Payson Lakes

Thursday we got the chance to go to Payson Lakes for the very first time. (Well technically Emma has been there. That is where she went to girl's camp last year but the rest of us had never been.) We had a bunch of friends that were camping there. We were even invited to share a camping spot with Maggie and her family but the scheduling didn't work with Paul's work schedule. After lunch the kids and I packed up all the necessities and made what should have been the 45 minute drive. It took us much, much longer because we got behind a gravel truck going 5-15 miles and hour almost all the way up the canyon. It never pulled over even when 12 cars were stuck behind it. I was ready to kill someone! We finally made it to our destination 30-40 minutes late. The minute we got there Emma found her friend Kayla and off they went. I didn't even get a picture of them in their boat. 

Andrew started off with a boat load of girls. They didn't get very far before a canoe full of our friends came back and they wanted to switch to that. 

They rowed across the lake to this dock thing where all the kids were jumping off. This is also the sight of the polar bear plunge from Emma's girl's camp. Maggie and I decided to walk around the lake. We were lucky to be on this side when the kids arrived so I could take these pictures. 

I was pretty excited that Andrew decided to jump. He can be pretty cautious but he never gave this a second thought. He can't even tell you how many times he and Emma jumped that day. They jumped over and over and over! 

After jumping you have to swim to this rocky shore to get out of the water. I'm glad the kids had their water shoes. 

Emma and Kayla decided to jump together but I didn't have my camera ready so I missed it. Dang! 

I love this picture. She looks so happy and the water looks so cool. 

Andrew going again.

It was really beautiful there. 

There were a lot of flowers in bloom.

The adults were back on the "beach" talking and in conversation I said I would jump off the dock. My friend Jennifer thought she could call my bluff. She more or less dared me to go down and jump with her. I had said I would jump, I couldn't back down at that point. I wasn't going to not jump LOL! Almost all of the ladies decided we would go down and jump off. I can't believe I am posting this picture but here I am with the kids on my second jump. The water was cold but not too cold. It was fun and I felt like a kid again. I also got to help catch Kyle when he came down into the water.  

At this point it was starting to rain a bit. 

Then the rain stopped but there were still dark threatening clouds. In the distance you can see the "beach" and where we had our shade canopy things set up. We knew we needed to hurry back before the rain started. 

But on our walk back we found the rope swing. The rope wasn't out far enough on the tree limb and the water wasn't really deep enough. Both kids tried it very cautiously. It didn't do much for them and we could tell a storm was going to be there in no time so we hurried back to gather our things. 

Right after we got the car loaded the skies opened. I drove home in a total downpour. It was rain like I had never seen in my life, well except when we were in Oregon. The roads in the canyon were beginning to flood. Rock and debris from the mountain had come down onto the road in many places. I white knuckled it the whole way down and through all the hairpin turns. It was intense! I still am in shock at how the weather could make such a dramatic turn. The whole way home we had rain and lightning and thunder. We hit major traffic and a lot of road construction. It took us an hour and twenty minutes get home, thirty minutes longer than it should have. 

We totally enjoyed ourselves. If it weren't for the nasty drives to and from it would have been the perfect day. I would totally go back just for the afternoon anytime! I might even consider camping there if I ever want to camp again. If we go again we need to buy some kind of boat or at least rent one. I don't know if the kids would have as much fun without the boats and canoes. We had some rafts but they weren't very popular. It was great being there with a lot of friends. I would love to go back and see it in the fall. I bet it is gorgeous! Payson Lakes was a ton of fun and I can't wait to go again.