payson lakes.

This last weekend we headed up at Payson Lakes with some friends. I love camping with friends, especially bigger groups. We set up camp at Blackhawk--four little tents popped up while the womenfolk finished getting dinner ready. We had tin foil dinners, baked peaches and apples, and these funny little biscuits filled with pudding. Unfortunately, Sam and I have a bad habit of taking too many pictures of food and flowers, and too little pictures of the actual people we spend time with. We'll work on that.

And also, unfortunately, we lost the Allen's halfway through the night because Matt got food poisoning or stomach flu. I can't imagine, that's the worst possible thing to happen while camping. Luckily, they made it to the ER and hooked him up to an IV. He's doing better now.

In the morning, we made breakfast burritos, and slipped on our swimsuits to hit the lake. Mariah borrowed this beautiful, old metal canoe from her boss. It was my first time in a canoe, so I spent most of the time clutching the sides. It was beautiful, though. There is something so peaceful about skimming across the water in a canoe. Even though we were surrounded by other canoes and rafts, it just seemed so quiet and still. I loved watching the kids floating around on drift wood, and the homemade pontoons bobbing in the water. We saw a funny couple on a raft-- the man's heavy body dragging low in the back, and the woman perched up on the front of the raft that floated a few inches above the water. Sam and I only had time to take a quick loop around the lake before we had to leave, but it made my day.

I can feel the summer slipping away, and it's killing me! We have plans for a few more trips before the icy season creeps in, though. It's weird to see kids headed back to school already. But, there is also something so exciting and new in the air. I will start school next week. Did I tell you I have a new job? I am teaching dance at Meridian School in Orem. It is only a small part-time, so I am still looking around for more teaching jobs. But, I am so excited to get to know my students and I have big plans for this semester!