Bear Lake

We spent a bit of time in the mountains last week and then spent a day at Bear Lake. I didn't get many pictures camping, which is just fine considering how dirty we all were. Here's Ben enjoying a S'More.
Bear Lake was tons of fun. We went to North Beach and clear at the end stuffed between 5 million other swimmers, we found a little patch of sand.




When we first got on the boat, Ben was so excited that I thought he might burst. He was the first one on and just stood there watching the rest of us clamber aboard (or get pulled up by Floyd in some cases - not always just the kids) with the proudest look on his face. It was like we were all boarding his own boat and he was the host welcoming us aboard. When Savannah and Karlee took the maiden voyage on the tube, he clapped for them pretty much the entire time. The kids all had a great time riding the tube and Floyd tried not to get too wild on them. He gets a little crazy when he is pulling tubers and really likes throwing them off.

Cole and Josh gave Floyd the thumbs-up trying to get him to go faster pretty much the entire time they rode.

None of the kids could get enough turns and didn't want to leave. My favorite part of the day was when Kelli and Karlee went for a ride together on the tube. I laughed the whole time. I don't really know why it was so funny, but my cheekbones hurt when they finally spilled into the lake. The only picture of the ride is on Floyd's phone and he is in meetings somewhere in the south (Nashville? Birmingham? I'm such a bad wife....). When he gets a chance, I'll have him send it and be sure to post it. It's classic.

Ducky Dippers

My kids just finished up summer swim class. They all had a blast - I don't know whose children they are when they get around water because I am possibly the world's worst swimmer. Ben even got in on the action in his Ducky Dippers class, which is basically a lifeguard supervised play session. He loved it. Oh so very much. Like wanted to marry it loved it so much. There were 3 other little kids in his class. They were all about 2 1/2 - 3. They didn't do much other than cry and sit on the side and occasionally splash their feet. Not Ben. He was all over that pool like a kamikaze pilot.

He loved his teacher and the two of them played and played. His teacher, 16-year-old kid, was awesome. Ben's favorite game was filling the watering can, dumping it on his teacher, and then running away. He also enjoyed climbing out of the pool and racing to the lazy river whilst looking over his shoulder and laughing at his teacher trying to catch him. The teacher definitely earned his keep when Ben was around.

By the 2nd week of the session, Ben had his own cheering section - a group of parents who had noticed his antics and came to the kiddie pool just to watch him and laugh. It was entertaining.

So it looks like I've got another swimmer. Go figure.

How Many?

I get asked a lot how many swimsuits Annie has. A legitimate question. So to satisfy inquiring minds, here is the current count:

1. A dashing Ariel swimsuit picked up by her daddy on one of his many trips to the South (I think it came from one of the Carolina's, but I don't remember for sure).

2. A lovely Target creation with multi-colored hearts and a ruffle gifted to her for Christmas 2010.

3. A very cute floral suit on a white background. A gift from Grandma Ali for no particular reason other than that's what Grandma's do.

4. A hot pink suit with white polka dots and a white daisy flower on the top. Mom picked this one up from Gymboree. It is a size 2T and has almost made it through its 3rd summer of wear. With a little room left to grow.


5. A brown and pink Hibiscus print suit that just barely fits but she can't quite say goodbye. Cause it's a Hawaii suit, you know.


6. An adorable turquoise and hot pink cherry suit with a pink ruffle. Gifted to her by her friend, Tenley, for her 4th birthday.

7. Her favorite. Red with small white polka dots, embroidered flowers, and ruffles. A 3rd birthday gift from Grandma Rose. This one has gone a lot of miles.

Our neighbor is convinced she is going to be a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model when she grows up. She shows little signs of being over this obsession any time soon. But we don't mind - unless the neighbor happens to be right.

You Fill Up My Senses....

We took a quick trip to Island Park and Yellowstone last week. It was relaxing to just hang out at the cabin for a few days and let the kids roam the forest. Floyd even got a few days of fishing in. The weather was perfect - just a few afternoon thundershowers.

At the cabin, we hung around, went for some bike rides, roasted s'mores, went fishing, floated the river, and played horseshoes.
In Yellowstone, we stopped by Old Faithful to have an ice cream (and watch it erupt for approximately the 100th time of my life) and then drove to Yellowstone Lake where we went on a perfect hike (not too long with beautiful scenery).

I can't seem to make it a summer without needing to head back to the mountains to be refreshed. I hope someday my kids feel the same.

Wild Thing

You may have heard me mention that Ben is a monkey. As evidence, I offer these pics from Floyd's phone of Ben being caught red-handed in various different mischievous acts.

Sneaking Dog Food

In the sink (climbed over and in while helping mom cook)

One the piano - climbed up all by himself
Sneaking chips and other snacks off the table

He keeps me on my toes, but I sure love this little guy. Life is never dull.

Ben's First Boat Ride

Somewhere along the way this summer, Floyd and the kids decided to go fishing at Mantua one night. I decided to go along with this time and we took Ben on a short ride before the fishing fun began. He's such a wild man that we didn't want him on the boat long, but he actually behaved himself quite well.
He was quite impressed with the whole thing and not super happy when they dropped the two of us off at the dock and then sped away for some more fun on the lake. He knew he was being left out of a good time.

It was a gorgeous summer evening. I love that time of day just before sunset. Thanks for the ride, Floyd!

Emigration

Grandpa Clair requested a quick trip up the canyon for his birthday celebration. So off we went to our family's favorite campground, Emigration. It was a quick trip, but beautiful weather, good company, and yummy food. We had a great time.

Ben relaxing in the shade with a nice cool drink. This was before he turned himself into a ball of dirt.

Annie insisted on not walking for the hike. She's getting a bit old for such nonsense, but Grandpa is a softie.

Annie came home with quite a collection of mosquito bites. We tried to convince her that a swimsuit was not good camping attire. So she compromised by putting a pair of jeans on top.

And now my kids would like to go on a longer camping trip. Of course.