To Hell & Back! (Hell Roaring, that is)

Another weekend, another adventure! Derrick went backpacking with the big boys again. Only this time, they were lucky enough to have Travis, Taylor, Shawn, Nathan, Brayden, and Tiana (poor Tiana....being with all of those boys!) along for the fun times. We had a giant sleepover on Thursday night so that they could get out the door bright and early on Friday. After a very short night of sleep, the adventure began. They drove to the Sawtooth mountains and started their hike to Hell Roaring Lake (hence, the name of the post). It is a beautiful mountain lake, surrounded by several other lakes and waterfalls in the Sawtooth mountain range. The lake was really somethin', but they wanted to continue on to the next lake (Imogene Lake), and apparently, it was totally worth the extra hike. They enjoyed a good day and a half of fishing, swimming and being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

It was this dude's first backpacking trip, ever! And he BROUGHT it (and I don't just mean his backpack!). Great job Brayden!

This is the island. While on the island, they had a bald eagle flying circles above their heads. Then it swooped down, grabbed a fish from the water right by them and then flew away. That could easily be the highlight of Derrick's summer. I guess it must have been pretty cool, since Derrick really doesn't like animals at all. I mean, last time we were at Seaworld, I was holding out the little fishies for the dolphins, and a seagull flew down out of no-where and snagged it from my hand. But Derrick wasn't even impressed at all! And then, when we were eating our lunch, and a seagull flew right over our table and pooped all over my lunch, he was even less impressed! What is it with those bald eagles anyways?

One thing we know for sure....mosquitoes prefer Asian blood. I think Asian food is good, but apparently...so is their blood.

(Nathan and Tiana must have been mighty tasty!)

This is Taylor, taking the plunge. Show off!

The three amigos, Zac, Nathan, and Brayden.

The traditional first fish kiss is always so attractive. And to think, I'm the lucky lady who gets to kiss those lips goodnight!

Look like fun? Here's the thing though....

NEXT YEAR I'M GOING TOO!

Through Innocent Eyes

Last night we went and saw Harry Potter. It was ok. But my favorite part actually happened before the movie even began. We were sitting in a very full theater, when this came up on the screen.....

....and Myah proclaimed, (just loud enough for all of the people in close proximity to hear and get a good chuckle) 'Look Mom, It says Choose The Right'! I love the innocence of children. Maybe I should add that to my list below.

I LOVE.....

• Daisies, and lilies.
• The smell (and look) of fresh cut grass.
• When Des is falling asleep with his bottle, and his eyes sort of go crossed.
• Popcorn (especially the crunchy half popped kernels) and Doritos.
• The feeling after a good workout.
• Being called mommy, or mom.
• The first snow.
• The smell of Baby Magic baby lotion.
• Hiking....and wildflowers.
• When Myah plays with my hair.
• Thundershowers
• Laying on my back watching the clouds in the sky.
• Sleeping in.
• Waking up early. (Only once I'm up)
• The quiet you can actually hear sometimes while skiing through the trees.
• Flip flops
• Changing seasons. I like them all, but I love it when I new season is moving in!
• Avocados. The color, the smell, the taste...everything about them!
• Derrick (of course I LOVE him, but even better...I LIKE him, a lot!)
• Watching my kids do something they LOVE (sports, cooking, art, dance......)
• The smell of Tide. Tide=Heaven.
• Clean sheets.
• Watching family movies.
• When I buy a GOOD watermelon. Complete and utter joy and satisfaction!
• Soaking my feet in a cold river, and chatting with great people or reading a good book.
• My family.
• Having a reason to get dressed up a little.
• Fresh tomatoes straight from the garden.
• Sunsets. I'm easily impressed, but really, we get such beautiful sunsets at our house!
• Creating something....in the kitchen, refinishing furniture, or repainting a wall. LOVE it!
• Extended family.
• The ocean. (from the beach mostly)
• Little people laughs. I think they're magical!
• Vacations. I don't really even care where. I just love the family time when nothing else matters!
• Life in general. EVERY day is amazing, even the bad ones. (maybe a little cheesy, but TRUE)

11:10 pm at the Swaner Home

11:10 pm and we're still going strong..........

And this is why my kids won't go to bed before midnight!

When you ask my kids what they have done this summer, and they say 'nothing'....don't believe them! Sure, we were a little slow getting started. I mean, with the weather and all, it just didn't seem all that summer-like around here.

But in the past couple weeks, we've jumped in head first!

Desmond has successfully caught on to 'wrestle time' with Derrick, and loves to ride the horsey. The pictures are a little blurry, but the horse was on the move.

Des was so excited he looked like he was just going to burst!

Myah and I had our own 'girls night' in the back yard. (making up for the fact that she wasn't invited to go backpacking.) Derrick set up the tent, hooked up the tv and dvd player, and even brought out a real bed mattress (for yours truly)! The boys all served us dinner while we watched some girly movies, and put on makeup and fingernail polish. The next morning, we were served breakfast in bed. It was fun. Myah certainly can't hate being the only girl around here!

Last week, Gabe came up with Nicole, Jordan and Kira. It was fun to visit for a couple of days. But WHY don't I ever remember to get the camera out? I only managed to grab one picture of Myah and Kira. Gabe...next time remind me!

Shortly after they headed back for Tooele (like 2 hours after to be exact), Shawn & Yuri came up with more cousins. The great times continue. Shawn & Yuri even humored me by going out on a little hike with Derrick and I. It sure made it feel better to eat all of that yummy party food. After all, we pre-burned the calories, right?

The next day, Nicky & Ira and Tyson & Mandi joined us for a swim day. Some of the kids went tubing up at Lava. I have yet to do it (you know, the whole issue with me, tubes, and rivers) Of course, we were caught in the huge thunder/rain storm that hit Pocatello. It was still a great time though.

And Des? He's just happy standing on his head. Any time, any place.

Later on, my parents joined us that evening for a 4th of July barbecue...complete with nickel sized hail, flooding, a most beautiful rainbow, and the Pocatello fireworks!

Think I'm done???? WRONG......

The next morning, we headed down to Cherry Hills to celebrate Uncle Paul's & Aunt Carma's 50th wedding anniversary. I got to meet some of Derrick's cousins for the first time, and others I haven't seen in years and years. It was really cool. What an awesome family.Shawn and Amy were even able to make it from Phoenix. I always have to take a picture of Myah and Abby together. They are just so similar, and very, very close in age, and Myah loves to see her. (of course, she loves to see any of her cousins!)

And after that....

We stopped by the Crawfords to swap Zac for Emilie for a few days. It's a summer tradition. And in order to trade back children, we decided to meet at Bear Lake yesterday and play for the day. The good times just kept coming (as did the wind).

And because there were no daddies on duty, I even helped out with the sand castle. But the kids definitely missed Derrick and his amazing design capabilities. Mine looked more like a birthday cake.

After each dip in the lake, a warm up in the blanket was sure to follow! Is it really JULY???
Skyler worked on his tan. When did he get that old, to actually care about a tan?
And the wind just kept on blowing. but the kids didn't seem to mind. After all, we live in Pocatello. We're used to it! Zac dug a whole to the center of the earth

and Myah fit just perfectly. It was probably warmer in there.Des snacked on sand

and liked it. A lot!

As I was saying....Any time, Any place!

After it was all over with. This little guy wasted no time in going to sleep. We weren't even done loading the car yet. Since it wasn't a particularly warm day at the beach, I called Derrick and had him meet us last night at Downata for a somewhat warm evening swim. Once again, no pictures.

And the fun doesn't even stop there! This morning, we jumped (or sort-of rolled slowly) out of bed, and tried our best to put the house back together (funny how it gets so messy when we're not even here!), for some more company to stop by and say hello. Jenna and her kiddos (some friends from Las Vegas, who now live in Phoenix, but who drive to Rexburg once a year to visit family......you get the picture.....) took the time to come hang out with us for a while today. It was short, but very sweet, and we're so glad we're on the way to Rexburg! Thanks Jenna!

And.......now I get to try to clean out the car, finish the laundry, and get a good workout in, since tomorrow........

we are taking the kids to Lagoon. (does the fun ever stop?)

and Saturday....we get to go to Tooele for Kira's baptism!

Yet another amazing and fun weekend to look forward to!

But in a month from now, when my kids answer the question, 'What did you do this summer?' with a big fat 'NOTHING', you can know in your heart that they are totally and completely FULL OF IT!

Good thing we decided to take this summer to 'lay low', 'kick back', and not make any 'big plans'. I think we'd be in trouble!