Panguitch...Where "Owens" Means Something

Kenny, Makenna, Big Cameron, Little Cameron, Lexi, Brooke, Mandi, Bart, and Joyce

enjoying the dinner at the old Owens' house.

Kenny keeping the girls entertained with bubbles during the auction.

Kinlee has always loved dogs from afar, but she is finally getting brave.

We couldn't keep her away from this dog. Thanks cuz.

Daxton just loved playing in the tree swing with Tess, his cousin from Washington state.

Every year we make the pilgrimage to the homeland of Panguitch, Utah where the descendants of Kenny's great grandparents gather to celebrate all that is Owens. The place where at the Owens' Bros. Store at Panguitch Lake you may be treated to an Owens' Bros hat (if you happen to be with Kevin). And where if you need a hotel room for a shower, they will give you the Owens family discount and you get a room for $40 when all the other rooms are over $100 (if you happen to run into Katherine and Greg in the lobby). Oh, the perks that come with being an Owens (at least in Panguitch). I'm sure that is how it is when you come from such families as the Hiltons or the Kennendys.

It was great fun and the boys got to go fishing in the boat that they have worked on all summer. Maybe next summer they will work on the motor a little more (now that it is fixed up inside) so they can use it a little more.

We made the short drive to Bryce Canyon with Cameron and Brooke because Brooke has never been there. It is also a good time for a nap for the girls. Kinlee has a pass to get into all of the National Parks for free. So the whole carload gets in for free with her. One of the many perks that you get with Kinlee. It was a fun time, especially since it was raining back at camp and we were nice and dry. It always rains in Panguitch during the reunion. I found out that it is because of the summer monsoon flow that begins about this time every year. I just thought that we were extremely unlucky. I don't remember a time in the last 9 years that I have been going that it didn't rain at least once. Thankfully, only one year has there been a storm so strong that I thought we might die. Nothing like packing up in the rain. Next year a trailer to stay in, right Joyce? Or maybe the next, or the next? We love Panguitch and all that comes with it.

Red, White, and Blue ....or in our case Black and Blue

Kinlee and Makenna practicing their "princess" waves.

Daxton, Kyle, Kristin, and Jake showing their patriotism.

Jen, Kenny and Kinlee just chillin' in the shade.

Kinlee's shiner.

We had a great 4th of July. We did some of the usual things. We went to the Riverton city parade the night of the 3rd. It was a lot of fun. I think my brother Troy and I are really the only ones that enjoy the parade. Thanks again to Tiffany who allows us all to cram in front of her house once a year and enjoy her shade trees. (I think the trees may go with the widening of the road, so sad.)

On the morning of the 4th, Kenny ran the Riverton 10K race with his running buddies and his friend Milan (way to go Kenny!)

I took the kids to the Copperton Park activities. We love going up there for the small town feel of the activities. Daxton looks forward to the races every year. Kinlee usually runs the races for her age group and for the kids with special needs. They give money out for the three fastest kids or adults in each age group, but she gets money each time she runs. She always comes home with the most money. This year she didn't want to run, unless it was someone elses race and I was chasing her across the field. Troy took her out to run with the kids with special needs and she didn't want to run. Unfortunalely, her big brother Daxton, wanted her to. He picked her up from behind and started running. It ended three steps later with him body slamming her head into the grass. I was on my way out to get her when it happened. I don't think I have ever been that mad at Daxton. She got a tiny cut from her glasses under her eye and was bruised around her eyes (see picture). I took her to the playground where she immediatley forgot she was hurt. Daxton stayed with his cousins to run the races while mom cooled down.

We went to the splash park, got free lunch at the Chick-fil-A and watched fireworks on the lawn at Riverton park. It was a fun day.

Bear Lake Fun

We made a couple trips up to the lake this year. We went and stayed in the fifth wheel with Grandma and Grandpa Korth while Kenny was at Youth Conference. Thank goodness for family helping me with my three kids. It was fun to play all day at the lake. Makenna wasn't feeling great, but eventually she left my lap in the shade to play ring around the rosies with Grandma.

It was fun to see the extended Korth family and camp in a tent for the family reunion. I was really nervous about the camping thing. Camping didn't go so well for us last year with a baby. This year it was a thousand times better. I had decided after our two camping trips last year that we just weren't going to be a "camping family". The kids slept in the tent great. Now we just have to make sure that we don't lose kids during the day. I only panicked once and yelled for everyone to search for Kinlee. She only wandered into the fifth wheel. Thank goodness for nieces and nephews who would come and ask if they could take my girls to go play. It really felt like a vacation to me.

Since seven of us at the reunion were training for our half marathon races, we got up on Saturday morning and took a run down the canyon coming from Evanston. Jen and I ran 5 miles, but Donnarae, Jon, Beau, Becca and Russ ran 8 miles. We liked it so much that we think we might have to start a Korth Family 10K race the weekend that we are up there. Thanks to the family for getting us running and keeping us on track!

Splash!

Daxton and Kinlee had swimming lessons in June and August this year. The last day of every session, the kids get to swim across the pool in races. Daxton swam better and faster than I have ever seen him swim. When we were driving home, I was telling him how great I thought he did. He told me that he learned it from Michael Phelps. He said Michael always cups his hands and digs deep in the water to make himself go fast. I may just buy the DVD of the olympics and take him to the pool rather than spend money on lessons next year.

Every night when you ask Kinlee what her favorite part of the day is, she jabbers a bunch, but it always ends with "splash". It is one of the words that she says really clearly. She loves blowing bubbles and jumping off of the diving board.

Just a hint to people who don't know how to deal with kids with special needs. Don't assume that you know what they need. Maybe just ask what they need. The nice thing is that they usually come with a parent who has all kinds of experience with them and worries more about how they can fit in a situation than you do. For instance, if you had a child with lets say, Down Syndrome, at your swimming pool taking lessons. Don't go up to the mother of the child and tell them how kids with Down Syndrome need their moms more than other kids. Don't insinuate that the parent tried to slip them into your program without telling someone (especially when your husband is the one that convinced them to sign up). And certainly don't tell this mom about how kids with Down Syndrome aren't as bad as "those kids with Autism", because moms of kids with special needs know each other and have a gilmpse of the struggles that are always in each other's paths. Just recognize that although you are a public pool and have to deal with OSHA, the Health Department, and cryptosporidium, that everyone has challenges in their lives. Have some compassion to know that as hard as it is for you to deal with children with special needs for a few hours a week during the summer, the parents of kids with special needs accept this as a part of life and appreciate as many precious years that they get to learn from them. Just a little shift in your perception of the situation, and you might realize that the three half hours that this beautiful little girl gets to spend in your pool, might be the highlight of her day!

Fishing for 7

Daxton had his 7th birthday in June and wanted a "Fishing Birthday". Kenny, Troy, Curt and his buddy Shane (thanks again Shane and Lyndsay) took all the kids fishing at the Herriman Cove Pond. It was too hot by the time we got there so the fish weren't biting. We could see them swimming by our hooks, they just weren't interested. We came back to the house to play on the new waterslide and have cake and ice cream. Our cool friend Natalie made the fishing cake for him. It was a good day.

Cameron and Brooke

Kenny's younger brother Cameron married Brooke on June 20th. We were so excited for him. We love Brooke and are glad she is in our family. It is great to have another Cougar in the Owens clan. We are far and few between. She picked out these way cute dresses for my girls to wear at the reception. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was held in Brooke's parents' gorgeous back yard. Here are some cute pictures of my girls. I guess I sometimes forget to find Daxton to take cute pictures of him. Thanks again to Jen, who came to take pictures at the temple, but also brought my children so they could remember what it looks like to come out of the temple after being sealed for time and all eternity. The day was beautiful, except for the part where I forgot the sign in book at my house and broke all kinds of speed limits to get in back in time for the reception. Sorry Brooke! Congratulations to Grandma Joyce on her last wedding.

Makenna in here "pretty, pretty" dress. Just ask her.

Makenna and Kinlee love just being able to run around together.

This is Kinlee trying to sneak inside the house where I am sure she thought she could get someone to turn on The Backyardigans for her. It got her to smile good because she was being naughty.

Glorious Delusions

I am here to admit that I have delusions. I have convinced myself that I am too busy living my summer to document the events that have taken place. I've got the live and laugh part down, but I need to work on the blog part. Thanks to my sister Donnarae, I have been called out to update my blog as it has been 2 months (yes, two months) since I have done so. So here goes!

June was great. We did the relay for life in West Jordan to raise money for cancer thanks to Donnarae and Jon. Jen, Becca, and I decided to run our leg of the relay since we needed to get in a long run to train for our half marathon. That was the first time we ran 7 miles (not a good idea to do in circles). It is surprising how much more fulfilling it is to end up 7 or 8 miles away from where you started, than to end where you started (as long as someone is picking you up).