River with the Pitt's...

Everyone in Chad's family was able to come to the river. It was a blast!

The river is always the best vacation ever and here is what we love about it!

1. Family Photo Shoot's

Carter has been developing some horrible habits recently:
1) Picking his nose and 2) above...biting his fingernails and 3) about a month ago I found him hiding on his bed biting his toe-nails. Nasty! (And when he thinks I am preoccupied and not paying attention he starts biting my finger nails)

2. Surfing

Alexis fears very little at the river...she loves surfing with us and
can't seem to understand why we want to take turns without her on it!
She likes to do tricks with Chad and surfs without the rope with me.

"I just want to surf by myself." She really did it for a little bit.
Maybe, next year she can master it a little better.

3. Boating

Alexis loves the boat...she really misses sitting on Grandpa Miller's lap
and driving it with him. Don't worry, Dad...the boat was off in this picture.

Our family motto: "If all else fails...We will look good when we sleep!"
Nothing about this picture above was staged. Not the hair, arms, legs...nothing!
Carter was sound asleep when I went for my camera and my
laughing while snapping the shot woke him up.

There is nothing better than going out on the boat...the kids are almost always on
their best behavior. No car seat, just fun! Added bonus: the kids get sleepy being so
active...they take great naps especially on the boat! It's one of my favorites. I still
remember sleeping at my dad's feet as a kid while he drove the boat.

4. Skiing

Alexis is, like I said, FEARLESS! She loves skiing. Even if the driver starts slow
making her sink...then takes off! She just hangs on!

Carter was a different story this year. After being the youngest grandchild
to ski at 15 months old last year...he decided he wasn't thrilled about doing it this year.

Consoling Carter after another attempt at skiing.

Note to self. "Work on making pleasant faces while exercising or skiing."

5) Wake Boarding

Chad...attempting a 360. He landed it just right a few times but
could never catch the rope in time. Maybe next year!
Check out his brothers flip in the previous post! I was really trying harder this year to improve my wake boarding skills...
but on the 3rd day...I ate it! I landed on the wake, rather than clear it.
The board went back, I went forward...my body jerked out of the
wakeboard...only...my left food decided to only come out 1/2 way...
screaching me to a halt. It killed to say the least.

6. TUBING

I am not a huge fan of riding on the tube with Alexis. While you are being

whipped around at ridiculous speeds...all she does is sit in the middle with
her thumb in the air...screaming "FASTER, Daddy, FASTER!" Seriously, almost every picture of her...she has her thumb up for Chad
to go faster...I just decided to only blog one of the 20 pictures!
These were no dinky rides as you can tell. Many times...the tube flipped
and Alexis was always laughing when you picked her up. Every one else would come
in because the fall hurt...but not her! She wouldn't quit! One time she
came in after Chad had taken her with Chad's brother and she said,
"Mom, Jake flew off like five times. I only fell once, when it flipped, but he fell too."
My daughter is four right?

Basically, her only break from the "3 tube man" as she called it. This
smile lasted all of 30 seconds. We started the boat and took a group for a few
whips and all I could hear from then on out..."Is it my turn yet?"

Alexis rode with the best of them. Can you tell by the grips Chad and Jake
have on each other's life jacket...that it was a crazy ride for them, even?

Chad took his Dad, his brother-in-law Andrew and I on a tube ride...

and I got wasted when it flipped. I had a huge bruises. So you can imagine
my mood when he came around to pick me up after a horrible fall. I quit!
So Chad, his brother Jake, and his brother in law Patrick got on for a ride.
I, of course, was in the driver seat. Here they are before the ride!
Patrick said he swears he saw horns grow out of my head and smoke come
out my ears or something to that nature when I started the boat.
Can you tell...by their expressions...FEAR for your lives boys!
(Patrick...it looks like you may need to use the restroom you look so scared!)
I was in a BAD MOOD and someone was going to pay!
Hey, anyone want to come to the river with us?

Alexis was quite frustrated with this "easy ride" for Carter.
It ended in tears because it was too slow for her!

"Amber, why do you have a complex about your weight and
well, everything else for that matter?"

Ohh...NEVERMIND.
Chad's cute sisters. left to right. Katie, Alissa, Emily and Kelli wearing
one of the swim suits Katie designed for her new swim line.
Skinny, tan, gorgeous, fun, humble and not a mean bone in them!

7) Floating Down the River

Just before a family float. Alissa, Carter, Alexis and Emily.

In order to float we drive up river in a car. We were driving up a little road,
Alexis was thoroughly enjoying being in the car with no car seat and a bunch
of us girls were sitting on a tube in the back with doors and windows closed
of course. Someone made mention to hold onto Alexis in case the back door flew
open. Alexis asked "why?" to which I explained, "Well, if the door popped open you
would fly out the back and hit your head!" To which she replied, "That would be so
fun!" Then Chad's mom said, "I think you need to instill a little fear in that girl!"

8) The River House

If Alexis could live here...she would! She hates leaving! Everything about
this home is just perfect. I love the open layout...the rooms....well, just
about everything. (That's Chad fishing on the right! Another thing Alexis loves...
when Chad catches a trout he cooks it for her and every time she scarfs it down
like I would eat a twix bar, or brownies, or ice cream...but definitely not fish!)

9) The PoolBig enough to play in...but small enough to heat for New Years Eve!

And perfectly placed in the front of the house so you can see everyone
on the river! Alexis: perfecting her back layout.
Carter was collecting things from around the house one day and I
just thought he was trying to own everything he saw. But then I noticed
he picked up 4 specific things.
1) "My WOPE" (a small ski rope left on the grass by the stairs close to the dock)
2) "My FAG" (a small plastic flag from a cheap kids golf set up next to the side of the house)
3) "My BOAT" (a large blow up raft he had been floating down the river in earlier)
4) "My JACKET" ( his life jacket hanging up to dry)

Here is the workings of my two year old and his 4 things! He did this all by himself.

After insisting we put "his boat" in the pool and help him put his life jacket on,
he looped his ski rope around the boat and handed Alexis the flag and
told her to get in the boat. Then he grabbed the ski rope and yells, "HIT IT!"
Alexis smiles with a huge grin and takes the other handle to use as a wheel!

Carter's rules: When the driver stops making "vroom" sounds...
the flag goes up and you are done with your turn..because apparently
he decides when you fall and are done!

Longest post ever...I know! I have to beat my previous "longest posts ever" some how! We love the river. We had lots of fun and I have a funny and scary story...I'll share in the next post..since this is getting out of hand. Boy, time flies when Chad and Tad are next to me playing HALO at 1:30 am. I never pay attention to time when I'm blogging and I know this will be a problem when I go back to Primary tomorrow..I mean today! Maybe, I'll start primary like this: "Welcome to Primary...PLEASE BE NICE to me...I just got back from vacation and I wasted my whole night blogging last night!" That should go over well!