Frandtastic!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

September 11, 2011

Reflecting back 10 years ago today, I decided to re-read a journal entry I made on September 11, 2001.
I was 13 years old, just starting a new year of school at Hillcrest Jr. High.

I wrote:

"Today has been so scary."
"I went to Jazz Band then I went upstairs and everyone was asking me if I had heard about the News. I told them 'no' and they told me 3 planes were highjacked, 2 hit each tower of the World Trade Center, the other hit the Pentigon. I kept hearing more and more about it through-out the school day."

"When I got home I watched the news. (I also watched it 3rd period English, with Mr. Miller). I learned another plane had also been hyjacked, but it crashed in some woods in Pennsylvania before it hit anything. And now the news is saying that Astgavistan or something like that has been bombed, probably by the US which means there will be a war. I am so scared."

I then bored my soul to that journal; my 13 year-old testimony about prayer and faith and preparedness. It was all I felt I had at the time. I ended the entry: "I know if we have faith, everything will be okay".

...

I would have never been able to predict that 10 years later, to the day, I would be living so close to the location of the events of that day. As I watched the "Reading of the Names" this morning, I couldn't believe the number of people killed that were from New Jersey, from cities where I work, go to church, and even the city I now live. It's literally much closer to home now.

So much has changed in the last 10 years, but I think I had a wise moment as a young little lady, in knowing with such conviction (impressive to me now) that in conflict, fear and in the face of the unknown, when faith and prayer might be all we feel we have, that everything really will be okay.

And it is.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Lake Powell, where dreams come true

So, you've already seen the famous waterski, and the pure beauty that is Lake Powell...
(Or maybe you need to follow those links and catch up?)

Here's some more stuff we did.
(great intro)

Steph got her wakeboard on...

And inspired me to do the same.

We took a trip to Escalante and saw this great arch!

Then went further up the canyon in search for a hike. The water was glassy as can be, and the reflection was amazing. I loved seeing these bright green trees in the lake. What a sight!

Kam was reading... the whole trip.

Kassie is a natural born model...
(what the... I can't find the pictures of our 2009 Lake Powell photo shoot. I feel so bad that they were excluded from this blog! What a shame! You'll have to trust me on the Kassie modeling thing I guess.)

Straight from Oakcrest 2011 - Twinnie and Aunt Jemimah! Or Kami and Steph as we like to call them.

Me and my sisters. So much love and stripes going on right here.

Then, our hike failed, so we headed back to the arch, and made it even more awesome by rappelling right out of it.

That's me!

... and splash right into the water we go.

There goes my Dad....

Eric...

Kimberly (Eric's wife, not my mom- though that can be confusing)

Brandon

Celeste

I promise, the Shoells all went too - but photographer Chelsey didn't get those. Sorry Shoells!

Then Kassie-the-Brave and I went and did some "cliff" jumping (promise it's higher than it looks).
Then everyone else thought we were awesome, so they came too!
Ready...

Set...

Goooooo!

Yeeeehaw!

And splat.

Shelly the Shameful...

She just wanted some attention :)

Sterling and Spencer

Then we decided to jump again and again, and then we got a great idea that the boat should take a picture from under the rock, so we were jumping over them.

Feeeeet....

Silhouettey jumpers

Kassie followed after her mom, and went last this time - she really did just want attention, and as she informed me, a cool Facebook profile picture. :)

Then Brandon did some wake boarding (hi houseboat in the background!)

and some falling too, but that's ok.

He got better... (monty python voice).

Then long-legs-of-all-our-jelously Kimberly made her wake boarding debut.

Scenic ride!

She did a bit of falling too, but had the amazing ability to plug her nose every single time! I was so impressed!

Sunny little lover bums.

Then I took some picture of my feet?

Then decided to be a bit more productive and I wake boarded again.

weeeeee....

And Eric did too.

...and he cleared the wake like no one's business. Who needs a tower?

and Eric also Sky Skiied...

(this was actually the next day and I was mad at Eric at the moment because I wanted one last ski ride before the houseboat wake got in the way, but oh well that's a different story and all is forgiven, and I have a grand finale coming up, so this is where these pictures go).

AND NOW, FOR THE GRAND FINALE.

entitled...

SHELLY SHOELL, SKIES ONCE AGAIN!

(explanation: Shelly hasn't been able to get up on one ski for a few years, but remember - she's way into Zumba, and now is super fit and awesome, so her confidence was high going into this attempt at the slolam).

Let's watch, as this spectacular event unfolds!

Nervous and anxious, Shelly enters the warm warm waters...