Missin' this place

Shane is such a stud. I love this man. I really do.

I'm vacation sick for Lake Powell. We went every summer when I was a kid (except for the summer after my dad broke his back). I looked forward to the next summer's trip the moment we left. It seems somewhat odd considering someone got fairly seriously hurt every year...maybe that's how it is for everyone. I remember rocks tumbling down cliffs and hitting people, Valarie's leg getting caught under a rock/boulder, Holly jumping off a 65 ft. cliff unprepared so she entered the water in a sitting position which resulted in the backs of her legs turning purple and the inability to sit for a few days, ripping off toe nails from sliding down rocks, bruises all over from playing too hard, a cut above my eye from a trick ski accident, and Dad breaking his neck - It was one of the most amazing biffs I've ever seen! (I don't want to sound insensitive at the fact that my dad did, in fact, break his neck in a water ski biff, but it really was amazing, and I use humor to de-escalate serious issues.) I think my dad breaking his neck deserves a little more explanation.

You see, my dad is a nationally ranked slalom skier, and he never ceases to push the limits of his capabilities. He works hard at what he loves, and he sure loves to ski. I never really saw my Dad ski out on the lake back home b/c he and my mom woke up so early in order to get the glass water. I, of course, didn't want to wake up early, so I rarely saw him ski. However, at Lake Powell I would get to see him ski as he took off from the houseboat. I love that sound - waking up to the Mastercraft's engine and hearing my dad's never changing but ever so sweet line of, "Yes please" which signaled my mom to hit it! So one morning my dad went out for his run and just as he passed the houseboat he went down. (My dad rarely ever falls - duh - he is ranked!) I remember he flew pretty far but did a great tuck and roll maneuver. He didn't know he had broken his neck. He could still move but was very, very sore. It wasn't until he got home, got the West Nile Virus and nearly died that he found out, "By the way, you have a broken bone in your neck." So, long story short, I miss all the fun of Lake Powell, the crazy things you do, the memories, and oh yeah, my dad is a rock star.



Just another "Dad" tidbit: They said he would never ski again after the broken neck and West Nile drama but he did and he even beat his personal best!

Can life get any better than this? I submit that it cannot.