Only 7 more days until Summer Vacation 2018 is over and the kids are back to school! (But who's counting...?) I will admit, at the beginning of this Summer I thought, "How am I gonna make it through this Summer?" But now here it is almost over and it went really fast! The kids seriously seem to fight like crazy when they are all home and we are just hanging out at the house bored. So really we just tried to keep them busy and keep going places just so that I wouldn't completely lose my mind. So in May, I had made a list of all the possible things we could do this summer. And I think we did just about every single one of them! There's a couple of hikes we haven't done and horseback riding with grandpa's horses, but I think we will still do that in the Fall as it cools off a little.
So since the last time I wrote a blog, the things we have done are as follows:
Rigby Lake
We actually went here a few times this Summer. It's only about 15 minutes from our house. Josh bought this inflatable canoe from a neighbor who was moving and the kids have loved taking that out to Rigby Lake and other lakes. The boys always have these fights to see who can tip the other one off into the water first. We also have borrowed a little blue canoe that's perfect for Avery and she is getting to be quite the good little paddler. She can handle herself on that really well. So anyways at Rigby Lake we like to just go and the kids play in the sand and the water. Here are a few pictures of that...
Rexburg Rapids:
We also went here I think four times so far this summer. One time was just Josh and the kids with the soccer teams right at the beginning of Summer. Then I took them twice just by myself. Then once was with the whole family for the "city employees" night. I think we actually have two more punches on our pass to use up before next week so we will have to go one more time. The boys are old enough now that I basically let them run off and do their own thing. Avery sticks by me and is getting braver about swimming in deeper water. I usually make her wear her life jacket still if she's going to be in the deep end for linger than a couple minutes with me. But she's definitely getting more confident in the water. I don't know that I would trust her to swim across the pool from one end to the other where she couldn't touch... but probably by next summer. She did go down the water slides for the first time this summer! So that was an accomplishment! They don't let you wear life jackets down the slides either ("it can scratch the slides" - eyeroll face here....) so I would go down first and then kind of linger for a minute to help her as she came down the slide - just to make sure she could swim to the steps because it's just deep enough that she can barely touch on her tippy toes I think. So anyways! That's Rexburg Rapids. Here's another picture (that's a neighbor friend's little boy, Ethan Call, we went with their family one day while Josh was working)
PackSaddle Lake Hike (July 28, 2018):
This was one of my favorite weekends of the whole summer. And that's saying something because we did a LOT of fun things. We have done this hike once before and I just think it's such a beautiful hike and then it ends as i think ALL hikes should: with a beautiful lake at the end to swim in.
So my friends, Stacey and Kamrie, came up from Utah for the weekend of July 27-29. They got here Friday night and we just stayed in and watched Mama Mia 1 on Netflix. Then on Saturday we woke up early (by 8:00... very early) and had a big breakfast (thanks Josh) and then packed some sandwiches and put on our swimsuits with some comfy hiking clothes over them. We loaded into our SUV and drove about 40 minutes toward Teton. First you have to drive up some kind of treacherous dirt roads. But the higher you can get in your car, the less hiking you have to do. We made it to a certain point last time and we got about just as far this time. Any farther and the deep trenches in the road would be too much for our Buick Enclave to handle. So we parked off in some trees and then put on our backpacks and started the hike. First you hike up the road a little bit farther for about 15 minutes. Then you get to the very top part of the mountain, which looks out over the whole valley. (See photo:)
Then, you basically start the descent down into the trees again and the path is pretty narrow and gets kind of steep and rocky. Avery did really good though and I think Caleb complained more than her. Actually I know he did. Especially on the hike back out. But here are some pictures as we started to drop down into the canyon:
Once you get down the steepest part, then it becomes easier again and it's kind of shady and in the trees for about another 15 minutes. Pretty soon you are able to catch a glimpse of the lake as you hike lower and lower (Gabe is in official pre-teen mode in the picture:)
Then a few minutes later and you reach the lake! It is so beautiful! Surrounded by trees and very remote feeling! There was no one else there when we first arrived. As we stayed longer there were about two other families that hiked in, but still not too busy. As we were driving out we did pass more people so I think it's best to go by like 10am like we did! Here are some pictures of Avery doing her handshake with Kamrie and Stacey and Gabe by the rope swing. (We didn't attempt it this year because the water was pretty low and it would've been tricky to swing far enough out.)
After we got back home from the hike, we showered and then just me, Kamrie, and Stacey went out to Idaho Falls for dinner and to see Mama Mia 2. It was awesome! Such a fun night! Avery also loves when Aunt Stacey comes to town. (As you can see there's definitely a family resemblance:)
Wade Lake Camping Trip (August 1-2, 2018):
This was something that we really wanted to do this year. We had gone up to Wade Lake and Cliff Lake (they are right next to each other) last year and were just amazed at how beautiful and clear the water was. It's this hidden lake area that you get to by driving about an hour and a half from our house, heading north into Montana. It's just between West Yellowstone and Ennis. You have to drive on this gravel road for a while, then down this mountain valley. We decided that if we were going all that way we should try and camp overnight. So we got there just by fluke RIGHT at the best time, which was about 2:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday, August 1st. Apparently people need to vacate their campsite by 2:00 unless they want to pay for another night. So we got SUPER lucky and drove in to the camp site right as someone was driving out. Our camp site wasn't very big but it was about 30 steps from Wade Lake. It was super convenient! So we set up camp first, then swam that evening. We took along the little blue kayak for Avery that we borrowed from Josh's sister and then also our inflatable kayak for the boys. They had a blast trying to knock each other off. Avery is like a pro now with the little kayak. At night we made hot dogs and smores for dinner on the campfire and slept in a tent. Then we swam again the next morning and packed up by about 1:00. The weather wasn't awful but it could've been a little better. We got sprinkled on a little bit here and there! We did have some sun though! Here are some pictures! Everyone always sees my pictures of this place and asks in awe, "Where is this magical place?!" Now half my friends have gone up there too!
Josh's family tries to have a "reunion" every summer. I always think it's funny because all six kids and the parents live within about a 50 mile radius of each other. Heck, one of Josh's sisters and her family literally just moved in down the road from us. But yet, we need to "reunite". lol So this year Bryan (Josh's older brother) was in charge and the activity he picked was to float the river in Ashton. Everyone brought their own tubes and kayaks and things. I opted to take the inflatable kayak for me and Avery. I was glad about that decision because the water was COLD. The boys and josh each had their own inner tube that they floated in. It took us from about 1:30-4:00pm to float the whole thing and then we got out and drove to the church for a cookout.
Heise Hot Springs (August 10, 2018):
This was one place I had never been! We had driven by plenty of times on our way to pick huckleberries in Kelly Canyon, but we had never actually gone swimming here. It's kind of pricey, which is probably why I've avoided it (about $65 for our whole family to get in and use all the pools and slides for the day), but they kids really enjoyed it. I did too actually. It was super hot this day so you would jump in the pool and then lay down for like two minutes and be hot again. They have one pool thats a natural hot springs pool so it was SUPER hot. We didn't even really want to be in that one. The kids spent a lot of time going down the big green tube water slide and then on the diving board. Avery went off the diving board for the first time ever! At first we was a little hesitant but that after the first jump she was running and jumping in like a fearless pro!
So! I think that is pretty much all of the Major Summer fun activities we have done! I got a part-time (VERY part-time) job that I started today working at the elementary school across the street from our house as a front desk secretary. Avery is starting first grade there so I'll just follow her there I guess. Today was registration day so they asked if I would just come today. Then I start on the first day of school, which is next Wednesday, August 22. There is another full-time secretary that will be there everyday from 8am-3pm and they just needed someone to help her over the lunch time from about 11-1 each day. So I figured that would be a fun place to chat with lots of moms I already know and just do some easy work! I was starting to feel a little sad about being home by myself all day every day in about a week, so I'm glad that this will be someplace to go and converse with people and get out of the house a little! I also still have my Etsy stuff that I can do to fill the time. Heck who knows, maybe I'll even go to the gym!
Okay, let's not talk crazy. We all know that won't happen. ;)
That's all for now!
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