May 2007 Utah Trip

We were able to get ready for our trip early for the first time and so we decided to use Memorial Weekend as part of it so Athena could get the extra day off work and we could stay longer. This was our most successful packing/getting ready and our most successful trip back to UT so far. Athena has been taking more pictures lately so there are many (and some INCREDIBLE) ones that she got on this trip. We took off in the early afternoon and Athena pulled some of her usual power-driving and we drove all night until we got to UT.


The sun is just starting to come up as we cruise through eastern Nevada.



It's official. It's been an all nighter and the day has come. A few more hours driving and we'll be at Athena's parents to recover some before heading up to our camp at Jordanelle.


Athena took almost every picture this first night up there. There are some crazy ones in the mix from trying to use the night setting on the camera. This one's a ghostie pic of Nick.


I didn't have nearly the beer this trip as in trips past. :p I think everyone gets caught with beers in hand this trip more than me except Tom. LOL Of course some of the days with little or no beer I still had a few nips of my Gin and Chronic (trademarked). ;) Of course I shared but you'll never know who sampled. Could have been anyone from my Athena to that fine upstanding fellow Tom to anyone else around...


I believe this bust up was due to the comic stylings of Tom. Hard to be sure since there was LOTS of laughing that night. :)





Some wild camp fire pics and I can't tell who is breathing flames in this last one but I think it might be me.



I took the last couple to get either side of the fire and all the peeps from that night.





Avi ran out of steam. She did awesome and made it really easy going camping up there.


It's the next morning (well it's late morning anyway since some of us were a little haggard from the debauchery the night before).


Once we finally all had gotten going for the day we decided to bust out the portable folf basket Athena got me and do some putting practice and throw a few made up holes.



Aviendha had a fun time playing in the grass and blowing the weeds.


I made up a quick course setup for around the world to start. Looks like Tom is moving on to the next spot when this one goes in. :)



ROFL! Such an adorable and funny little girl! She's Dad's little sweetie!


We all were sucking badly at the around the world and finally decided to create a few par 3 holes to play instead.


Quite possibly the ugliest picture ever taken of me. :0 Am I taking a shit or throwing a disc?!


Now that looks much more like folfing than pooping. :)


High Five!


Athena, tinkering with the camera if not the ipod. ;)


I don't think many of us ever fully recovered from the fun the first night. These are from just relaxing around camp deciding whether to fish or what.


Hahaha, lots of times Avi will get mad at the sun in her eyes. This time she just squinted cutely.


Athena making us up the nights batch of Pot Chocolates (trademarked).


Looks like not everyone is too sure about this. ;)


Jenny arrived that evening. It seemed like Jenny and Steve had a fun time and were doing lots of talking. :) It was great to have gotten us all up there for some good times!


Avi makes a new friend. :)


They spent awhile playing that afternoon and Avi was laughing and having fun.



"I want Tom's chair!" LOL if Tom wasn't sitting in it, it was the first chair most people were trying for.


Rod pulled the silent disappearing act a bunch of times. One minute he would be there and the next he would be gone. He may or may not be right back. One evening he disappeared only to return to hang out with me right before dousing the fire around 3 in the morning. :)


The last pictures were from bumming/dozing around camp before we were all ready to try some fishing. You look too clean to be camping, Nick. :p


To the reservoir.


Sure I let Wagner use my pole for a sec and its a tangled mess! Actually the line on that pole was really old and shitty and kept messing with all of us.


I think fish must be afraid of beauty because none of us even got a bite with this fisherwoman on the shore.


Back from the fishing failure to do some dinner and hanging out. (We were hoping and I was REALLY hoping to have caught at least a fish or 3 to cook up for dinner!) It sure was GREAT getting to see a lot of Nick this last trip. We spent a lot of good time talking and having a bunch of fun!


The leaves on the trees were really trippy when the wind got blowing them all at once. Several of us were reminded of trippin in the old days. This picture however is extra trippy!


I stayed up partying all night our last night in camp. When the sun came up I started to get our camp all cleaned up and towards the very end (it was damn messy) I got bored and mischievous. Tom had left out the last of his eggs the night before and I found them under the picnic table in the morning. Since I could hear Tom stirring I knew he'd be out soon so I laid him a little trail of egg knowing he'd have to step on at least one! :)


Good Morning!


And SPLAT! I just missed him stepping on it while waiting for the camera to get ready for another pic from the last one. The crazy part is that Tom was up and in such a hurry to get going that he didn't even notice the eggs or the splat! I cleaned up the mess while he was off trying to locate a cart to pack his stuff up and had to go pass out before he made it back to camp so I could laugh and show him the pics.


This is at Granny Mann's house! This trip we were able to make it over for a good little visit 1 evening. She is my Dad's, Mom.


Granny is a character! In many ways she and I are alike. I was glad we got over there and we'll have to stop by again next time.


She was VERY excited to see Mat and have him give her hugs!


Friggin Aviendha! The cutest little monster ever!!


Don't leave your sun-glasses there Nick. Nick and Tom are the same in that they are fully capable of leaving a trail of all their stuff behind them throughout a day.


Off to the new water park in N. Ogden.


It was all kiddie stuff so I just got my feet wet and took lots of pictures.



Hmm...what's cuter to me...? The little girl wins but the legs to the right are a close 2nd. ;)




Avi had a pretty good time but was more concerned with walking around and looking at everything than playing in the water.


Mat on the other hand was off to the races and playing so much it took all of us to even keep an eye on him.




I'll leave you all to write the caption for this one. :)


Avi trying to steal a ball from the people next to us.


Avi and her cousins.



Toward the end Mat was alternating hitting the slide and playing spray the girls!



Grandma Maggie coming down the only adult slide they had. To slow and small for me to put the camera away and get wet. :)


Athena's turn!


One of the hotter things I have been privileged enough to see. Swimsuit model type stuff watching her come up out of the water...just not the fastest camera work to catch it all. ;)




The last 3 were some pics from the fun we were having at Craig and Debbie's that evening.




OK, this next group of pictures is FANTASTIC! Athena took all these next shots while Nick and I were battling it out in a 44-Hole official PDGA tournament. Especially the next 2 pics! They are probably the best that either of us has ever taken of the kids!! The lighting was excellent and between that and the expressions and Athena's camera angles they turned out surreal (especially at full size). Way to go Bub!!





My handsome big buddy!


And my adorable little angel!



ROFL! I've NEVER seen a dog smile like Harley was smiling this trip to be back with Grandma (Mom to him now). He was grinning so big from ear to ear a couple times he couldn't even see because his eyes where forced into such a squint!


Athena and I knew from our first trip out there with him that he would be perfect for Debbie!



Kisses for Grandma, Avi!


Craig cooked us up a fine meal for one of the evenings we spent together. It was delicious and just what we needed after too much eating out!


Sara and Cadence stopped over for a visit that afternoon.








Athena got a bunch of cute ones there too.


Our last Saturday there (we left Sunday evening). We threw a big party at Rods house and lots of the peeps were able to make it. It was good to see Robbie when he was able to swing over for a bit. Maybe next time we can get to see Regina and the kids too. Athena, it's way to early to get that trashed and that's a little too big to drink Eric! :)


Athena got a pic of Vanessa here. We got to see Jourdan and Vanessa a few times this trip like usual which was nice. Steph Dickerson and Alisha Ward both stopped by at Rods this night too and it was great to get to see them even if it was short. Next time we come we will have to all get together and let the babies play!


LOL Eventually it was a race to see who could keep upright in their chair and not pass out Me or Wagner. She was looking pretty tired that night and I was at the wall that not many people have ever seen me hit of fatigue to near full on delirium. I was having a great time though and I was still OK at this point.


Still doing ok, but when the power of this puffin tuff wore off I was DONE FOR!!


Tom you silly bastard!


Athena did more conserving of energy (and no 44-hole tournament in 90+ degree weather with heaps of Gin and Chronic) and was ready to party fools into the ground this last night! ;) You can't see it in this pic but Athena is wearing a super-cool and hot Alex Grey top. Oh yeah she did wear it to Coachella too if anyone wants to check it out. Alex Grey has some pretty nice artwork he's put to clothes.


Don't let Jenny see you take the pic or you get the faces. :)


Hahahaha... and here I am at the Wall and my tank well past empty! I have done all I can and I can do no more (I was trying not to fall out of my chair asleep)!! Shortly after this I stumbled into our tent and passed out until I woke up sick for a few minutes 3 hours or so later when it was just Athena, Jenny, and Steve still partying it up (I think). When we woke up Jenny and Steve had pulled an all nighter and were supposed to be heading to Lagoon that afternoon (not sure if they made it, lol).


Sunday afternoon and I am getting the car all packed up (with some help but I like to do the actual packing of the car myself) while everyone hangs out a little longer and gets ready to say our hard to say good-byes! We're sure going to miss all the fun and the people we spent time with until we get back to do it again A.S.A.P.!