Lake Powell 2009

Ben and I just returned from the annual Oviatt family vacation to the lake. It is always wonderful to be on the water and to be with the family, but this year, it was extra wonderful... as our sleeping arrangements changed a bit. Instead of a 1 bed 1 bath (26 people) situation, we upgraded to a 6 bed 3 bath situation. And the only way I can describe it is... glorious! A bigger boat had it's pros and cons...

Con: you could go to a different deck of the boat and see no one for a few hours (ala, "where are all my friends?")

Pro: you could go to a different deck on the boat and see no one for a few hours (ala, "ahhh - I'm so relaxed!") You get the picture.



We enjoyed having everyone there, especially our 'out-of-town' family, Meghan and Cody. They are so much fun to be around! Cody had no shortage of new games he'd make up, including but not limited to "tight-rope walking" and "jet ski football" (The thrower is on the third level of the boat while the catcher is going full blast on a jetski out into the lake. The thrower tries to get the ball out far enough to meet up with the jetski, and the jetski-er tries to make blind-over-the-shoulder catches). I took a few throws myself, but was mostly relegated to camera girl. see here:

The weather was perfect with exception of a few beautiful/ turbulent desert storms, luckily short-lived. We had such a great time visiting with the family and playing almost hourly games of "Time's Up" and push rummy. We also did some jetskiing, tubing, wakeboarding and other fun water sports. Thanks Jed and Kathy for organizing yet another fun and successful Lake Powell trip -

Good old Uncle Ben took the little kids wakeboarding... they were lining up afterwards for yet another spin around the bay - brave kids and brave Ben!!

I don't know why this picture cracks me up... my sister-in-law sent it to me - she'd taken it on their way out on a boatride. A boatride where all the cool people were and I was... not. That explains my pose. Maybe you had to be there.

One Crazy Week: the Saturday & Sunday before

Saturday

Taryn and Reese flew in to cater & co-host a shower for Tara. We had it here in Park City and everything ended up looking and tasting great! We had a full day of last-minute errands, picking up food, flowers, etc., and squeezing in a lunch with Halle & McCall. (Halle & Reese are long-distance buddies).

Taryn prepared so many yummy dishes, including some fabulous meringues and cupcakes with homemade butter cream frosting (so much for my 'no sugar' plan). She also made a delicious couscous salad and a shredded chicken sandwich with capers and roasted red peppers. I tried to help in preparation although was not really needed. I basically played with Reese while we sampled Taryn's food. I was also made acutely aware of the ways my kitchen lacks appropriate cookware and other gadgets... I asked Taryn to make me a list of the things 'people who actually cook' use, that way next time I'll be able to disguise my total ignorance!

I love to host parties - I welcome any excuse to buy flowers and light votives all around the house (including a small vase & candles in the powder room, my favorite hosting touch). I hung large ivory drapes from the archway on the front porch - fun to do more dramatic things for parties that otherwise would seem a little... too much.

The guests arrived and the party turned out fabulously! Everyone loved the food and had a great time visiting. It was fun for me to catch up with Jessie & Missy from our neighbor days at Old Academy. Many of the girls Taryn and Tara went to London with came also. Tara's sister Niki did a great job with the games and gifts and the whole evening was a success. Tara told me she was more relaxed tonight than she'd been in a while - which definitely makes it all worth it! Wedding planning is so overwhelming; I'm so happy she enjoyed the shower.


Sunday

Today Ben and I went to a birthday brunch at Sundance to celebrate Devin's 30th birthday. Anything with Devin & Diane is always a blast, and we wouldn't have missed it. What a treat to get over to Sundance, this time of year is so beautiful with the blooming wildflowers and the stream running through the resort. The food at the Foundry Grill is so delicious - thanks to Diane for inviting us, it was great to meet some of your other friends.

birthday boy and Diane - expecting a baby girl this fall!

We were slightly overdressed for brunch, but we had another appointment to make afterwards. My boss Ruth & her husband gave their farewell talks today in Bountiful. (talk about out for a Sunday drive... pc - Provo canyon - Bountiful - pc) They are headed to Brazil at the end of the month and will be serving in Sao Paolo for the next year and a half. I was so happy we went to their meeting - their talks were inspiring. They both are so giving and friendly, I know they'll be wonderful missionaries.

One Crazy Week: Tuesday

Today was darling Tara's wedding day! She and Jared were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple and Taryn said it was a great ceremony. Ben and I met up with the party for the reception that evening at La Caille. The storm held off all day until the pre-reception photos began. The grounds at La Caille are so beautiful - I wish we'd had more time to walk around. (Ben and I got engaged there and we hadn't been back since.)


The reception was held in the grand pavillion and it was so dreamy. The linens, the flowers, the favors and the candlelight, it was so lovely and all so... Tara! She was a stunning bride and Jared was beaming the whole evening being next to her. We sat with Lacey & Ashton, Lindsey, Jessie & Marty, and Taryn. Great to see so many people there to celebrate with Tara and Jared and everything turned out so beautifully - what a magical setting for a party. The icing on the cake? Ben took me out for a spin on the dance floor.

send off!

One Crazy Week: Wednesday

This morning I went to KSL to shoot a segment for Studio 5. My spot was on "Quick Tips for a Fresh Summer Bed". It was a tremendous experience. Brooke, Darrin and the producers were very welcoming to me and I attribute being comfortable on set to their composure. The segment went really well I thought. (What I mean is that I didn't go completely blank, and I didn't trip across the set. My expectations for my own performance were very low!)

I've always had a lingering interest in a tv career, but not necessarily in the news although I've tried. (my causes aren't as noble as my sister Lindsey - she is both v. talented and v. informed) Doing a segment on design was great for me. I loved all of it - writing the talking points, sourcing all the bedding and narrowing down the final design for the two beds. It was a bit of work but well worth it. I'd be thrilled to go back anytime they'd have me. Thanks Maeve for connecting me with the right people and thanks Linds for the tv tips.

One Crazy Week: Thursday

Today we had a farewell lunch for my boss Ruth, who is leaving the country to serve a mission in Brazil with her husband. She is an exceptional person and a large part of the success of the firm. I will miss her kind heart and the way she knew so much about everything in the business. I have a feeling the 18 months will fly by. I wish her all the best and know she will be loved by the people of Sao Paolo.

Tomorrow Taryn and Reese leave so they can get the fun started in Montana. So sad to see them go! Having them stay with us for a week spoiled me so much - luckily I can look forward to seeing them again in a few weeks. Tonight we stayed in to watch SYTYCD and Real Housewives: Last Supper. Fantastic television.

Before Reese went to bed, I wanted to try something new with her hair - it's finally long enough to try pig tails. She didn't like it one bit - but all the wriggling was worth it, look at the little dear! Transformed from a baby into a little girl!


a little crooked - but it was all I could do.

One Crazy Week: Friday & Saturday

Friday we went to a surprise farewell party for now President and Sister Baughman, planned and executed perfectly by Maeve and the Baughman boys. How fun it was to see the whole family and be a part of their send off to Budapest. The Hungarian food was yummy (who'd have thought?) and the live Hungarian band's music was truly a new experience. Great job Maeve with the party - I wish I had taken a few pictures, but you'll probably post on it soon. Good luck to Gary and Marilyn! They will be extraordinary mission presidents.

Saturday we woke up early to clean for an open house... and then it poured rain... so probably no one showed up. Nice. I spent the day at Granny's and Ben golfed. We decided to go to Year One to relax and see a funny movie. It's been a long time since I've walked out of a movie, years probably, but this was just sacreligious and uncomfortable. Too bad because I liked the preview (gave no indication of the biblical storyline) and I like Michael Cera. Save yourself the trouble.

We have two days and then it's off to Lake Powell - now if I could just get everything settled down so I can be comfortable leaving.

Hamptons showhouse

In this month's issue of Traditional Home, I saw a little teaser in the advertisement section for the Hampton Designer Showhouse. How dreamy! Why was the teaser so small???? Where is the feature? I am hoping that some design mag will publish a spread on the home. There are over 20 designers and artists who've collaborated on it's design and architecture.

I have always wanted to visit the Hamptons. The weather, the coast, the shingle-style homes (my favorite style), the hydrangeas, etc... could this showhouse present a 'professional' reason to go back east? Can I write off the expenses?

The dates of the open house are July 26 through September 6. Not nearly long enough! Ben, I know your birthday is in September, but, maybe possibly you would enjoy celebrating your birthday at the showhouse??

Today's View

Before I left this morning Ben pointed out how pretty it was outside. Usually we have this blinding sun that comes over the hill and threatens to fade everything in the house, but not today.

Here's what it looked like today -

I wanted to stay - turn the chair toward the windows and watch the fog roll by. Everything is so green (finally!) and I'm finding happiness in simple things lately.