Ashley Lake

We headed straight over to Ashley Lake for another week and a half of vacation. Jeff had to work from there for a few days, and left the cabin before I did (using Don and Cindy's vehicle), but it still worked out quite nicely. My parents had just got back from their mission and it was so nice to see them at the cabin!! We also got to spend time with the Fox's for a while before they went back home, which is what we were trying to catch. We also overlapped with the Loewen's after that. All 3 families, and Ryley, were there for a few days so it was quite a party! We took turns cooking and slept in the trailer for a few days, but it was all worth it for such a fun time. 

The cousins had a great time together and Boston bounced from one cousin to the next (because nobody could ignore his charm and continuous chatter)! We did a ton of boating, of course, and that's where Bentley and Deacon really shone and got so good at surfing after learning at the Ady cabin. Deacon skied lots as well, and Bentley tried and got up once but preferred surfing. Tubing was also a major activity and Leo was probably the bravest out there, getting flown off the tube multiple times! There was also lots of hot tubbing, catching crawdads, swimming, pickleball, a Mexican Horseshoe tournament, and smores by the fire. 

We celebrated Scarlett's birthday with cake pops, which my kids just LOVED! On our way out of town to head home, we all decided to go into town to shop for a while. It was a bit crazy, as I had all the kids with me, but we did manage to find some cute clothes for school. 

I drove Ryley home and it was great having her, since Jeff wasn't with me. I accidentally took the Crowsnest Pass on the way home, which I wasn't used to, but we made it! 

We came back to Ashley Lake for the long weekend in August. Jeff took off an extra 2 days to extend it, and we got to have a little bit of time with just my parents, and then with the Nielson's this time. We even met Skyler's fiancé, Savannah. Leo took a liking to her, but she was very quiet and we didn't have a lot of time with them. We did more boating and all the things, and then felt ready to head home. We had a lot of cabin time and were looking forward to sleeping in our own beds! 

Echo Lake

We didn't waste any time and headed to Echo Lake the day after school was out! Unfortunately it started out pretty rainy and cold for the first few days. I've never felt Echo Lake so cold before, but then it went from one extreme to another. We had a solid 2 or 3 weeks of +30 and above weather! The water quickly warmed up and it became smoking hot, to the point where we would go boating and have to jump in the water in between surfers. We had a lot of fun surfing this year and were able to get Bentley and Deacon up on a surf board on their own, and later, surfing without the rope for a little while. They loved it! Jeff took Leo on the surf board with him, and he loved it. Boston was very happy to stay in the boat and watch. He became even more obsessed with boats and fish, or should I say, "Big Bad Barry!" This came from an episode of Ben and Holly, but has quickly become his favorite thing to talk about and play with. 

We were able to be at the cabin with Jeff's parents and all of his brothers at one point, and it was great. Justin brought a bunch of his friends and hosted them in the cabin next door. He planned some activities like watching a play at the playhouse, and going to the rodeo, which Jeff and I were both able to join in on! I also enjoyed my yearly solo shopping trip in Kalispell. I especially had a blast at Target this year, picking out bedspreads and different things for our new bedrooms that we've been renovating at home. 

The biggest highlight, though, was probably all the activities for the 4th of July. We always love going to the parade and then celebrating by joining with their neighbors for a dance and amazing fireworks display! I couldn't get over Leo's reactions to the fireworks as he said, "That's incredible, I can't believe it! This is the best day of my life." I had to hold in tears as he sat on my lap and brought so much joy to our night. I just love his pure happiness and positivity in life. Boston went to sleep before the fireworks, which was just what he wanted to do that night! We all had a fun and late night. 

Other things we did this trip were buying and setting up a basketball hoop, lots of fishing by Deacon of course, Bentley and Emri's nail and spa salon, swimming over and over, duck pond Sunday, and going on daily walks and runs. Leo also lost his very first tooth on the dock and Bentley and Emri made up a dance. We made some yummy meals as well and had such a good time together! I think this was one of my favorite years because I didn't have a baby to feed and nap, and felt a lot less stressed without that.