Eliza's Treat

The other day Eliza made the family a little treat. A candy "sallid" complete with a card! It was so cute, and who really can resist a candy salad?

Not a Peak

So for about six months Russell and I have been talking about climbing a peak in Idaho...Table Rock. We had the perfect weekend planned and were ready to bag it. But Mother Nature was not on our side. There was still a lot of snow on the trail and bridges had been washed away as well so the forest service had closed the trail for now. We were so sad. So I called my brother Curtis, who was going to go with us, and told him to find us another hike. He did. Palisades Lake.

So Curtis, his lovely wife Colette, Russell and I went last Saturday morning. It was 8 miles round trip. Pretty easy stroll through the beautiful Idaho forest to a great mountain lake. It was perfect.

I don't get to hang out with Curtis and Colette very much since they live in Idaho. And I just loved spending the day with them.

After the hike we stopped for our lunch...square ice cream cones in Swan Valley. Yum!

They were delicious and huge. They had a fun sign up in the store telling how many ice cream cones they sold over the 4th of July weekend...18,370!! I couldn't believe it. Over Memorial Day they sold over 10,000 cones. For a little gas station in the middle of nowhere that is pretty impressive.

So even though we didn't climb a peak this month I am glad we got to do a fun hike with some awesome people!

Taking a Hike

Friday night we slept over at the cabin. We had an unexpected guest...a bat. It was pretty funny trying to get it to go outside. Russell was a brave dad and finally scooped it up and sent it on it's way. The next morning we woke up and went for a hike.

I'm not exactly sure where we were. Past Woodland, I know that. The kids weren't the best hikers today. They complained a lot while we were hiking up, but as soon as we turned around and headed down they didn't complain once. Crazy kids.

River crossing. We were careful on the way up, but coming back we all just walked through the creek and got our feet wet. It felt really good.

My pretty flower by a pretty wildflower. They flowers were in bloom everywhere and it was beautiful!

Jack giving me a pretty flower. He liked to pick them...not leave them for other's to enjoy.

I love being in the mountains!! Especially with my family.

We also found a lean to that somebody had constructed. Pretty cool.

Swimming Lessons

I was living my dream this summer. Ever since Aiden has been old enough to start swimming lessons I have been taking him to the Scera Pool. And I have always had a little baby to chase around and keep happy while the older ones swim. I would always look at the mom's that were just sitting on their lounge chairs with a book and be jealous, because it looked so relaxing...even for just a half hour. This was my year folks, all the kiddies were in lessons and for two weeks you could find me lounging in the sun with my book. Glorious I tell you, glorious. Oh, and I think the kids learned a thing or two as well.

This is Jack and his swimming teacher Neil. Jack thought Neil was the best and I thought Neil was the exact opposite of Jack!

Here is Eliza swimming on her back. She has gained a lot of confidence this year. She even jumped off of the diving board which is huge for her.

Aiden is the one on the left in the goggles. He did great.

Eliza

My three little swimmers!

Taking the kids to swimming lessons always brings back awesome memories of when I was a lifeguard and swimming teacher in Ammon, Idaho for four years. The weather in Idaho is a titch cooler (ok way colder) than here and waking up on those cold mornings in June to jump in the pool to teach has been etched on my mind forever. I still dream about the Ammon Pool at night...wearing a fleece jacket and long pants on deck while life guarding (again it was cold) and hoping I wouldn't have to go in with all of my cloths on. The neon zinc caked on my nose so I wouldn't get skin cancer. The late night swimming parties after the pool had closed. My mom bringing me over a huge drink when it would finally start warming up. My great friends, Darrell and Brandi. Ya, I still dream about the Ammon Pool and all of my great teenage years there. Especially when I am lounging by the pool watching my own kids swim.