We had our first real family vacation this month, with a trip to Bear Lake. We had so much fun, and the kids did fantastic! The weather was perfect and the lake was more entertaining than I even expected it to be. The girls loved collecting sea shells, digging in the sand, and, my favorite, playing in the water that was only to our knees! (It was so nice to not have to worry every second that they were going to get in over their heads, since the lake is so shallow for so long. Perfect for little kids and their worrier moms!) We took the trip with James's parents, Rachel, Jake and Shell, and kids and really enjoyed our time together.

The view from our condo. I haven't been to Bear Lake since I was a kid, and I didn't realize it was this big!

Playing in the "waves".

Brynn was in heaven in the sand. =)

James and Rick made a great likeness of an alligator.

Even Ivy loved the water...She was a real trooper.

We can't wait to go back next summer! (Oh, and the raspberry shakes were wonderful. Thank goodness I'm back on dairy again...Just in time.)

It's been a long time since my last post...oh, well. =) Here is a smattering of pictures showing what we have been up to the last little while:

"Driving" the tractor at Wheeler farm (what cute girls!). My mom invited us to her work party there...It was a fun night with great food and family.

Looking at the pigs (nice view of the pig, huh?!)

Brynn, pointing which way she is going to flee. (But, to her credit, she came back every time! She definitely keeps us on our toes.)

I just thought this one was funny. I'm in so few pictures...Why then do I have such an annoyed look on my face? I promise that we were having a great time!

Brynn and Ivy playing peek-a-boo...
Both Abby and Brynn will do just about anything to get Ivy to smile and laugh...It just melts my heart (and can easily take away an annoyed look, like the one above).


To be continued...

This morning I decided to be a less obsessive mom and told the girls they could play in the mud. (After the torrential rain and hail storms we had yesterday, our yard is abounding in mud.) Abby started laughing and said, "Mom, are you joking?!" I guess that means I don't let my kids get dirty often enough. I assured them that I meant it, and they could get as dirty as they wanted...such excitement followed! They just couldn't wait to really get dirty, and boy did they! It was so fun to watch, though, and the screaming in the shower afterward was even worth the fun.

So cute, even when dirty!

Ivy just turned 6 months old yesterday...wow, these past few months have been a whirlwind! It's amazing how, when a new little one joins the family, it's hard to imagine life without them. Ivy is such a blessing to our home...Abby and Brynn just can't get enough of her: it is so sweet!

Still a little baby in a big chair! Ivy loves baby food (except for green beans...not much of a surprise).

Hanging out in the saucer...

Look at the size of that mouth! She is definitely teething.

Ivy is so happy to be a "big girl" in a big girl chair. So cute!

Last weekend we attended the open house of the new Ocquirrh Mountain Temple with my parents and "uncle" David. It was a beautiful day and a neat experience to be there together as a family. The temple was just beautiful...we are so blessed to have a temple so close. (I was too worried about the kids behaving that we weren't able to get any pictures of our family. But, at least James got one of the temple.)

We did get some pictures of the girls later in the backyard with our gorgeous roses. (It is exciting to actually find something that thrives in our yard!)

Abby, stopping to smell the roses.

Ivy, stopping to touch the roses.

Brynn, stopping to destroy the roses. =)

And, last but not least, my handsome husband. Am I lucky or what?!