Lake Powell, Flash floods, hail, and rockstar birthing

We got home from Lake Powell a week ago and it was an interesting trip.  That's the way I like to describe it.  Not exactly what I was hoping for and expecting, but it was still a vacation that was enjoyable.  The first night we just slept in the slip on the house boat and the wind was craaaazy.  Metal was slapping on metal, chains were clanking, voices were heard as well as music.  We were able to get going the next day and find a spot for the house boat to anchor down and spend the rest of our time there.  A little bit after we got it anchored down, it started to pour and that's when we saw the waterfalls.  We had anchored the boat in a little alcove which was so nice and private, and then when the rain started, it came down in waterfalls above us and rushing down the rocks around us.  This happened several times and we were all in awe about it.  One time the wind was blowing so strongly that the rain was completely soaking the glass.  Layton ran outside to grab some clothing that looked like it was going to blow away and when he got back in, he looked like he had jumped in the lake.

We also experienced about 5 minutes of hail that were the size of that ice that's nice and round... you know what I'm talking about.  I just am not sure of the word for it... it was pretty crazy.  It looked stormy and all of I sudden I turn to Layt and I'm like, "it's hailing!"  It didn't last too long but it was still crazy to see at Lake Powell.

There was also some sun and lots of swimming and enjoying the cliffs and of course wave runners with skiers, tubers, and wakeboarders.  We found a really sweet spot that we could kayak to or even swim across the way and then walk to.  There were lots of holes in these smaller cliffs that everyone was trying to rock climb up out of the water.  I didn't try it, but I was very impressed with everyone's strength and skill.  It was fun to have the sun and actually want to get in the water.

We played lots of games of Uno, BS, Rage, Psychiatrist, Smurf, and Silent Football.  There was great music and tasty food as well and some fun movie watching.  One of Layton's sisters had been taking care of and growing butterflies.  When she brought them on the trip, they were all in their cocoons and by the second to last day, they had all morphed into butterflies.  We had a little ceremony to let them go and watch them fly away.  We saw some gorgeous, and I mean GORGEOUS stars.  You don't get a view like that anywhere else.  We even saw a couple of shooting stars.  And I think the biggest success was that no one got fried, burnt to a crisp!  I didn't even get sunburned!! Just a little tan.  We were sooo diligent about applying and constantly reapplying sunscreen.  Until the very last day when we were unloading the boat and loading the car, we didn't really think about putting on sunscreen and that's when it got a few....

Overall, it was a very nice vacation.  It would have been nice if it had been sunnier and warmer more of the time, but it wasn't and it was still a nice vacation.  I'm already ready for our next one... Something about summer just makes me want to go on road trips and go places.

Layton and I took a birthing class that happened over the past two nights.  It was taught by a woman in her home and it's called How to Birth Like a Rockstar (click for the blog and more details).  It was about teaching us that we have options.  What one person or your doctor says usually isn't your only choice.  I have been planning on a natural birth with no epidural and honestly, learning more about labor in depth kind of freaked me out.  But thinking about getting an epidural didn't make it sound any better.  I know things happen, and in the thick of things, even those who have planned for a natural birth want the drugs, but I feel confident that I can do it.  It's something I've wanted kind of subconsciously for a while and now that I am pregnant, I am grateful that I have the desire to do it this way.  The class was great at not condemning natural birth or a birth with an epidural.  It was about teaching tools like deep breathing, visualization and letting go of your fears.  I think this will help me in general and I really believe it will help me as I labor and deliver this baby.  I still have over half my pregnancy left (but hey, I'm almost 17 weeks!) so I feel like I have some time to prepare for sure.  Plus, we get to find out the sex of the baby hopefully within the next couple of weeks!! So excited.  Except last night I turned to Layton and said, "maybe we shouldn't find out the sex of the baby so that I have more motivation to get it out when I'm in labor." ;)

Our sweet alcove 

Our private little canyon