Hebgen Lake

I thought Hebgen was spelled Hepkin because that's the way everyone says it. But it's actually Hebgen. Live and learn. Like when I was at family birthday parties and Grandma Covey would start singing the birthday song after the Happy Birthday song and I thought she was saying, "His love brings us here" but it was really "Tis love brings us here" which makes a lot more sense.

The official Montana report.

johnny spent a lot of time in someone's arms on the boat. He expanded his infatuation circle to include Emily Jones. It's just a little bit awkward when your son calls someone else Mom. But since we've been home, he's learned how to say Emily's name and I heard it the entire car ride home after we left her at Megan Morris' bridal shower. Emmie? Emmie?





Johnny spent a lot of time either in the air or almost kissing the lake. Very impressive.


Nana and the two boys.


Johnny might look like he's wearing a marshmallow on his head and a skirt, but this is standard horse gear in these here parts. Johnny's new phrase - Horsies go?

For the record, this child did jump ship once. Mom was driving. I was adjusting Evelyn in her car seat and Jake was on the back of the boat getting his wakeboard gear off after a run. Mom told me I should probably jump in the front by Johnny because she was a little nervous with him up there. I proceed to the front of the boat and put the window down when Mom screams that Johnny is in the water. The boat is not moving, thank goodness and I am thinking "Okay, I can see the neck loop of his life jacket. I'll grab him out of the water and it will be just like when he takes a bath and hates having me dump water on his head. Maybe this child will learn now that he can NEVER do this again." I know Jake was thinking (because we talked about it afterward) "Mom is screaming which means she probably wants me to do something. Oh, man this is just like when we were driving the boat last summer and a towel got blown into the water and everyone is screaming about the towel and I don't know how to dive and I know there is no hope of me getting the towel but I know I've got to go into the water and at least look like I'm trying to get the towel or everyone will blame me for the rest of the trip for losing the towel."
Johnny was just fine which is more than we can say for the towel from last summer that is in the bottom of Hebgen Lake. He was a little freaked out, which is for his own good, but mellow the rest of the ride in to shore. He climbed over the side of the boat. Crazy kid. Thank goodness for life jackets. Thank you, Katie.


My babies know how to sleep on the boat.


Some of the girls.