It's about that time, isn't it? Anthony and I dubbed this summer the "Summer of Fun" back in May, and it has lived up to its name! We have been busy forging new friendships with neighbors and trying to enforce new habits in the home. I spent about two weeks going through every square inch of our home, organizing things and deciding which of our possessions are ready to be donated. We filled up the entire back of the van with stuff that was just taking up space around here, and it feels fantastic to know where every little thing in my house is located. I'm trying to readjust my attitude about work so that I will be ready to hit it hard after we get back from our end-of-summer trip to Colorado (39 weeks until graduation!), and I've been doing a lot of deep-thinking about my parenting philosophy and reading interesting books on that. Anyway, that's what's been going on around here, if you've wondered about my falling off the face of the planet...
...we left off on the fourth of July. On the fifth of July, the kids had a fun-hangover and couldn't even make it through a 6:30 story time.
We went to Elle's birthday party on the 15th...
...and headed up to Bear Lake on the 20th. I was so nervous on the drive up, wondering what this new house would feel like after decades of great memories on our humble lot with the old trailer. Yes, the new house definitely gives Bear Lake a contemporary spin and a different experience, but I am not complaining! Let me tell you how awesome it is to have a place to bathe your kids after a day of playing in the mud! No more fighting over the tiny bathroom sink in the trailer, no more being eaten alive by mosquitos at dusk (though I did miss the campfire that was banned this year, but I understand), and a kitchen to cook in? Fantastic. After dessert on Friday night, I was stricken by Alaina, covered in chocolate, sitting on the back steps. I have many pictures of a dirty little me on the trailer steps when I was around her age...it's wild to see my own daughter there, with such a different definition of Bear Lake in the frame behind her.
Once everyone had been fed on Saturday, we all headed down to the water. The muck was gross this year, but the reward of warm, shallow water was worth it! Ava, Alaina, and Elle worked on collecting some shells.
Emilee and I got to take a turn on the paddleboards that the Grows rented. So fun, tranquil, and a perfect time to have a meaningful conversation.
The view from the water. The new house next to the old trailer is a poignant sight.
The Grows outnumbered the Broadheads 1,635 to 8 this year.
This boat was aptly named, since the girls couldn't get it to do anything but go around in circles.
Cute pic of Robert and Linda, complete with old-people poles.
Parking lot in front of the house
It wouldn't be a Bear Lake trip without some Fruit Loop jewelry!
Alaina was proud of her new duds!
It wouldn't be a Bear Lake trip without filthy hands, either.
It got pretty windy in the evenings, so we ate in the garage. Even a garage is such a vast improvement over what we were working with before!
It's been seven years since Emilee, Stephanie, and I were all at Bear Lake together. It was so fun to catch up, and it's even more fun that now that Meredith is all grown up and can now officially be involved in conversations about boys! :)
Karl and Lisa brought up their propane fire pit to roast s'mores on Saturday night. So smart (but look who I'm referencing)!
The sunsets did not disappoint.
One of my favorite memories of this trip was seeing Connor pull up a seat next to Katherine and watch the sunset and chat with her. He is cautious about strangers, but if he knows you're family, then you are okay in his book, even if he doesn't know you well. <3
I woke up Sunday morning to these little gems on my camera:
I promise I put sunscreen on these kids! My reapplication near the eyes left something to be desired. Sorry, guys!
Before pulling out, I had to get a pic with Em and Steph. We thought it was funny that we all showed up with aviators. Why didn't anyone tell me how bug-eyed I look in these huge ones? Want to trade, Em? :)
We're more of a jazz-hands group than a serious photo bunch.
All-in-all, our Bear Lake trip was great and we're so excited to leave in 36 for our Broadhead weekend up there! You better believe I rented a paddleboard! :)
The next weekend, I attended Kandis' Wish Photography Retreat. I've got to be honest and say that I was nervous to go, but it was a blast. It was so fun to see Kandis in action, and it my goals were to feel completely comfortable in full manual and with my 85mm lens. It was nice to get out of my comfort zone of photojournalism and shoot pretty people in pretty places! I have so many fun memories of the weekend, but my favorite was at 7:30 AM, after our water shoot: everyone was getting ready for the day, and I went out to the hot tub on the back deck of the house. I swished my legs in the warm water while the sun peaked through the trees and robins danced all around me. I mindfully breathed the 65 degree Park City air while fully recognizing that I could be alone in my thoughts for however long I wanted. I think I stayed there for 45 minutes, just being quiet, which is a luxury to me these days. Heavenly! You can see my favorite photos from the retreat here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48974252@N05/sets/72157630980860260/ And now, we're off to another two and a half weeks of fun before it's back to fall semester. You better believe we're going to make the most of it!
...we left off on the fourth of July. On the fifth of July, the kids had a fun-hangover and couldn't even make it through a 6:30 story time.
We went to Elle's birthday party on the 15th...
...and headed up to Bear Lake on the 20th. I was so nervous on the drive up, wondering what this new house would feel like after decades of great memories on our humble lot with the old trailer. Yes, the new house definitely gives Bear Lake a contemporary spin and a different experience, but I am not complaining! Let me tell you how awesome it is to have a place to bathe your kids after a day of playing in the mud! No more fighting over the tiny bathroom sink in the trailer, no more being eaten alive by mosquitos at dusk (though I did miss the campfire that was banned this year, but I understand), and a kitchen to cook in? Fantastic. After dessert on Friday night, I was stricken by Alaina, covered in chocolate, sitting on the back steps. I have many pictures of a dirty little me on the trailer steps when I was around her age...it's wild to see my own daughter there, with such a different definition of Bear Lake in the frame behind her.
Once everyone had been fed on Saturday, we all headed down to the water. The muck was gross this year, but the reward of warm, shallow water was worth it! Ava, Alaina, and Elle worked on collecting some shells.
Emilee and I got to take a turn on the paddleboards that the Grows rented. So fun, tranquil, and a perfect time to have a meaningful conversation.
The view from the water. The new house next to the old trailer is a poignant sight.
The Grows outnumbered the Broadheads 1,635 to 8 this year.
This boat was aptly named, since the girls couldn't get it to do anything but go around in circles.
Cute pic of Robert and Linda, complete with old-people poles.
Parking lot in front of the house
It wouldn't be a Bear Lake trip without some Fruit Loop jewelry!
Alaina was proud of her new duds!
It wouldn't be a Bear Lake trip without filthy hands, either.
It got pretty windy in the evenings, so we ate in the garage. Even a garage is such a vast improvement over what we were working with before!
It's been seven years since Emilee, Stephanie, and I were all at Bear Lake together. It was so fun to catch up, and it's even more fun that now that Meredith is all grown up and can now officially be involved in conversations about boys! :)
Karl and Lisa brought up their propane fire pit to roast s'mores on Saturday night. So smart (but look who I'm referencing)!
The sunsets did not disappoint.
One of my favorite memories of this trip was seeing Connor pull up a seat next to Katherine and watch the sunset and chat with her. He is cautious about strangers, but if he knows you're family, then you are okay in his book, even if he doesn't know you well. <3
I woke up Sunday morning to these little gems on my camera:
I promise I put sunscreen on these kids! My reapplication near the eyes left something to be desired. Sorry, guys!
Before pulling out, I had to get a pic with Em and Steph. We thought it was funny that we all showed up with aviators. Why didn't anyone tell me how bug-eyed I look in these huge ones? Want to trade, Em? :)
We're more of a jazz-hands group than a serious photo bunch.
All-in-all, our Bear Lake trip was great and we're so excited to leave in 36 for our Broadhead weekend up there! You better believe I rented a paddleboard! :)
The next weekend, I attended Kandis' Wish Photography Retreat. I've got to be honest and say that I was nervous to go, but it was a blast. It was so fun to see Kandis in action, and it my goals were to feel completely comfortable in full manual and with my 85mm lens. It was nice to get out of my comfort zone of photojournalism and shoot pretty people in pretty places! I have so many fun memories of the weekend, but my favorite was at 7:30 AM, after our water shoot: everyone was getting ready for the day, and I went out to the hot tub on the back deck of the house. I swished my legs in the warm water while the sun peaked through the trees and robins danced all around me. I mindfully breathed the 65 degree Park City air while fully recognizing that I could be alone in my thoughts for however long I wanted. I think I stayed there for 45 minutes, just being quiet, which is a luxury to me these days. Heavenly! You can see my favorite photos from the retreat here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48974252@N05/sets/72157630980860260/ And now, we're off to another two and a half weeks of fun before it's back to fall semester. You better believe we're going to make the most of it!
