Girls Camp and Bear Lake

pic stolen from Elizabeth's YW President

The Monday after we got back from our family reunion in California, Elizabeth left for her week long girls camp with the Church. It was her first year (she's called a first year) and so she was super excited and nervous at the same time! Same as going to Seventh Grade! Lots of firsts this year! She packed up mostly all by herself and I bid her a tearful (on my part) goodbye at 7:30 that Monday morning.

The Church owns a campground up at Heber Valley and that's where they went- along with a lot of other Young Women in the Church. And when I say campground, I mostly mean small cabins, an eating lodge, a lake with canoes and ziplines. This was not the camp I went to in the forests of California where we stayed up late in tents, scared of the bears that may be roaming around and eating any Beehive alive.

Btw, have you heard of the movie coming out in Utah Once There Was a Beehive? It's supposed to be super cute and Elizabeth really wants to see it. It's about girl's camp and 12-13 yr old girls in the Church- who are called Beehives. Why not Bees? I don't know! We'll wait for it to be cheaper to go see it!

 A crazy sock puppet Jonah made

Meanwhile I tried to keep the boys busy doing boy things- crafts, science stuff and just doing things together. They decided to take fun pictures of themselves jumping on the tramp. Fun!

 Asher with the Bear Lake Bear. I have other pictures with the other kids near this bear too.

 I went for a walk and these cows started staring at me. All of them. It kinda scared me and I turned around and came home. 

 Declan LOVED the sand, the wind, the waves. He would run headlong into the lake and I would have to chase after him. He did get a little sunburn where his diaper fell down in the back poor baby.

 Jonah

 Elizabeth and cousin Sabrina- yay for more girls! Don't you love her red hair?

 Asher

 Ethan

 Headed to the Ice Caves- thus the jackets.

 Inside the big part of the Ice Cave

 More Cousins!

 That morning I did a little yoga and meditation and when I finished, I came out and saw this beautiful rainbow. So pretty!

Serious beauty!

After Elizabeth got back from girls camp, we took a small break and then headed up to Josh's Grandmother's cabin in St. Charles, Idaho right next to the beautiful Bear Lake. We drove up through Logan (hi, Kelsy!) and beautiful Cache Valley. It's always so pretty!

We spent the days swimming at the lake and made a trip to the ice caves- a cave that still has a snow pack in August and icicles deeper in. I stayed in the larger portion and opted not to crawl under the rock in the darkness with Declan. He was a little scared of the darkness anyways. It was super cool though!

On Saturday, our usual beach day, it was supposed to be rainy. We headed out anyways, a little later and while it was cold and windy, the kids had a blast and the wind eventually died down.

We love going to Bear Lake, seeing cousins and family, eating good food, playing games and getting away from it all. It was a wonderful vacation and way to end the summer! Next up- first day of school!