In March we took a weekend trip to St. George. We loved the way we felt while escaping reality, we did things we didn't typically do, and spent time bonding even more as a family. It was because of those things I decided to set a goal for our family to consistently have a getaway of some sort on our agenda. I felt like it would be good for us to constantly have something to look forward to as well as explore new places. The same day I set this goal for us, I booked a 4 day, 3 night stay at Fish Lake Resort. Although we had been to Fish Lake before, I thought it would be a fun way to kick off our summer. Plus, I believe no matter how many times you visit a place there is always something new to be discovered. The trip did not disappoint. We had spent the last four months looking forward to this particular weekend. The weeks leading up to the day we would finally take off I did so much planning and preparing. Camping with a child requires a lot of extra work, and of I wanted to make sure we would have the very best time possible, of course. Wednesday, the day before we left, Drayze and I spent the entire day packing and preparing. We had three different people ask us if we were moving again. It really does take
that much stuff for a weekend of camping. Thursday July 23rd finally came and it was time to go!
About 2 hours through different small towns in Utah and numerous winding roads we made our way to our destination. The excitement Drayze expressed the moment he realized we would be spending the next few days completely outside in the wilderness was priceless. He didn't waist any time getting dirty as he continuously tried to catch the wild squirrels and bunnies all while Zac and I unloaded our things and set up camp. We arrived about three hours before Jana and her family did, so we spent that time simply being together. We knew we were going to be up for quite the weekend as the adults would be outnumbered by the children, 4 against 7 to be exact. We spend those few hours enjoying the small amount of time it would be just us three. We took a walk down by the lake, put our poles in the water for a minute, checked out the Fish Lake Lodge Store, took a peak in the Marina and enjoyed simple conversation among each other.
By the time the Boyd's finally arrived we had only enough time to help them set up camp before it became dark. When the sun went down we prepared dinner and sat around the campfire planning the next couple of days while roasting marshmallows.
At Fish Lake they have a Marina that offers boat rentals. We had planned on renting a pontoon boat since the day we booked the trip, but unfortunately we didn't get to it fast enough when we made our reservation. We decided to check with the Marina just in case someone had canceled and to our surprise and rare luck, they do save one pontoon boat for "first come first serve." As it was a busy weekend there being a holiday and all Zac and Jesse had decided to hit the marina very first thing the following morning. Unfortunately 5:30am just wasn't early enough, someone else had beat them to the reservation. What a bummer at the time, but in the end we still had a wonderful day. The first half of that Friday was spent fishing from the shore, letting the kids splash in the water, paddle boarding and soaking up the sun. Zac, Drayze and I took a quiet drive through the canyon, the scenery was breathtaking. As we were talking about how beautiful it was out there, Drayze's stomach disagreed. He became slightly car sick and puked all over himself and car seat. Not quite what we had in mind, but thankfully after a quick nap he was good as new. The second half of the day Zacary and I had decided to go ahead and rent a small tin fishing boat. What a good decision. Although the fishing still wasn't very good, we enjoyed being out on the water and spending quite time together on the lake.
Saturday morning we were bound and determine to snag the pontoon boat for the day. Jesse and I woke up around 4am to ensure we would be the first there. Sure enough our plan worked, and we were able to call the boat ours for the day. It was a lot of fun being able to go anywhere on the lake we desired, but I do have to admit, 11 people fishing on a boat at one time is FAR too many. It's fair to say the chaos and countless hours spent in the sun that day was exhausting, but one of the most memorable things we will have experienced this summer. The fishing wasn't the best, but the time spent together was what it was all about. Ironically a couple of our friends, Cameron Painter, his lady Christina and their little boy, Mac were camping just a couple miles down from where we were for a family reunion. They were able to come visit during the evening around the fire which was so nice.
Sunday morning we were all exhausted and drained from the sun, so we basically just packed up our things and headed for home. The weekend was definitely one we will always remember. It was an adventure I'm glad we took on. We made memories that will last a life time and because even closer as a family. I learned there is no way I could be a mother of that many children, and I definitely like the luxuries of being home. More than that I learned Zac is indeed the one person I am meant to spend forever with, and we aren't doing too bad of a job raising our child. Funny how one little camping trip can teach you such things.
Now on to the next adventure.....
