LIzard Creek-a little piece of paradise

Jeremy had a week off in July because of his partners' vacations.  Normally we would have used that week for racing, or traveling to some beach destination.  Thankfully coronavirus gave us this time to go explore the Grand Tetons.  Our original plan was to just visit Yellowstone, but then my mom reminded me that the Grand Tetons were right there, and that sounded lovely.  

Driving into the park.  So pretty!  So pretty!  Everyone out (car hair and all), because we are taking a picture!

My mom went up two days early to find us a camping site.  Campsites there are first-come, first-serve, so it's a little crazy.  Luckily for us we had my mom on our side because she found the best campsite in the entire park.  Think I'm exaggerating?   Just check out the view from our campsite.  Point proven.  

We were up at Lizard Creek (site 34 just so we can find it again!)  

Jackson Lake was right there for us to go exploring.  We started out cautiously, just walking the shoreline, trying to decide if we were brave enough to get in the water.

Yup.  Let's get in!

The kids grew more and more adventurous.  They found a log that was perfect for floating on.  They soon realized how difficult it is to stay on top of a log.  It was awesome watching them roll off.  

Daxton's goal was to find a way not to roll off.  Two logs seemed to do the trick!

Later we pulled out the paddleboards and Jeremy took the girls on some adventures.  They went all the way across the lake and found remnants of a forest fire, and some bear prints!  

The beach also provided the perfect firewood gathering place.  McKenzie and Kelton were super troopers gathering wood.  

The kids also had to face some of their fears.  There was a large cricket/beetle that the kids affectionately nicknamed, "Creedle."  When it landed on you it was surprising and large.  McKenzie squealed like I have only heard a few times.  By the end of our trip Jeremy convinced to to hold the Creedle and then they weren't spooked by this large bug anymore.  

The very first night Kelton soaked his sweatshirt, (because you know, "Someone peed my bed Mom!").  For days he used mine until we were able to find one at the visitor's center.  

Another stylish dude right here!

Most of the kids decided that it was way too much work to put their shoes on and off all the time.  They insisted on going barefoot the entire week.  Daxton reminded me of Pigpen from Peanuts.  He was a walking cloud of dirt and dust.  He was filthy the entire week.  If he went swimming to clean off, it took him less than two minutes to be covered head to toe in dirt.

While exploring, the girls found an entire rainbow of rocks!

Time spent in the hammocks.

Piggyback rides around the campground.  He is such a happy kid out here in the dirt!

Time spent around the campfire.

Sunset in our front yard.  It was so gorgeous there.

Kelton's splishin' splashin' birthday

This kid was pretty stoked for his birthday.  We ended up celebrating all weekend, and he didn't complain about that one bit.  He has outgrown his bike from a couple years ago and it was time to get him some larger wheels.  However, we didn't take into account that the coronavirus quarantine has led to a surge in bike sales.  There was only one bike in the entire shop (and county) that was his size.  Luckily he loves it.  He was so excited that he wanted to ride it home from the bike shop.  We compromised and he rode it home from Cambrie's soccer game.  

On the morning of his actual birthday he was surprised by a hallway full of balloons.  The reveal didn't quite go as planned (Daxton woke up first), so we had to set it up again for the birthday boy.  

We weren't quite done with the balloons.  We took them all outside onto the trampoline and had a fantastic balloon trampoline party.  The net kept most of the them in, which made a perfect balloon habitat for the kids.  They were out there all morning.  

Kelton couldn't wait to open his presents.  He sister had found beanbags for him and his brother.  They weren't wrapped and were just so tempting sitting there by his pile of presents.  It was definitely a baseball-themed birthday.  He was given a new gear bag from my mom, and then some baseball apparel from us.  I guess we're good to go for a couple more seasons now!

 

It was Kelton's year for a friend birthday party.  Covid has really complicated the party-throwing scene.  Everything is closed and we can't gather in large groups.  Well, we came up with (what I thought) was a pretty good plan.  We rented a large inflatable waterslide for our backyard.  We invited over just four other boys and had the best afternoon we've had in a long time.  When the slide first arrived, Kelton went right out back to help the guy set it up.  The kids gave it a few trial runs in their pajamas before the party started and decided it was worthy of fun.  We had the slide for the entire day, and it was used non-stop during that time.  

The party guests started arriving and the chaos began.  As Jeremy and I watched, we couldn't help but feel like we were watching our own personal episode of "Wipe-Out."  The kids would try to climb up the slide (which was crazy slippery) and others would slide right down into them.  For hours they ran up and down, up and down, up and down.  

When they finally needed a break we pulled out the cake.  Kelton had requested a monster cake with seven eyeballs.  The cake pops were a huge hit (and so delicious).  Everything was orange from the cake, to the frosting, to the eyeballs, to the orange soda.  It was a pretty tasty spread!  

We also pulled out some water balloons (trying to give the splash down pool to fill back up with water).  The kids had different games where they tried to pop as many as they could, or try to be the team with the last water balloon standing.

Once we were through all the water balloons and presents, it was back to the waterslide until the moms arrived.

The sweet boys who came to celebrate with us:  Brayden, Max, Matteo, and Boston

We were really lucky in that the afternoon storm rolled in just as the party was wrapping up and didn't spoil our fun.  After the worst part of the storm past, Jeremy and I went out to take our turn on the slide.  I have to admit that it was so much more fun that I was expecting.  I knew the kids would have fun, but even I was squealing and giggling with delight.  Cambrie invited over a couple of other friends throughout the day, and Sierra was the lucky one who ended up in slide battles with us.  Even though we had the slide all day, I could have done with a day or two longer!

It was fun celebrating this cute, sweet, tender-hearted, adventurous, brave little seven-year-old.  Happy birthday dude!

A TEENAGER!

Cambrie decided that she wanted to be 13.  How dare she be old enough to be a teenager!  In some ways my mind is having a really hard time wrapping around the fact that she is officially...a teenager...  On her birthday morning Jeremy and I trapped her in her room with a wall of balloons.  It didn't take that much effort for her to escape, but it was sure was fun watching!  

She was greeted by a cup of peach rings and a pile of presents she couldn't open yet.  

Jeremy had to work on Friday so to keep things fun, we had her invite over a friend.  Sierra came over and spent the whole day with Cambrie.  I took them out to lunch, then to Hobby Lobby and finally Crumbl Cookies.  

Those girls could live at Hobby Lobby.  I sat in the front while they shopped for project ideas (a weird milestone by the way).  After nearly 45 minutes I went in after them.  It was not easy getting them out of that store!  They were distracted by so many fun crafting things.  They picked up some supplies and we went home.  

They spent the rest of the afternoon  being awesome and making things.  Cambrie had made this doll the night before, and they made a whole wardrobe for her.  They also created more furniture for her miniature house she's working on.

  The next day we were able to finish celebrating Cambrie's birthday.  She really wanted to go antique shopping for her family activity.  McKenzie and I joined her and we browsed through three different antique stores in Lafayette.  We ended up coming home with a giant safety pin, a tissue box disguised and a stack of books, and printing press letters that spelled out Cambrie's name.  While we were gone Jeremy worked on her cake.  She requested a snake cake, and Jeremy delivered.  The snake looked absolutely fantastic!  It was a little bit of a shame cutting into it and eating it.  

Finally Cambrie could open those presents that had been starting at her all weekend.  Kelton gave her a new mad scientist rubber duck, and McKenzie gave her a sloth mug.  

Jeremy gave her a tool box (so she stops stealing his).  

And I gave her a paint by number kit like mine.  

She also chose a new bike.  We had to buy an adult frame fro her, and it will probably be the last bike we buy her while she lives at home. Crazy!  I'm just so proud of the smart and beautiful girl she's growing into.  Happy 13th birthday Cambrie!