BACK TO OUR HAPPY PLACE -- LAKE POWELL!

We had a great time at Lake Powell this summer. Chris, Jessica, Tyler, Dillon (& Dallin) got to start the week on Monday and Courtney and I joined them on Wednesday after she was finished at girls camp. Mike's family was also at the lake, so we got to see Rachel on the "lake-board" for her very first time! Everyone had a blast wakeboarding, wakeskating, tubing, cliff-jumping, and especially learning to use the new surfboard!

Courtney, Rachel & Dillon - holding on for dear life! When you ride with Chris in the driver's seat it can be kinda scary! Sorry Lachelle! Jessica "got him back" when he was on with Dillon!

Rachel's 1st time on the "lakeboard" woo hoo!

Courtney wakeboarding! (In WAY to big of a jacket)

She was exausted after camp, so it took a couple of days before she wanted to get out there except for on a tube....

Got my time in too - check that off the list!!

Jessica's bustin' out some "big fat air"

Chris too!

Not to mention all the "air" Dillon was getting!

Tyler's always flying through the air...sometimes on a board, sometimes off a cliff!

This one is Tyler's friend, our "other son" Dallin, he also thinks he can fly!

Dillon, Tyler and Dallin at the top before jumping, Tyler doing a back flip off, Dillon jumping (I could hardly watch) and Dallin doing a gainer...scary! and I don't know if they were trying to look like superman, in the last ones, but these are pretty funny!

We decided to try something new this year,wake-surfing! Everyone took to it really quick and they loved being able to throw the rope back in the boat and ride the wave without a rope! Sometimes for a really long time - the longest wave in history!!

It's not a Gatorade Ad...not yet anyway!

Another favorite is the wakeskate...for the boys at least.

Goofing off in the water and on the boat!

"The Richardson"

CAMP LO MIA -- 2008

Courtney had a great time at girls camp this year. They hiked, they washed their hair in the rain, and they learned lots of new and interesting songs!

AMERICAN IDOL'S LIVE CONCERT

Chris, Courtney, Dillon & I had the awesome opportunity to see the American Idol's Live Concert on July 1st. Our friends had tickets and we didn't get any, then at the last minute, we checked ticketmaster and they had just released floor seats - 10 rows back - dead center for cheap! We grabbed up a few and went. But that wasn't even close enough for Courtney and Dillon! They went up the isle and stood on the railing right at the stage, practically right underneath the singers.

They had a lot of fun, but the best part came when after the concert, Courtney's friend, Taylor Rivera (Brooke White's cousin), got them backstage to meet the Idol's and get pictures with them!

Chickezee (Dillon's Fav) & Ramielle (can't stand her!)

Michael Johns & Carly Smithson

Jason Castro, Syesha Mercado & Kristi Lee Cook

Brooke White (so cute)

David Archuleta - runner up

..and of course, David Cook, the winner!

Just Couldn't Skip Oceanside!

So, every year, for like 20 years, the whole Skousen family has been going to Oceanside, California. This year we didn't go to Oceanside (we went on a cruise instead), so we decided to get over there for a couple of days just so we could say we did, I guess...

It's funny, because Tyler and his cousin Matt have both been at the beach together for their WHOLE lives during week 32 of every year. They NEVER played with eachother! Now, they are super good friends and he was going over with his parents, so Tyler talked us into going for a couple of days during the same week and they stayed together and played together the whole time we were there! Matt even got in some smashball with Dillon. Tyler's friends, Andrew, Nate and Ryan were also there. Courtney had a bunch of friends there also, I have no idea why we didn't get any pictures of them...