Camping at Granite Lake

This summer our family camping trip was to Granite Lake. We left on Thursday morning and came home on Saturday afternoon.
Thursday : We set up camp and then went down to the lake to see the sights and let Bailee play in the water. We didn't actually think that she would get in though. It was breezy and the weather had been fairly cool all week, so we were pretty sure that the water would be cold. But that didn't stop Bailee. After a week in California swimming at Uncle Dale and Aunt Pam's she jumped right in! It was short lived, I think that the cold water took her breath away and she got out only to jump back in minutes later. While we were at the lake we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and Bailee had fun throwing rocks in to make a big splash. After that we headed back to camp for dinner and bed time. We borrowed my mom's space heater for the tent and we were sure glad that we did because it was cold at night.
Friday: We made breakfast and lunch and then headed out on a hike. There wasn't a great trail so we had to go across country for part of the way. We had to trust that the GPS was taking us in the right direction. We made it to the lake (it was nameless) and stopped for lunch. Bailee was eager to do some fishing so we let her practice casting. Then we headed back. On our way around the lake we found some frogs we caught 3 and put them in a water bottle and took them back to camp. Once we got back on the jeep trail Bailee ran most of the way back. She is so funny. The res t of the day we hung out around camp and at Granite Lake. While we were on a walk we saw a Doe not to far from our campsite. Each night we played Memory in the tent before we got into bed. With the heater it was a good way to keep warm and keep Bailee occupied.
Saturday: We had breakfast and then cleaned up camp. Bailee and I went to let the frogs go at the lake while Matt loaded up the car. It seems to be our tradition when we come up to these mountains that we need a jump at some time on the trip. Matt discovered that the car wouldn't start and had to go find someone to give us a jump. It is unfortunate, but I think we are starting to find it humorous. After we got the car started we finished packing up and then headed out. We stopped a beautiful little meadow and did a little more frog hunting. We caught two or three big frogs while we were there and then continued on our trip home. We stopped in Cascade for lunch at a cute little restaurant, we had some yummy food and ate way to much.
We always have a great time on our camping trips. We love spending time together as a family away from all of the day to day
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Baking Bread

I was so excited to get my Bosch Mixer a few months ago and I am so proud that I have not purchased any bread since I got my mixer. (other than hoagies, hamburger and hot dog buns) It has been a fun experience for me to see the fruits of my labor each time I pull the loaves out of the oven. We have been loving the homemade bread, but I think that we have been eating more bread since I started making it, at least it is whole wheat and preservative free.

Saying Goodbye

Our friends Jake and Debbie are leaving us for a new adventure in Houston, TX. Debbie is the first counselor in our Primary presidency and so the four of our families got together for a goodbye dinner and some fun watching the Olympics. We had a great time. Their family will surely be missed form our ward and neighborhood. We wish them the best of luck. Debbie, Lori, Melanie, and Me

Jake & Debbie, Jared & Lori, Kenneth & Melanie, Matt and I

Fun with the Washington Thompsons

Julie, Brandon and their kids came through town and stopped for a few days on their way home from Brandon's family reunion. We went to Settlers Park to let the kids play while Matt and my Mom were at work and then later that night we went to El Gallo Giro for a yummy Mexican dinner. We had so much fun with them. It is always fun when we get to spend time with family. It is even more fun when Matt and Brandon are together because they are so much alike, we just laugh and laugh. We love the Thompsons and hope that we get to see them again soon. Bailee and Rylan playing at the park, they were having so much fun.

Us at El Gallo Giro... YUM YUM YUM!!!

Brandon Julie and Rylan

Me. Mom and Kayla

Owen having his first taste of a Lime.

I'm so glad when daddy comes home

One evening after work I went out to mow the lawn. This spring Bailee would walk behind the mower with me. I think she decide that wasn't much fun getting grass in her face. This time she went in the garage and grabbed a chair. As I was mowing I could see her clapping every once in a while. I stopped the mower to see what she was up too. She was singing " I'm so glad when daddy comes home, glad as I can be. Clap my hands and shout for joy . . . " She is such a sweetheart. She loves to be with daddy.

Water Skiing with Bailee

One evening I took Bailee out to the lake with my friend Matt. I did a little slalom skiing and some surfing. Bailee played in the water and rode in the boat. We have a lot of fun when we go out just the two of us.

Water Sports Merit Badge

The scouts went waterskiing and wakeboarding. For many of them it was there first time on a wakeboard or skis. They had a great time jumping off the dock and ski/wakeboarding. My friend Matt pulled the boys behind his boat in a lake near Caldwell. The water was in the 80's it was perfect.

Owen starting to crawl

Today during dinner Owen crawled all the way from the edge of the chair to the kitchen. He pushes himself around with his feet. When he spots something he wants he goes for it. He is still easy to keep track of but before we know it he will be into everything.

Anderson Lake Backpacking Trip

In July we went on a wilderness survival backpacking trip. We hiked 4 miles into Anderson Lake near McCall, ID. Alec, Alex, Brady, Sonny, Dallon, Caleb, Adam, Brandon, and David all went. We didn't take tents and the boys had to build shelters when we got to the lake. The weather was great but the mosquitos where something else. We did a little fishing, exploring, firebulding and even took a dip in Boulder lake.