Lake Powell 2022

Ok...now can summer be over? Labor Day weekend is the un-official end of summer, but our summer really doesn't end until we go to Lake Powell. We love going to Powell in September because the water is still warm enough to enjoy swimming in, but it's not blazing hot outside so you can still be comfortable just sitting on the boat. It is also a good way to end our boating season. Each year, we have a different group join us. This year, we let Dallin and Daniel bring a friend each (Jeffrey and Jared), and Amber decided to leave Jacob behind to do all his wrestling stuff and bring her friend, Sarah. Jonas, Jeff, and I rounded out the group...and let me say, it was a party! There were tons of laughs, lots of fun, and a few unfortunate, yet memorable events. It all started when Jeff left his phone on the side of the boat as we were getting it ready to launch. I was unaware of the phone's location. I guess he just assumed someone saw it, but by the time he got back in the boat, the phone was nowhere to be found. After doing a little tech investigation, we were able to see it's location so after we had spent a couple hours on the lake and gone to get dinner, Jeff and I decided to return to the marina to find it. We sent the kids on to the hotel to check in and get settled for the night. I was hopeful that the phone was somehow ok, but the shattered device indicated otherwise. While not an ideal way to start the trip, Jeff was actually excited to get one of the newer, smaller, iPhones. Plus, we just switched out his SIM card with Dallin's phone so he could still get his business calls. I guess there's always a silver lining somewhere, but our adventures didn't stop there. By the time, we made it back to the hotel the kids managed to get themselves stuck in the elevator. Yes, you read that right! They decided to "jump on 3" and when the 7 of them (plus their bags) did so, it must have triggered a safety response and immediately stopped the lift between floors 1 and 2. We didn't know whether to scold them or to laugh. Only our kids would do something like that! While they should just use the elevator as a tool to transport them between floors, in their defense, I don't think any of them expected that to happen. Well, to make matters more interesting, the elevator mechanic was 3 hours away! The hotel finally contacted the fire department and within minutes an ambulance and fire truck showed up with their sirens blaring and lights flashing. Seriously! Could this get any more comical?! The nice firemen had a key to override the doors and eventually got the kids out. Dallin felt pretty silly because it was his idea, but it turned out to be ok. I think they were only in there for less than an hour. Jonas said he was a little nervous but the other kids did a great job entertaining themselves while they waited to be rescued. I wish I could say the adventures ended there but the following night, Jeff's wallet was stolen. We completed another fun day out on the lake and ran into town for dinner before going to the hotel. We enjoyed a yummy meal then headed to Walmart to grab a few items we needed for our last day. It was only about a 6 minute drive and when we got there, Jeff realized he'd left his wallet on the table at the restaurant. Within the 15 minutes we were gone, someone had taken the wallet. Jeff was pretty certain it was one of the busboys, but no one admitted anything. Jeff did contact the police, but ultimately it was gone. To be honest, it wasn't the end of the world. Amber and Dallin both had their bank cards (because I decided to leave mine at home since Jeff had his) so we were able to continue on with our trip, but it bothered me that there are people out there who are dishonest enough to do that. We canceled the cards and have since replaced them and gotten new drivers licenses (I did put my DL in his wallet), but there was some money in the wallet that is obviously gone for good. I just hope that the person who took the wallet perhaps needed that money more than we did and is putting it to good use. Ok...that ends all the "adventures"! The trip was actually really great in spite of all those things. We got there Thursday, September 15th, in the afternoon. We spent a couple hours on the boat that day then returned all day Friday and Saturday. We really love that lake. We explored new canyons, found cool new places to board, whipped the kids around on the tubes, let them cliff jump, and so much more. There is something serene about being in a location only accessed by boat. It's like a secret little world that only few get to experience. 

Sunday morning, we went to church then decided to hike over to Horseshoe Bend before going home. I was sad that it had to come to an end, but also ready to move on to all the fun Fall stuff. I love spending time with the kids. It was fun to see them with their friends and to get to know those friends better. We definitely laughed a lot! It was definitely a weekend to remember!