Our CRAZY Camping Trip

This past weekend Chris and I decided last minute to go camping. We made yummy tin foil dinners and brought stuff to make pineapple upsidedown cake. By the time we packed up the car it was already 7:30 and we had an hour drive to get to Strawberry Reservoir. I hate setting up camp in the dark so we were racing against the sun setting the whole time. As we're hurrying to get to the Reservoir we notice we dont have much gas in the tank...but we figure we're not that far away and we'll be fine. With only 10 miles to go and the sun setting in the rearview window we come upon an accident that just happened! We're only five cars behind it, but since it was so bad they had to call in lifeflight and we had to wait for over an hour until they started letting cars through. So much for getting there in the day....



Chris and I waiting in the car for over an hour while we wait for the police to let cars through.








Then, once we get to Strawberry Resevoir it is now dark and since neither of us had been here before we had to stop at the visitor's center to look at a map. We had heard that Indian Creek was a good place to camp, so even though it was halfway around the lake we decided to try and find it. (keep in mind we dont have much gas). So off we go driving around the lake trying to look for this tiny sign that says Indian Creek. After driving for more then 20min and having NO idea where we were, we see a couple other car headlights heading up this one road. We drive up to it and finally we found it! We keep driving up this dirt road to find that ALL the campsites are full! By now its getting close to 1030, we're bother tired, frustrated, and hungry and we still had to set up camp, build a fire, and cook tin foil dinners! As we're trying to determin if we have enough gas to keep looking for another place we spot the last campsite in the whole area! The only this is that its up this huge hill that normally wouldn't be so bad, but we're in my honda sedan! We try to two wheel it up the hill and finally made it!

I hurry up and put together the tent while Chris starts on the fire. Not long into we realize the wood we have is too green and wet and wont stay lit! Luckily we brought a camping stove and pot (always come prepared! ;) I don't think a meal ever tasted so good! We were too exhasted to cook the pineapple upsidedown cake so we crawled into bed. With our neighbors playing Creed at a deafening volume, we finally fall asleep. Not more then a couple hours later Chris and I jump out of bed because it starts pouring!! Chris, the good husband that he is, gets out of his nice warm bed and hurrys to throw all the camping gear we left outside into the car while getting soaked to the bone. The sun wakes us up not too much longer and we decided to get up. We brought muffins to eat in the morning and as we're sitting around our not too impressive smoking fire hundreds of flies start to swarm us!! I keep bating them off me and put on a hoodie and Chris just sits still and they're landing all over his shirt and face! I was laughing so hard! We ran to get into the car and finish our breakfast. Then on the count of three we hurried and took down camp and got out of there as fast as we could without getting eaten alive!





This is a picture of the huge hill we had to drive up (not a good angle, it really was steep!)

And our campsite the next morning as I'm trying to peak my head out and not let any bugs in!





Since we didn't have ANY gas we didn't get to do any sight-seeing and had to find a gas station as soon as possible. The lake and that whole area was really pretty. And even though we didn't have that good of an experience we'll have to go back another time in the day :)



But the weekend wasn't a total bust, we went to Park City and went shopping at the outlet mall! Chris' birthday is next week, so he got some early birthday presents.





Chris and I over looking Canyons Resort

Bridal Veil Falls on the drive back home. So beautiful!

You can probably tell from the earlier pictures that I got my haircut! I love it and it's so much cooler for the summertime!

Happy 4th of July

This 4th of July was so fun! We started off the weekend having a bbq and playing volleyball with my sister Janelle and a couple of her friends. Then saturday we watched the freedom festival parade, went to 7 peaks, and watched the stadium of fire fireworks. We had a really good time and can't wait until next year!

Right before we left to the parade it started pouring! So we grabbed the umbrella on our way out. Knowing Utah weather of course it stopped in less then 10 min and we ended up using the umbrella to block the sun since it ended up being in the high 90's that day!

The floats weren't anything compared to Disneyland parades, but.... I was still impress how good they looked!

Ok I know we look a little retarded in this picture, but it was so dark out and the camera had such a bright flash this is the best picture we could get!

This next week we're leaving to Nauvoo with my family. We're so excited! Seven of us are going to cram into my parents minivan with all our luggage and drive the 18 hours there...need less to say it will be a VERY fun trip. But on the way back Chris and I are going to fly!

My grandparents are on a mission in Nauvoo and my family is going to do the Nauvoo Pagent. We'll be gone for a week and a half, I'll have so much to blog about when we get back!

Disneyland 2009

This past week Chris and I went to Disneyland with his brother, sister-in-law, their two kids, and his parents. It was so fun! The weather was so nice and we had such a great time. We spent five days there and got to go to both Disneyland and California Adventure. Chris and I had never been to California Adventure and we hadn't been to Disneyland since we were little kids. They had so many more rides and we went on all of them!!

Day 1:

The first day we got there we had such a good time, we went to the castle and took all the famous pictures :)

Nobody is in this picture...I just thought it was really cool with Walt Disney, Mickey and the castle in the background.

We went to toontown and had fun playing around and being silly.

Later that night we went out to ice cream!!! It's a good thing I married into a family that loves ice cream as much as I do!

At night Disneyland is so magical! Everyone has cool light up toys and balloons, and everynight they have an awesome firework show.

We watched fantasmic our first night there, it is such an amazing show. If you haven't seen it, it's a light show on the water front with lots of famous Disney characters. So magical and fairytale like.

Day 2:

Before we left to Disneyland all three families decided to make matching t-shirts that we could wear one day. Chris and I brainstormed forever about what we should do. Finally I had this great idea that we should put our faces on Mickey and Minnie Mouse! We had them made before we left and this is how they turned out! I thought they looked so cute and we got alot of compliments on them :)

Even though Chris and I don't have any kids, it was so fun watching Scot and Traci's sons Mason and Chace and seeing their eyes light up to everything they saw! It made Disneyland that much better

Indiana Jones is one of my favorite rides, we went on it probably three times. I never really liked the movies, but the ride is awesome!

We rode the train all wearing our family shirts. We have such a cute family :)

It got so hot at Disneyland toward the middle of the day, so everyday around 2 we would go back to the hotel and swim and layout. Two of my favorite things to do!

Later that night we went pack to the park and rode more rides! We were a little too cheap to buy the pictures they take on the rides, but we took pictures of them. On the Splash Mountain picture Chris and I are in the back and some guys hand is over my face :(

Day 3:

On the third day we went to California Adventure. It is such a fun park. It has lots of big rides, and they made it kind of a carnival theme.

California, or.... Chris and Amber :)

While Chris' parents and brother and sister-in-law went on a ride we watched the kids. We took them to this little show they were having and afterward out came Woody and Mickey Mouse. Mason was so excited! It was so cute, we had to snap a few pictures and video.

Look how cute we are...

We watched so many 3-D movies! I normally don't like watching them cause they make me sick, but they were so well done and so interesting that I didn't! We saw Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Muppet show, and It's Tough to be a Bug. Which was so cool cause they had a stink bug that sprayed smoke, and another bug that sprayed water, then they had huge fake bugs come down through the ceiling! It was so cool!

One of the scariest rides we went on was Hollywood Tower of Terror. It was so crazy! I had been on rides that drop you before, but this one dropped you 12 stories. Not just once, but like five times it kept doing it over and over! And at the top they would open the doors and you could see all over the amusment park! It was a really fun ride, but once was enough...you can tell by my face in the picture. We're in the top left corner.

They had so many cute photo stops, and since I love pictures we had to stop at all of them. Thanks to Chris for being patient and letting me take so many pictures.

Later that night we watched the Electrical Parade. It was one of my favorites, the lights were so pretty, especially at night!

Mason and I watching the parade.

Day 4:

In this picture you can see how California Adventure is set up like a carnival, this ferris wheel was so cool. It had stationary booths and other booths that would loop around inside the ferris wheel. Kinda hard to explain... but it was cool.



Just showing off a little skin.... and Traci showing off her awesome cast!

She had to wear a walking cast the whole time we were there, but don't worry it actually was great that she did because she got a wheelchair and we got to go to the front of all the lines since she was "handicaped," hehe. Love you Traci!

We're still kids at heart.

Right inside California Adventure they have a huge Golden Gate bridge.

We got to watch the Pixar Play Parade and they had some pretty cool floats. With water squirting and bubbles!

Mason loves the Cars movie, need less to say he was so excited when Lightning McQueen came out.

Chris just hanging out with some bears

We all went on this river rapids ride. It was so fun, but we did get a little wet!

One of the last nights we were there we went to this rodeo roundup ranch for dinner. The food was so good, and the entertainment was great!

Don't we have such a happy family?!

All the girls had to show off the pictures on their camera to eachother!

Mmm homemade lemonade and ribs!! We got a little messy... I had to wear a cloth bib tucked in my shirt!

This was the amazing dessert we got! It was almost too pretty to eat!


Day 5:

The last day we went to Downtown Disney. We went to Lego Land and got all our shopping done!

We ate so good while we were there, and the last day we ate at the Rainforest Cafe and then got ice cream. What more could you ask for?!

We all had such a good time and were sad to leave!

Thanks Mike and Barb for taking us all on this great family trip! We had so much fun and made some great memories! We are so greatful for all that you do for us, we love you!!

Good-bye Disneyland we'll miss you, can't wait to visit again!