Camping at Lake Powell

We have a little tradition that when our children finish their phonics program (Sing, Spell, Read and Write) we let them pick some place in our state they would like to go. My dear daughter, SH age 8, chose to go to Lake Powell, a beautiful lake on the Arizona-Utah border.

We left last Monday taking my brother-in-law’s boat and then renting a water bike. All was going well at first. SM and ZJ were taking turns driving the water bike and their faces had the biggest smiles.

Then WE decided to get on with them. For some reason they tipped and then the bike wouldn’t start. We got the water bike back to shore and investigated. Lo, and behold, the engine had water in it. My husband was sure that it was ruined.

Here he is buried in the engine compartment investigating.

Would it run again? If it didn’t he was going to take it back to the rental shop. I was feeling a little uneasy at the thought of that since my son had drifted into the boat and broke the bikes side mirror off. What would it look like if less than 2 hours after they rented it we returned it with not only a broken mirror but an engine that was totaled?

Fortunately the bike started after my hubby worked on it for awhile.

The rest of the trip was trouble free except for this little incident… 

The tow rope for the inner tube got sucked into the propeller on the water bike. Back to damage control, where hubby went to work again, along with the mighty strength of some of the younger crew.

We had a wonderful few days. We had our own little cove where the kids could wakeboard, inner tube, cliff jump and tear around on the water bike.

Here are SH age 8 1/2 (the one who finished the phonics program – yea!), JM age 3, and my hubby.

AE age 10 months.  (Isn't she precious?)

One night we lay in the tent and sang songs of praise and the next night we read from The Secret Garden.

I love the sense of family togetherness you feel when camping. There’s nothing like laying in a tent after a fun and exhausting day, drifting off to sleep with the brilliant sky overhead, fresh air wafting over you and your children lying nearby.

But then of course, I’m always happy to see home and all the modern comforts it offers.