just as I was about to take a picture, the cat round the corner on the trail and disappeared. We should've tried sneaking up on it instead of running towards it.

When we got to the beach, Sarah plowed right into the water, fearlessly so, and wanted to join Anna and me. We could resist her pleas, so we brought her out with us. She was splashing, laughing, and giggling all the time! She loves the water and I'm so glad that I'll have a swimming buddy!

Becca had to head home in the early afternoon on Saturday to go to work. We had a blast with her and Sarah missed her Auntie Roo. Hopefully next time she can stay the whole time like we did.

Later that evening, we all piled into the boat, Dad included, and went for a drive to the State Marina to see the boats. We love doing this. We normally go on Sunday's, but since we had to leave early Sunday morning to make it back for church, we went Saturday night. It was neat seeing the boats, but the best part was the ride. It was so peaceful and tranquil. It was almost as if everything in the world, even for a moment, was at peace with each other.

On Sunday we had to wake up early, pack, and head home for church. Anna and I had to sing in the choir at church since we were the only 2 sopranos. I also had to teach the lesson in Sunbeams and Anna had to play the piano. So, we were needed at home and our fun vacation was at an end. All in all, this trip was a much needed vacation!

Here's some footage of Becca wakeboarding. She's much better than I am, I admit, so don't make fun of me!!!

Off To Bear Lake We Go...

Well, Sarah, Anna, and I are headed off to Bear Lake this weekend for a fun getaway. Jordan has to work, so we're leaving him home with the dog. Normally I'd take Daisy, but it's a busy weekend up at the cabin and I don't want to worry about chasing her everywhere or if she's barking too loud, etc. So, the girls are out to have fun in the sun!!

My dad is going to be the only man there this week. Liz may come up, but we're not sure yet. So for now the plan is to have Becca, Mom, Dad, Anna, Sarah, and me. Sorry Dad, you're grossly outnumbered :o)

I'll post pictures when I get back.

Independence Day

Well, this 4th of July was really fun, but also very exhausting. Maybe I'm just getting old, or something. Or, maybe it was because Sarah didn't sleep nearly the entire weekend!

Our 4th of July weekend started with a camping trip to Smith and Morehouse Reservoir on Thursday. Anna, Robert, Karina Lindsey, Jordan, Sarah, Daisy Mae, and I all went together. When we arrived it was raining and it continued to rain through the night. We did get our little boat on the reservoir, however, and within 10 minutes I caught 2 fish and Jordan caught none.

We headed back into camp when the rain continued and we had a very yummy cookout. We also cooked the 2 fish I caught and ate them as well. We forgot the salt and pepper, but the fish was still very yummy.

After sitting around the fire for a few hours, since we were all wet and cold, we headed to bed. Sarah got a sleeping bag for Christmas and this was our first chance to break it in. However, she didn't like it. She kept looking at me like, 'why are you placing me inside of this loud bag?!'. Poor bug, she didn't understand the concept and Jordan forgot her blankets. Needless to say, I got about 2 hours of sleep that night. Not too fun if you ask me.

Sarah had to sleep right in the middle of Jordan and me and Daisy felt she had to sleep at the bottom of where Sarah was. All in all, 4 people (including the dog) slept on a queen size air mattress. I don't know how we did it, but we managed to.

The next day we woke up to...SUN! Yeah!! Now we were all really excited for the day. We hurried and made breakfast, packed what we could, and headed out on the reservoir to fish. It was a lot of fun!!

I caught another 3 fish and Jordan finally caught 1. I only kept one and Jordan only kept his one as well. We had other bites, but weren't able to get them in the boat, so they don't count. We fished for a few hours and then decided to head in for lunch, clean-up, and then to head home.

The camping trip was a lot of fun and I'll go back to Smith and Morehouse again. It was a beautiful area and I was so glad that we were able to go, even if only for a night. I hope Sarah does better when we go to Cottonwood at the end of this month!!

After we got home, Jordan and I began the tedious, but much needed, unpacking and cleaning. I couldn't believe how much laundry we could produce from 1 day of camping. After growing impatient, since our dryer takes 3-4 hours to dry a load!, Jordan and I decided to trash our washer and dryer and buy new ones that would last us longer than 5 years!!

Off on our shopping adventure for a washer and dryer!! We went to Lowes, Best Buy, and then Home Depot. Best Buy's selections and customer service were horrible. Home Depot was okay, but they really only sold LG and a few other top loaders we didn't want, and Lowes by far had the best selection, deals, and prices. We ended up buying from them (sorry Adam--he works at the Home Depot in Logan).

So, come tomorrow we will have a nice Whirlpool steam washer and dryer, front loaders. Ahh, I am so excited to do laundry! Thought you'd never hear me say that, huh.

On Saturday Jordan had to work. So he went to Tooele and Anna, Sarah, Lynette, and I went to a sunrise ceremony in Murray Park. Anna plays the clarinet with the Murray City Band and they were performing at the early hour of 6:30am!! That's right, 6:30am! I had to wake Sarah up at 5:30am and we were out the door.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the band. They are really good! They have a concert next week, July 18th, at the Murray Amphitheater in the Park. I am looking forward to it as is Sarah. We all love music in the Resch home!!

After rubbing our eyes from loosing some much needed rest, we went home and waited till the stores opened. Sarah's b-day is coming up so I decided to hit the sales over the holiday weekend. I ended up getting her a few toys and some cute outfits. I even got Aiden his b-day gift too since his is in a few weeks.

Later that night, when Jordan came home from work, we headed to Grandma Lynette's home for dinner and to visit with cousin Amanda and Aunt Lani. It was great seeing them both! We had some chicken and some yummy green salad (I say that because the lettuce was from my garden). We visited together for a few hours and then we went our way for the evening.

We came home and I let Sarah play with some pop-it fireworks. She liked throwing them in the air and listening to them "pop!". It was really cute. After which, Jordan went out and bought a huge thing of fireworks because 'he was deprived as a child and never got to light fireworks at all'. I couldn't deny him the chance, so I let him go out and spend a little money. He had a blast lighting firework after firework. I don't think he cared about what the fireworks looked like, he was just happy to be lighting them.

Sunday came all too fast and left just as quickly. Now it's Monday and I'm headed back to work. Overall, though, the weekend was great! I'm so glad that I have a loving family to share it with!! I just hope next year I can make it to Bear Lake!!

Suprise Visit

Well, on Friday Jordan left to go camping with scouts leaving all the girls at home, even Daisy Mae. So, after an idea came to me, I decided to drive 2 hours to Logan and spend a night with my family. I convinced Anna to come with me, put Sarah in the car and the dog, and off we went.

However, we didn't tell my mom or dad we were coming. I was hoping they didn't decide to go to Bear Lake, since that would extend our travel by almost another hour. So when I called my mom, just for a casual conversation, I called the home phone to make sure she was there. To my relief, she was.

So, when we arrived we all decided it'd be best to ring the doorbell and give Nana the surprise of her life. Well, that's what happened. Anna, Sarah, Daisy and I stood with wide smiles as she opened the door. We practically gave her a heart attack she was so surprised!!

Well, we arrived late, so we ate a quick dinner, got Sarah ready for bed, and then watched a movie. The next day we woke up around 8am, ate some Belgian waffles dad made, and then Anna, Sarah, Daisy and I all decided to go hiking while my dad got ready for the day. My mom had to work, but my dad was home for the day so we decided to spend it with him.

We went hiking up Green Canyon, which is only about a mile away from my old home. We had a blast! We hiked up to the old cave, which there wasn't anything much to see, but Anna just wanted to hike up to it. We then walked the road for a little while all while Daisy was scoping out the area like a professional hunting dog (I trained her well :o) ).

When we came back, dad was ready for the day. We decided then to go to the Farmers Market, then Gossner Cheese, and then to the very small Logan Zoo. The Farmers Market was really small, but the veggies aren't in full swing yet. A lot of people were selling herbs and lettuce. but they don't last too well when cut and then laid out in the hot sun. Come another 3 weeks the Market will be huge!

At Gossners I got some of their famous squeaky cheese and then some of their delicious rootbeer milk. I got a case so when we had to leave somewhere quick or were going on a picnic we could grab one for Sarah and head out the door. She loves them and I do too.

After that, we went to the Zoo. Sarah loves, repeat, loves the zoo. She likes looking at all the animals, especially monkeys and ducks. Those are her all time favorite animals. We also saw pelicans. There were two of them who were sitting right next to the fence. Sarah walked right up to it and stared in marvel at these beautiful birds. I had to snap a picture. Isn't she so cute watching the birds?!

Mom decided to take off work early, since no one was coming into the office, and met up with us at the zoo for lunch. We had yummy sandwiches from Old Gristmill and enjoyed a great picnic in the park. Sarah especially loved that Nana was with her once again, and mommy wasn't leaving her anytime soon.

After that adventure at the zoo, despite the beautiful weather, we had to head home. Jordan was due home with the scouts and we didn't want to spend an entire day away from daddy even though it was him who left us poor girls alone. All in all, it was a great, weather wondrous weekend. We had a blast at Nana's and are so glad we were able to come unannounced with such a happy reception. Thanks again Nana and Bompa for letting us come and share our weekend with you!

Cottonwood

Well, our journey began last Saturday, June 13th. Jordan got off of work early, so we left the house around 2:30pm. Let me tell you, it rained the entire way to Bear Lake! I've never seen anything like it before. What normally would take us an hour and half to drive to took us over 2 hours! Evanston was a happy sight to see when we finally made it there!!! I drove Liz's car, since it was getting fixed in SLC and she needed it back, and Jordan drove the truck with the 4-wheeler and boat.


Once we made it to Bear Lake, the weather had simmered down. But, it was terribly cold. Sarah didn't take her nap in the car since the rain was pelting loud, and Jordan had gone to work at 4am, so they both dozed off to sleep at 8pm and I was left awake alone. But, soon I joined them and retired for the night.


The next day, Sunday, was beautiful at the lake. It was chilly, but despite the cold, it was sunny and bright. What a wonderful thing to see!!! We just had to take a walk on the beach together!


Sarah enjoyed getting outside and not being stuck in her car seat (but that didn't last too long since we headed out to Cottonwood in the afternoon).


Jordan also taught Sarah how to toss rocks. I'm still not sure it was the best of his ideas, but Sarah had fun saying, "One, two, one!" She doesn't quite understand there is another number after two and it is three. All well, it's so cute!!

Liz, Mike, Abby, and Aiden met us at the cabin around 11am. They hurried and repacked everything into the Saab from their truck while I gave the kids a Sunday School lesson. After which, we all left for Cottonwood!!!

The drive was nice, although Sarah once again didn't sleep, and soon we were at our beloved Cottonwood in Star Valley, WY. I love it there! Everything is so peaceful and serene. It is a break from reality and the stresses of life. The only thing we have to worry about is when to start cooking the next meal. Ahh, the relaxation and bliss.


When we arrived, it was raining. We unpacked all of our things, took our place in the loft upstairs, and prepared to make dinner for everyone. Justin and Lindsey didn't come till Monday, so we only had Becca & Adam, Liz, Mike, Abby, & Aiden, Mom & Dad, and my little family. Jordan decided he wanted steaks, asparagus, new potatoes, and salad, so that's what I made. He helped of course, since he is an amazing hubby who does help me a lot.



We went to bed with it raining outside and hoped the next day would bring some sun since family pictures where in sight. We woke up and weren't too surprised to see it was still raining. Jordan and I loaded the boat up with our fishing gear and off we went fishing in the rain. Abby decided she wanted to come along, so naturally she came. She's a cute 5 year old, huh! I was holding Sarah and wasn't able to get a good picture of us both together.



Fishing this year stunk despite the spring runoff. I tried to catch the largest fish, but Mike won me out. I did, however, catch a fish. Just not a keeper. Most weren't. In fact we only kept 2 fish out of the three days of fishing we did and we had 5 fishermen out in the boat. All well. There is also July when I go back!!



Later that day Justin and Lindsey arrived. No one saw them coming, so they had to run to the cabin in the pouring rain! (Sorry guys!!!) We then waited for a break in the rain so we could all run outside and get some family pictures. Here is the product of our rushing out.

From left to right, bottom row: Lindsey, me, Sarah Marie, Abby, Liz, Aiden, and Becca
From left to right, top row: Justin, Jordan, Dad, Mom, Mike, and Adam

There's the gang minus Jon whose on his mission in Cebu, Philippines. We thought about building a snowman and putting a tie on him so he could be Jon, but we didn't have enough time to build one between spurts of down pours.

Liz also took some pictures of all of us couples. Isn't she nice?! Thanks Liz!

To the left is a great picture of Adam and Becca. Aren't they a cute couple?! Becca and Adam will both be fine psychologists one day and they will also have some really adorable kids. Auntie Roo is so good with all the kidos!

To the right is a picture of Justin and Lindsey. After 3 years of marriage they are still two love birds. I think they'll always be that way and that can't be bad. Justin and Lindsey reside in Queen Creek, AZ.

To the left is a picture of Liz and her family. Abby, Mike, Aiden, and Liz. Abby is 5 going on 20, Aiden is 1 and dribbles everywhere! and Mike is Mike and teases everyone like crazy. Did I mention he cheats at games?! Well, he does. Even at Chutes and Ladders!! Well, Mike is a teaser of all teasers and we like that part of his personality. Aiden is going to be a lot like Mike and we can't wait till Liz gets phone calls from the school saying Aiden was 'acting out in class again'. He is one class clown!!

To the right is a picture of my family. Sarah is getting older and older so quickly! She's saying new words every day! Her favorite right now is this phrase: jibber-jabber, jibber-jabber, k. When she says 'k' it is so content and firm as if she is resolute. It is so adorable!! Nana also told me that she loves listening to Sarah talk, even in baby jibberish, because her voice sounds so musical. Perhaps I do have a little maestro on my hands. No complaints here.

The next day was great. We had a long period of sun while the next storm blew in. So, off we went on our 4-wheeler and explored nature around us. Legislation just passed a law that would make all off road vehicle trails off limits next year. So, we decided to take full advantage this year and go off road. Sarah had fun and found some mountain primrose flowers.

Sarah enjoyed the ride, although it was a little chilly. You can see the snow on the ground in the picture of me and Sarah on the 4-wheeler. It was cold!!!

After our little 4-wheeling adventure I put Sarah down for her nap. The rest of the family wanted to go hiking, so I left Sarah with Jordan and went hiking to Dead Lake (actually called Slide Lake). On the trail we saw where 2 avalanches had come down during the winter. It was a sight to see! Nature is pretty forceful. The only thing that survived was the young trees that were too little to snap, but bent instead. All the other trees where up rooted or had snapped off. Becca has those pictures on her camera, so those will have to come at a later time.


After the hike, we came back and made a fire for our cook out. This year Becca was in charge of the hot-dog roast. She made a very yummy fruit salad. She also brought Sarah's favorite chips...Cheetos.




We decided, since the sun was finally out, that the fishing might change. So, we all loaded into Grandpa Thorne's fishin' boat and in our lines went. With 5 lines in the water, we were sure to catch something. Well....it turned out Mike was the only one who caught something and it happened to be the first keeper. A nice cutthroat.

Some butterflies were also out, so Liz, Becca, Abby, and Sarah went butterfly catching. They caught a little skipper and then put it in the viewing cage until it calmed down. Once it had, they let it climb around for a little bit. It decided to land right on Sarah's head! She didn't even realize it was there, but we did!!


The next day it rained again. But, we were grateful for the sun we did have the day before since it was supposed to rain our entire trip. So, we stayed inside and played games. When the sun did come out, we all bundled up and went back out to enjoy a few minutes of sun.


Sarah, the entire trip, loved to put my hat on. She didn't want hers, just mine. So, one day when I was getting her ready for her shower, she put my hat on and went parading around the cabin in nothing but her diaper and hat on. Cute, huh!!

We also saw a lot of deer this trip. We saw a few doe that were still pregnant, but we also saw some fawns who couldn't be more than a few days old. They were so cute!! We saw a lot of bunnies as well. I was beginning to wonder where the predators were, but then I remembered how early in the season we were. With all of the bunnies something is bound to have a feast.


Jordan, Justin, and Mike also saw Mr. Beaver who flapped his tail at them a couple of times while they were fishing on the lake. he's been pretty busy as well. There is a large beaver dam that has been built up on one of the river deltas.

All in all, we had a wonderful trip at our beloved Cottonwood.

Family Pictures

Well, here are the family pictures we took on Mother's Day this year. Thanks to my sis Liz for such wonderful pictures!

Off to Cottonwood We Prepare...

Well, now that we're back from Alaska, Jordan, Sarah, and I are planning our family trip to our cabin in Star Valley, Wyoming. Yep, that's where I based my book out of (An Unforeseen Life). I love the area and wish I could spend all my time there fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. I know, I sound like some country girl, don't I? Well, I did grow up in Logan in the 80's and back then, it was country land.

I got Sarah a butterfly net so we are all set to catch some butterflies this year. I have to find a viewing cage though. I don't like killing anything unless there is a great purpose behind it. Since Sarah is way too young for 4-H right now, she's looking at them and not collecting them.

Sarah is doing well. She's grown a foot this last couple of weeks, or so I think. She's so tall and too tall for her own good. She can sit on adult chairs and be at a good level to eat at. She really doesn't need a booster seat, but I like to put her in it because then she's eye level with me. Wow, she's one tall babe!

Since summer is here, I am already planning Sarah's b-day party. I know, I know, it's not till Aug. 14th, but still there is always time to plan. It's going to be a Luau this year. So, pull out those grass skirts and coconut bras ladies, men gather your togas, we're going to learn how to hula dance!!! Yep, that's right. I've assigned Anna and Karina to be the teachers. (We'll see...)

The weather has been very springish and I love it. I like the smell of rain. I like to walk when it's raining too (as long as it's not a downpour). My veggie garden likes the rain as well. It's in full growing season right now and soon I'll be able to harvest. Yum!!

Well, we leave Saturday for Bear Lake (we're spending a night there before we head up to Cottonwood) and then Sunday we're off to our beloved Heaven on Earth. Sarah is going to have so many happy memories there! I have too many to count and I'm still looking forward to more and more every year.