After we got home we took the boys on their first real hike to Cecret Lake. They did awesome and loved it, especially Paul. We went swimming and letterboxing as well. Jer went down to Zion's with some guys in the ward and hiked the subway.
Then we headed to Lake Powell with some friends. I could get used to the life of a beach bum. We spent the days swimming, reading, boating, waterskiing, playing games, digging in the sand, eating and visiting. Paul and Jer both waterskiied for the first time. They also did some cliff diving--Paul on a much smaller scale. We went to a cove with this huge sand hill. I was proud of myself for making it to the top. The water there was beautiful and warm. Who knew that a little piece of paradise existed in southern Utah. Paul spent most of his time swimming in the lake. Sam loved the boat rides (also great for napping), eating treats and the sand. In the evenings we took baths in the lake, put the boys to bed in the tent and played mafia. Many thanks to all the Hendrickson family for hosting our super fun trip!
The day after we got home from Lake Powell, we headed north again to Island Park, ID to meet our good friends from Optometry school, the Despains. We stopped in Rexburg to visit my brother and sister-in-law. The temple there is beautiful and the campus is growing, but I enjoyed walking around and reminiscing. We stayed in a cabin at Island Park and visited Yellowstone for a couple days. We saw Gyser Basin with the largest gyser in the world, Steamboat and an awesome waterfall, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We missed Old Faithful by seconds. We saw bison, elk, a bald eagle, ravens, and pelicans, plus way too many mosquitoes. It was wonderful to be with old friends again and the kids all played fantastically together. I could have stayed a few weeks more! On the way back we visited my grandparents in Blackfoot. The boys were great troopers and I wish we could vacation all summer long...
