Izzy had her hair done super cute, so all my girls decided they wanted "Izzy Hair"
Then, for the Fourth of July, instead of going to the super crowded beach, we decided to have a more relaxing day at the clubhouse and the house. It was perfect!
Camille, Izzy, and Claire enjoying the HOT hot tub:
Grandpa was nice enough to take Camille to the deep end:
Then we came home and the kids enjoyed the movie AirBud while the adults relaxed, and then it was time to prepare the Fourth of July BBQ- including some homemade Root Beer Magic!
I texted Ben the above pictures and told him we were enjoying a traditional good ol' US of A BBQ and inquired as to what he was having. He sent me this:
I know I should have felt sorry for him like any loving, supportive wife would, but I was kind-of hoping he would feel bad enough about missing out on this trip that he would be sure to join us next year. Here's hoping!
After our delicious dinner, we set up the croquet set for the kids to try and play croquet. I think they liked it, even if they didn't quite understand how the game works.
This picture below really shows why it was so hard to come home. The peaceful joys of playing in the quiet yard while overlooking the beauty all around really hit me. What a tremendous blessing! It felt like summer- spending time with cousins and friends in care-free play. It was magical. I can't explain it- it felt like home. It reminded me of the summers we spent in Blackfoot growing up- not a care in the world, just running around playing with my cousins.
I am so incredibly grateful that I got to spend a week here with my family, and I am also grateful to have spent the weekend with Ben's. I feel especially blessed to feel completely at home with Ben's family- even though Ben wasn't there, it really felt like I belonged. I never felt left out in any way- Ben's family is so open and caring to me and the girls. It's a pretty awesome feeling to feel so loved, and to raise my girls surrounded by that love. Not everybody has that, and I consider it a great blessing of my life.
Camille was incredibly cranky all day- it had been 11 days of driving, visiting, sleeping in strange places, and long days in the sun on the beach. And she was tired! I was going to let her stay up to watch the fireworks, but I knew she really needed to go to sleep instead. Audra, Claire, and Cambria helped me hatch a plan. They all "pretended" to go to sleep- they even brushed their teeth and put pj's on over their clothes. They all hopped into bed, and 10 minutes later Camille was fast asleep and the older girls all got up to go watch the fireworks. The plan worked!
And, just like that, the fireworks- and our trip- were over.
On Tuesday we, sadly, drove home. While we were all thrilled to see Ben, we were all a bit sad to leave the peace and tranquility of Bear Lake. It was simply a wonderful vacation- all of it. I asked Camille what her favorite part of Bear Lake was and she said, "Everything!" I couldn't agree more.
It was also really special to take this road trip with my girls. Of course, it would have been better if Ben had been able to come, but it was nice to just be me and the girls as well. I love being their mom! These girls are so precious to me- I love them so incredibly much, and it was a lot of fun just being with the girls and road tripping together. I love our adventures- and can't wait for more!
