Toddlers

We had a family over for dinner tonight that have a little boy Ryders age. The two were so cute together! It really is a fun age. They're so cute and cuddly!

Saturday Mornings

Saturday mornings are the best when the kids sleep in, we eat a yummy warm breakfast, and we have no where to rush off to. Luckily that's how this morning was! And the kids were so cute together while they ran around the house in their pajamas!

Family Dates

This Summer I gave Kade and Tenley chore charts and each time they do one of the chores they've received a sticker. I told them that if they can earn 100 stickers then they can plan a fun date for the family. Kade earned his 100 stickers last week so he chose our date for tonight. We went and saw Finding Dory at the theater and then went out to dinner at Zany's. He really likes that restaurant because they have a train that goes around the ceiling. Ryder really loved watching the train! Then we came home and he made us more snickerdoodles. It was a fun night!

Ryder is walking everywhere!

Grandpa Hobson

Grandpa Hobson and Grandma Judy came into town for a night to get some dental work done. Even though the kids didn't get a lot of time with them they were still so excited to see him for a bit!

The Aquatic Center

We just got a pass to the aquatic center this week and we have gone every day since! It's been a lot of fun, but I think we're all pretty worn out from the sun and swimming. Although Kade is hoping we still go again tomorrow!

Helpers

Tenley was in charge of family night last night and she wanted to teach a lesson on being happy. We found an article in the Friend magazine about how when we're helping we're happy. It was a great lesson and it reminded me that I need to be more willing to let my kids help when they ask to. I'm all about doing things as quickly and efficiently as possible so when my kids want to help I know it will take twice as long and leave a bigger mess. But more importantly it helps them feel important and it gets us working together! So today I let them make cookies! We had leftover chocolate chip cookie dough from our trip that Tenley rolled into balls and put in the oven. And Brad helped Kade make snickerdoodles! Kade did a really great job following a recipe for the first time. And they were all delicious! 

Warm Concrete

I signed the kids up for swim lessons again and they're so excited. They'll probably be living in their swimsuits the rest of the Summer because we also got a month long aquatic center pass. It should be fun!

I accidentally forgot their towels for swim lessons today but luckily their friends showed them how to warm up on the concrete. It was cute!

The Scenic Route

We had a nice easy-going drive home today and took a lot of scenic routes through some quiet little towns and to Flathead Lade and Lake Couer D'Alene while we listened to BYU Vocal Point. It was relaxing. Luckily Ryder slept a lot and I was able to sleep some as well. Brad discovered that Ryder has some molars coming in which would explain why he woke up at 4:30 this morning and wouldn't go back to sleep. 😕 It was a tough night but hopefully being back in his own bed will help!

Our little family vacation was a definite success. We all had so much fun. I feel so lucky to be able to enjoy life and see beautiful sights with the ones I love. 

Hiking

Today we decided not to ride the shuttle and we found a great parking spot at Avalanche creek where the trailhead for our hike began. It saved us a lot of time! We wanted to hike the Trail of the Cedars and then we decided to hike all the way to Avalanche Creek. We thought it was a four mile easy hike but later learned it was five miles and moderate. We might not have taken the kids had we known this but they did a great job! And the lake was so beautiful! I've never seen such a beautiful turqoise lake. We had lunch when we got there and then hiked all the way around. On the way back the kids started getting really tired. Poor Tenley kept tripping and was on the verge of tears from her legs hurting so badly. And she was walking so slowly that we weren't keeping up with the boys very well. I finally told her that if she could keep up with Brad and not cry then we'd take her to get ice cream after the hike. Luckily that's all it took! Tenley toughened up after that. We held hands so I could catch her if she tripped, she never cried or begged to be held, and we kept up with Brad! I was so so SO PROUD of her! She was the youngest hiker I saw out there not needing to be held and she rocked it! 

When the hike was over we headed straight to Apgar village to get our awesome kids some ice cream. They had delicious flavors. We even tried Huckleberry and it was really good.

After enjoying our ice cream and the view of Lake McDonald we drove up to McDonald Falls. I've learned on this trip that Ryder could throw rocks in water for hours! He loves it. Kade was the same way at that age! 

Today was so much fun! None of us want to leave this beautiful place, but real life awaits...

The cool red bus that costs a fortune to ride. Maybe next time Kade 😉

Glacier National Park

We had a blast exploring Glacier National Park today. It is soooo beautiful here! The beauty has taken my breath away many times today. We slept in a little longer than we probably should have because by the time we got to the Apgar visitors center there was a really long line for the shuttle that takes you to Avalanche Creek where we then wanted to get on another shuttle to go on the 'Going to the Sun' road. After we made it on the shuttle though it went really quickly. The road up to Logan Pass was amazing! The mountains are so majestic here. We all just stared out the windows the whole time. Even Ryder kept pointing and saying "Whoa!"

Once we got to Logan Pass we started hiking to Hidden Lake. We saw mountain goats everywhere. And a lot of chipmunk and squirrels. The sky was looking dark but we kept on going! And then Ryder started getting grumpy because he was hungry and tired but we kept on going! I'm glad we didn't turn around because Hidden Lake was gorgeous! On our way back we did get rained on pretty good, but it's definitely a fun memory to have.

We are having a great time here! Everyone is so nice! The Rangers, the shuttle drivers, and the other tourists have been so friendly. Brad was wearing his Indian University hat so it sparked a lot of fun conversations with people from the Midwest.

No bear sightings for us yet but we heard stories from a few others who had seen one. I'm hoping that if we do end up seeing one, that we are a safe distance away. 😁

Exploring

This weekend Brad and I and the kids are exploring Glacier National Park! We've never been here before and we're excited to see it tomorrow. It was a beautiful drive to get here and the little cabin we get to stay in as beautiful as well. We're excited for an adventure!