Newman Reunion

We had our annual Newman Reunion up at Island Park. 

I just love that place and never want to leave. It was especially sad because it was our last time up there for the rest of the summer so I tried to soak it all up. 

I left Kolton at home and rode up with my family on Thursday morning. We played in the water and relaxed on the lawn and just had a nice time.

Later that afternoon there was a huge rainstorm and it was crazy watching the wind and waves and rain. Keston, Brevan, and I just sat by the windows and observed. 

After dinner we headed out on the boat. 

Island Park is wonderful, but really the best times for wakeboarding are early in the morning and later at night. In the middle of the day there are a lot of boats out and then that dang wind always picks up. 

My siblings always want to go at 7 in the morning, but I sure have a hard time wanting to get in the water then. My favorite time is after dinner as the sun is going down. 

Oh my, it is just fabulous.

There are hardly any boats out so we have the lake to ourselves and it is just quiet and peaceful and the sun is setting and the water is just glass. I always refer to it as buttery, because when you are out on the wakeboarding cutting through it it feels just like slicing through butter. (Kolton tells me that this is a weird metaphor, but I keep saying it because it is true! and also because I like to annoy him.) 

That night they put in Rio 2 and since I didn't have a bed to sleep in, I just zonked on the couch. And actually slept really good! 

The next morning Laird made us some super awesome french toast and then everyone headed out to go see Quake Lake and a movie at the IMAX theatre in West Yellowstone. 

Kolton was coming up on the roadbike that morning after running some errands in Rexburg, so I decided to wait for him so we could ride together. 

So I grabbed my book that I've read five thousand times and sat out on the deck in the sun and just chilled. I was all alone, it was quiet, and just so great.

Then Kolton showed up and we headed off on the bike. We figured that we would be late for the IMAX movie and had missed lunch so we headed to the little fifties diner in West and had some lunch. I wowed Kolton with my expertise in typing knots in cherry stems. It was most impressive.

Then we met the rest of the crew as they were leaving the movie. Half the people decided to drive through the park and the other half went back to the cabin. 

After a little convincing from Kolton, we rode back to the cabin the long way past Hebgen and Quake Lake. And it was totally worth it. 

That Hebgen Lake was so beautiful with the mountains and the water and we just had a really nice time riding right alongside it.

Quake Lake was a little more on the eerie side. After the earthquake a lake was formed where a popular campground used to be. So now there is the lake and there are a whole bunch of dead trees out in the middle of the water. It gave me a bit of the heebies.

After that, the ride consisted mostly of sagebrush til we hit Henry's Lake and then made it back to the cabin. 

After that we just hung out till dinner and then after dinner we went out on the boat again and it was just as great as the night before. But I couldn't believe the tricks the kids were pulling out! I was happy to take it easy and just cut back and forth through the water but the kids were doing their darndest to jump the wake, and that little bit of competition really was fun to watch!

When we got back to the cabin we watched The Help and everyone fell asleep during it. 

The next day we played in the water and had a good time.

 The best part of the day was when we were all sitting out on the dock and decided to have a contest to see who could do the coolest trick as they jumped in the water. There were lots of backflips and front flips and arials and if I didn't know better, I would have thought I was back at school watching those crazy 5th graders flipping out of the swings! (because that's what they did....every. single. recess.) I really was impressed by all of the tricks though. My biggest trick was a cannonball that wasn't even that impressive. I think everyone was most impressed with little Kolden running out there and pulling out a front flip. We all watched in awe as he did it. 

Then we just relaxed and visited before it was time to pack up, clean up, and go home. I sent Addi and Kolton on the bike because I just didn't feel like going on it again and rode home with my parents. 

And that was that! It was a good time and a nice final boating party.