Glacier National Park

JB went on a dream hiking trip to Glacier National Park last week with his cousins Ryan and Greg, and their boys Colton, Kenny and Chase.

They did three main big hikes — Grinnell Glacier, Highline Trail, and Iceberg Lake. They saw mountain goats, bears (including a momma bear with her two cubs), deer, bighorn sheep and lots of beauty.

Here they are on the Highline Trail.

This is a view from the Highline Trail, a 17-mile all day trek!

The following pictures are from the Glinnell Glacier trail.

This is Iceberg Lake. They got up early in the morning to do this hike, and they all took the polar plunge into the lake at the end! Ice is floating in the water, brrrrr.

These wildflowers are near Iceberg Lake.

This river is along the Iceberg Lake trail.

They also took a smaller hike to Hidden Lake.

Look at this beauty!

Bear Lake camping

We drove up to Bear Lake last Monday and camped overnight on the east shore, in the Boy Scouts' Bear Lake Aquatics Base (BLAB). 

But before we set up the tent, we got food at Zips and shakes at LaBeau's.

We pretty much had that whole beach to ourselves to skip rocks and make sand castles and swim. The shallow water went out a long way. 

A girls camp group came out at one point from one of the nearby homes, and one of the girls yelled to Max, "My friend thinks you are hot!" 

Girlie took my hat.

Our campsite had a spot for hammocks and a picnic table, where JB set up the camera and we took these pictures.

Reclining in hammocks.

The night was windy and rainy. No one slept that well, with the tent shaking. Quite the adventure!  In the morning, some rock skipping, then we took down the tent and went home.  

Sleepy heads for the drive home.

Max's birthday, FSY and tennis

 Max is now 17 years old! He sent us links to some things he could use for his birthday and JB bought them for him. He's such an easy teenager -- responsible, thoughtful, funny and brave.

This month he has been very busy, including a great week at FSY. I'm so glad for the experience he had and the other youth, counselors and teachers he met.

Every day he plays tennis for hours. Yesterday they finished up summer doubles league play with the  Grand Prix tournament, and Max and Ben tied for the most points! 

JB bought this Joes KC BBQ shirt for Max when we were there last month, and I took a picture of him when he got it on his birthday so I could send the picture to the family group chat.

Here he is in Missouri, sporting another shirt with local flair.

And sporting his own high school shirt.

This next year — his senior year —will be full of college applications and mission application and so many "lasts" for our first baby. We all shared favorite memories of Max the other day. My first memory was of all his blonde hair when he was born, and how he looked all around. We are so happy to have him!

Fourth of July

We love the Fourth of July. What a great country we live in, where we are free to worship, think and speak, and where we all have the ability to become whatever we want to be. 

This picture below is the dessert we made for Sunday, July 3 -- a sugar cookie flag but the blueberry juice was quickly filling the stars area with purple! 

That night, I went to Provo to cover Elder Uchtdorf's speech at the Freedom Festival in BYU's Marriott Center. It was a beautiful talk about citizenship in God's kingdom being mankind's highest hope. I was up late finishing the story and getting it published for the Church News.

On Monday morning, our neighborhood bike parade was a hit again. 

JB and Max and Ben and I all watched from the curb.

Here come our bikers.

Afterward were some games and activities with prizes.

And then JB drove Max and Ben down to FSY at BYU! This was their first For the Strength of Youth conference and they absolutely loved the whole week. 10/10 would recommend for any teenager to go.

Millie is 6

 Happiest of birthdays to this new 6 year old! 

This is her favorite outfit, and she spruced it up by wearing 12 new scrunchies on her wrists and ankles.

The weekend was full of celebrating, from her oceans/mermaids/water party on Saturday morning, to cake on Sunday at Nona and Papa's house, to her actual birthday on Monday.

She got a mermaid tail and has worn it constantly since.

We -- including James -- made bracelets at the party.

And played in the pool

And used the same fish pinata that Max had at his party when he turned five, 12 years ago. Look at this jump ...

I stayed up too late trying to set the blue jello enough to stick Swedish fish halfway in. The cookies have a pearl inside, like an oyster.

We had donuts on Saturday, then for her birthday cake after Sunday dinner she wanted a pineapple cake. She made the request after I had purchased a pink box cake mix, so I decorated the outside like a pineapple.

We oftentimes marvel at where we got this spunky, silly, sweet, sassy 6 year old. Over and over I'm so grateful for her.