Lake Powell with The Long-West-Woods Families!

Okay, I've been home a week and I haven't been motivated to blog about my Lake Powell trip. I don't get it, it was so much fun! I should be motivated!! Still not motivated, but I've decided to just post some pictures up at least. I will just say, that these pictures do not even do Lake Powell justice!!! If you haven't been... YOU HAVE TO GO SOMETIME!!!!!!!!!

I've been fortunate to be invited for the past three years by my cousin and her husband to Lake Powell. This year we ventured further down than Bullfrog Marina (which is about a 4 1/2 hour drive) onto Antelope Marina (about an hour or so outside of Page, AZ about a 6 1/2 hour drive!) This year we went to a brand new place, to be the very first group on a brand new houseboat. I swear to you, this boat was pretty fly!!! Pictures just do NOT do it justice. The Marina was awesome. It felt like it was a lifestyle for the Rich and Famous! When you first get there, you unload your car and put all your luggage and things out, and they load it on up to a golf cart and take it on down to the houseboat for you, as well as give you a ride down there. NICE!

Everything was great, fun, relaxing and just beautiful. I finally got to swim after a year and a half of no swimming... and I am now officially complete! lol. I can say, this was definitely the way to start your swimming up again! I loved every second of it!!!!!!! As always, I definitely have to thank the Cochlear America's team for making this happen!!! They worked so hard to let me finish the study early. I'm so grateful they were willing!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, if you don't see enough exclamations, it's because words don't express just how grateful I REALLY am!!!) They're the best. I miss them.

Here are some pictures. Enjoy!


This is one of the MANY golf carts that took our things down to the houseboat. They even had carts attached to them to take a big load of people around.


This picture just doesn't show how awesome the houseboat really was!!!! It was fully loaded... Full Kitchen, two refrigerators and freezers. 2 extra ice makers along with the ones in the freezers. 2 full baths, 6 bedrooms already made, including extra storage space for more beds to be made. Big screen tv, leather sofas, top deck loaded with a Grill, patio table and chairs, a bar, sink in the bar, fridge at the bar, lounge chairs and sofas, layout chairs, kayaks, two wave runners... etc etc etc! I'm telling you! Pictures won't do this justice! It was "so money!" (haha, thanks matty)

This picture doesn't do it justice. I'll just say this, I'd love to have THIS as my kitchen!!!!! WOW.

We spent some time here, this was right next to the kitchen. So it was all one room. People brought different movies. The kiddies watched a lot of movies. At night, the teenagers and young adults (yes, I'm calling myself a young adult... because I am!!!!) watch Arrested Developement. hahaha. Best show ever.

These are the couches we watched the movies on. OH SO COMFORTABLE!!! #1 rule was we had to be completely dry if we wanted to sit on these couches. There was a kitchen table right next to it, so that helped alot. That was a rule of common sense if you ask me!

This is my niece Zoe. She is 2 years old and this was the first time her and my sister in law came on the Lake Powell trip. I took so many pictures of this cute little girl, I just had to include her. She loved playing with her little horses... I loved this picture. She was so serious. I even named her horses for her, Argento and Calipso and she was freaking out saying, "No! no! Horsey! Horsey! And I told her they had to have names... her reply to that was "Why?" She was full of "why's" on this trip. It was funny.

We stayed docked at the marina for a couple days and finally took the houseboat out. It was a little stressful parking such a huge boat for Shane, but he's a pro. This was the view we had from our boat every day we were there. NICE! This was called "Gunsight Butte". Don't ask my why, I don't know why!

Morning view on Lake Powell. Oh pictures just don't do this place justice! Gorgeous every time!

Shane wanted us to go hike to the Rainbow Arch again this year. I was dreading it a little I'll admit. It was a mile and 1/4 hike and was hotter than hades last year. This year, the water had gone up, that the hike was only 2/3 of a mile! There was a slight breeze, this hike was awesome! Good one Shane. Here's the whole clan that went! The Long-West-Woods!

My brother Matty is the engineer behind this picture... It's not spot on, but you get the gist! If you notice, I have a safety pin on my strap. First day I wear that new swimsuit, it broke on me! I was mad! Oh well.

Two nights in a row we had Margarita's on the top deck at the bar. I bought these glasses at the dollar store! lol. My cousin Kara bought the rest of the stuff, and Matt made the margarita's. YUM-O!!!!! We had a blast. They were virgin Margarita's of course.

You know, us cousins HAD to do a fun drinking picture. lol. I have TONS more, but I'm putting the most decent picture up. haha. It was funny. Love my cousins!

Here we are on our last day on the houseboat. Shane and Kara (my cousin and her husband that invite us to go with them to Lake Powell) had shirts made for all of us. I forgot to upload a picture of it on photobucket so I don't have a close up on here yet. The shirts said on the back, The Long-West-Woods Lake Powell 2008 and had all of our first names on it. Then at the bottom it said, see you next year Blake and Trent with a question mark. Blake and Trent are on their missions right now. We missed them this year! It was really cool they did that shirt for us. They truly are a very giving and kindhearted couple. I just love them. (Even if we didn't go to Lake Powell with them, I would love them this much!) We were all tired, exhausted and HOT when we took this picture. We almost didn't do it! But I'm glad we did. This was taken top deck of the boat. I feel lucky we got to go, and had so much fun. These pictures don't even tell the story... but this is what you get!!

By they way, The Long-West-Woods are the three families that go. The Longhurst Family (my uncles family), West Family (my family), The Woods (my cousins family)