Summer wind blows through the trees

This summer has been a lot of...fun? Well, yes it has. It has been very busy and crazy, but all-in-all it has been very enjoyable. Work picked up, which is very good. However this summer's activities outside of work picked up as well. I spent all week at Scout Camp with my scouts. That was VERY tireing but even more rewarding. We rode those boys all day long. I was going from 6am to 11pm nearly every day. Thursday night we sat around the campfire and told jokes at 9. It was the first and only night we were back to camp by then. But like I said, it was very rewarding. All 11 boys that came up earned at least 4 merit badges each. One earned 7 (3 were required), and it was his first year.

I went back to work for a week and a half after that and we had a project in Twin Falls, we were able to get it completed less the caulking. Then I headed back to Island Park for our Hopkins reunion. That was great fun to see nearly all my brothers and sisters and their families. We rented a cabin with 7 rooms (one for each family) and a large common area for all the kids to crash in. We saw some of the sites in the Island Park area, and even caught a play at the Playmill in West Yellowstone. We saw Joseph and the Amazing Tecnicolor Dreamcoat. It was great! Jess and I were amazed that our kids loved it too. Even Pearson was glued to the stage. It was so wonderful to be there with so much of my family too. Friday night Mom & Dad gave some family history too. They talked about Dad's mission to Austraila and different stories growing up, and I heard for the first time how they met and their first date. It was then that Dad knew that he would marry her....Mom has still yet to have that conviction in the decision! That brought a lot of laughs! 7 kids and 25 grandkids later and she still isn't sure huh?!

So then we came back home for the weekend to regroup, do laundry and repack for our trip to Redfish Lake with the Waddoups family the following week. I went to work Monday and helped to finished up a project in Rexburg at BYU-I, then Tuesday morning we hit the road. We had planned on taking the bus, but after realizing that the engine is "tired" (the #3 cylnder has a burnt valve) and probibly would not make the trip without limping home on the remaining 3 cylnders, we took the minivan. Not as much packing space, not as "cool", but far more comfortable and more cool....as in AC!

Redfish was wonderful! It always is. We spent time sitting at the beach, waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, hiking, eating, and even sleeping. One morning I just could not wake up. and then another afternoon I got to sit in the tent while Pearson took a nap....well I could not pass up the chance to take one with him! The week of Redfish was very relaxing...and yet I still came home with aches and pains! We had new company at the lake with us this year too, which was a treat. Jessica's older sister's in-laws came for a few days in the beginning to experience the essence that is Redfish Lake. Her younger brother, Nate, brought their new baby, Lilly, for her first trip to the Sawtooth mountains. We also had a future family member come for a first time--Jake brought his fiance, Stacie, as well. Our kids could not get enough of playing with their cousins. It was very sad when Jen & her family left Friday afternoon. We all stood along the road and cried and waived as they drove by and bawled. It was good that Brant was driving, he has the capability to maintain his composure. We will miss them. We did miss having Sam & his family (but understand that it is difficult to travel and camp when about to have a baby) as well as Sean (we also understand the importance of work and school--I think I have missed 2 or so Redfishes since joining the Waddoups Family).

I love spending time with our families and with my wife and children. I love to see the beauty that is here in the West. And I love to go to places that are so dear to my heart to remember the past and create new memories there. But I always am happy to come home, because vacationing is pretty darn hard work! We still have some excitement this summer (Jake and Stacie get married in less than a month!), but the bulk of it is behind us, and now treasured memories to tell our children as they grow.

I love the sound of summer wind through the trees.