Kemp Kayakers

We had so much fun in New Hampshire. Steph and the kids picked us up at the airport. We then drove to the beach. BURRRRRRRRR, we were freezing, but the kids were in empty beach heaven. The whole place to ourselves and the seagulls. They couldn't wait to strip down to their swimsuits. Dave and I never took off our jackets, but the kids....they're not going to be slowed down by a little wind (heavy wind, enough to blow sand at our backs). They had a blast. The seagulls wouldn't leave them alone, so we fed them right out of our hands. They dug trenches in the sand and walked along the shore, picking up seashells and dead crabs (ICK, and smelly). Sounds like boys huh???? Yeah!!!!
We had such a wonderful time. Thanks Steph for being such a great hostess and for planning so many fun activities. We played, played and played more. Dave was in heaven with his grandkids. Me too. Being a grandparent is the best. We wouldn't trade it for anything. We love you guys.

We had a great trip to Flaming Gorge this year. The weather wasn't always great, but a little rain never gets in our way, and it's beautiful after the storms. Here are some favorite pictures to share. We saw more eagles than we've seen in the past. The water was high so their nests were closer. Some areas we usually kayak to were under water. We love Flaming Gorge.

Here are some pictures of our family July 4th weekend at Bear Lake. We had so much fun. The only thing missing was Jason's family, and they were missed a lot. Of course the beach was the highlight, and Grandpa lived up to his reputation for getting everyone in the kayaks. They had 4 to choose from, and Tawnia finally got hers in the water. Kolin & Dani's friends were there with their power boat to add to our fun. Dallin was out with us kayaking when they came by so Kolin promised him a ride on the tube behind the boat the next day. Thanks to Dani for taking pictures of him having the time of his life. He and Kolin had a blast.

Grandpa had a great idea....pay Dallin $5 to mow the lawn. What he didn't know is that Dallin had never done it. Dallin was THRILLED to "earn" that $5. He didn't care that he'd never done it, he could learn and now was a great time. I don't think Jon thought so. He was a bit "nervous" the whole time. Grandpa was calm, and showed him how to start it, how to watch the lines of the wheels and which direction to mow. Grandpa is very particular about "his" lawn. I thought he was very brave to even ask Dallin to do it. But he said, "There's no better time than the present for him to learn".

Oh, I remember the first time he tried to teach his own sons. He didn't have much patience then. As you can see, Dallin was so proud of his job. He did great and the lawn looked "just right". I was so proud of him and was proud of Jon for having the patience to let him learn. It was fun to watch Dave and Jon in that teaching moment, handing the baton to the next generation. I hope I have many opportunities to watch my grandchildren learn and grow. Thanks Dallin, for taking time to mow our lawn, for being patient while your dad and grandpa taught you. You did a wonderful job. And you are AWESOME....I need you to come back though, Grandpa is in Yellowstone and I don't know who will do it while he's gone.

We had the best weekend with the boys. I had been waiting months for this and even though the weather was cooler than normal (54 degrees), windy, and wet, it was great to spend time with them. Friday was a beautiful day. We packed up and headed for Tony's Grove in Logan canyon. Fishing was on the agenda, and it didn't matter that there was still snow on the banks of the lake. All the boys, including Grandpa, had fun. The boys were so patient. Josh sat for an hour watching his line for any sign of a fish on the hook. "Grandpa, do you think I might have one?" whenever his pole made the slightest movement. Grandpa caught a fish with the first cast, and let Dallin reel it in. It was a very proud moment for both. Unfortunately it was the only fish. The boys kept trying though. Grandpa was patient too, replacing worms and bate. Dallin got the hang of casting and before long was doing great, trying to out distance Grandpa. His smile was as big as his enthusiasm. They had fun climbing on the big rocks too. It was a nice day and we were looking forward to 2 more wonderful warm days. We were not expecting the weather to get colder and wet.


After a day of fishing and fun, we packed up the gear and headed for Bear Lake. Getting to the top of Logan canyon brings lots of excitement and beautiful views. The boys were excited to begin their next adventure, kayaking with Grandpa. We arrived at the trailer, had dinner (Mac & Cheese for the boys), sat on the swing and relaxed. Then the fireworks began; lighting, thunder and finally the rain. We watched a movie (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) and went to bed, hoping the morning would bring sunshine. Well, we had a bit of sun, but it was COLD, too cold to take them kayaking. It rained on and off all day. The boys were troopers though. We have a computer at the trailer and lots of computer games. They also discovered the hand-held Yatzee games, and had a bit of "Kemp" competition. We watched another movie (Star Wars) and enjoyed being together. Sunday brought more clouds, rain and cold. In between there were bright spots of sunshine and we enjoyed being outside. Grandpa brought out the binoculars and the boys went to town discovering how far they could see with them. We had lots of laughs, hugs and fun. When the sun finally came out we took them to the lake to see if we could do some kayaking. The water was rough, it was windy and cold. We were so sad. No kayaking, so playing on the beach was in order, at least until it started raining again. Oh well, we would come another day (July 4th weekend). They never complained, just made the best weekend ever. Thanks boys, we had a blast.

Oh Papa loves his grand kids. Wrestling, tickling, and watching movies. The kids love the BIG RED pillow. A sleepover wouldn't be the same without it. It's uses are as diverse as their imagination; a bed, boat, picnic table, the beach, trampoline, mountain top and tv chair. The girls love to have sleepovers and Papa is right there to play, tickle, and give them treats. I'm glad I'm not the only one who spoils them. I think they could go on forever. It makes me laugh just to watch them play. When they're too tired to continue, they bring him a book to read. I love watching them snuggle next to their Papa while he tells them a story. Oh how we love them.

I love this time of year; the warmth of Spring and the awakening of sleeping blossoms, and Easter, a time to reflect on the Savior's life and resurrection. I loved Elder Holland's conference talk. I went to the LDS.org site today to look up references for my Relief Society assignment tomorrow and watched this video. It's wonderful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc.

What a blessing we find in the gospel. I would like you to tell me what Easter means to you. Ask the kids and let them write to me, or you write it for them. Since I can't be with all of you, I would like you to share your thoughts and feelings with me.

I'm so thankful for the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and of the peace and blessings available to all because of this everlasting gift.

March 18, 1976.....What a wonderful blessing....TWINS ! ! ! ! ! Which is which, do you know?????? I do.

"BEST FRIENDS" This is one of our favorite pictures. You were 3 years old.

Even in high school people had trouble telling you apart. There are many stories to tell, but I'll leave that up to you.

We didn't plan for a double blessing that day, but Heavenly Father knew that I would need you in my life. You have brought me so much joy and sometimes I cannot contain it. Sometimes I want to be selfish and hold you close like I did when you were little. I remember those tiny hands clutching mine, one on each side, learning to walk, then run. You've never stopped running, setting goals and achieving them. Oh how proud I am....the men you've become, the fathers and husbands you are. Thank you for choosing me for your mom. Happy birthday Jon. Happy birthday Jason. May this year bring you joy and success. I love you.

Dee and I took a short road trip to Bear Lake yesterday. It was such a beautiful drive and Bear Lake was amazing. It's always beautiful here, but I'd never seen it in winter. I wondered if there would be snow on the lake or if it would be frozen. The first pictures are from the over-look coming out of Logan canyon. It was breathtaking. As you can see, the weather was nice. In fact some of the snow was melting. I actually slipped on some melting ice and fell in the snow while walking over to take pictures. Yes, it was cold, and yes I got wet. Dee laughed so hard I thought she would fall down too. We drove to the trailer to check it out and went inside to see if all was well. Everything looked good, no bugs and no cats. We are grateful for that. But it's longing for us to come back and open it up for living. We are so excited to come back and play.



We visited with some friends in the trailer park and drove into town before heading to the marina. Dee and I always love to do some shopping. I picked up some fudge (I know, an indulgence, but I can't resist) and some peanut brittle for Dave. She bought a "Bear Lake" sweatshirt (Bear Lake clothes are her weakness). I was surprised by how many businesses were open. We then headed to the marina to see how much ice was on the lake. We couldn't go down to the beach because her car doesn't do well in wet sand or mud. All but one boat had been taken out of the water for winter and there was still ice and snow along some of the docks, but outside of that, the snow and ice were gone. There is a bit of ice along the shoreline. You can see some of it in the pictures. The water was so pristine and I knew Dave would be in his kayak if he were there. It was beautiful. I can't wait to go back. People we talked to said that spring at Bear Lake is their favorite. This year we're going to experience it too. Hope some of you can join us. Dee and I had a great time and really enjoyed being together. I love my sister and hope we can do another road trip soon.