our attempt at camping

We had such great plans this year of going camping several times.  Then the summer actually hit and it was amazing at how busy we got.  Finally at the end of July we packed everything up and drove up into the hills to explore a new area.  

After getting the trailer set up and things unloaded(which was quite an adventure in and of itself!), we walked over to start the fire for dinner and noticed this tree. Not exactly what you want to see at your campsite!

 

We weren't about to pack everything back up.  So we got the 4-wheeler out and while our foil dinners were cooking we took a couple short rides.

Then the cows started wandering into our camp area.  Mitch tried to scare them off with the 4-wheeler but they didn't even budge.  So we just left them alone and started playing some games until dinner was ready.

A few minutes after we started eating our dinner, we heard a very interesting moan.  At first we thought it was just the cows but then they started mooing and we heard the moan again and it was totally different.  We heard it several more times and decided it was definitely a bear which freaked me out (especially since we already had the evidence in the tree!)  It didn't take me long to decide I could not camp there even if we did have the trailer to keep us safe.  So before it started getting too dark, we packed everything back up with the sound of a bear moaning in the background and headed for home. 

The next morning we drove back up with the 4-wheeler so we could still do our trail ride to the old Websters Dam.  It worked out really nice because they could ride and I hiked. Everyone was happy!

They were loving this trail!

During some of the rockier/steeper/scarier parts, I would have Addy get off and walk with me.   

When you get down to the water, the only way across is this big log.   

Looking down on one of the waterfalls.

Sadly, I didn't realize this picture was so out of focus at the time because it was such beautiful scenery.

Dipping our feet in the nasty water!

I think I need to learn how to use my camera.  Oh well...at the bottom of the trail is a fun little area to play around on the 4-wheeler or bikes.  I started back up the trail cause it took me a lot longer to make it up those hills than them. And they stayed and played around.

I am so happy we found this fun place.  It just might become another yearly summer tradition! Although I'm not sure if we will ever camp here again!

Driggs Cabin

Over the weekend my parents had a sibling Anderson reunion up in Driggs at a super-duper nice cabin.  They had it reserved for nearly a week but most of the family could only stay a few days so we got invited up.  This was the walking path that goes around the golf course.  Addy had lots of fun playing follow the leader with grandpa and grandma.  

They also have this pond FULL of fish with a barrel of food so you can feed them.  I was seriously amazed by the amount of fish.  When you threw a handful of food they would literally jump out of the water to try and get it.  It was crazy.

Later in the afternoon we ran into town to get some groceries for dinner.  While we were in the store, there was a huge downpour outside.  We walked out and saw buckets of rain falling from the sky and the parking lot was covered in giant puddles of water.  We huddled in the front of the building for the worst of it to pass and then sent Mitch out in his bare-feet to get the car. When we got back to the cabin, us girls went out to splash in the puddles.

This was one of the deepest puddles and it went up to Addy's waist!

It sure made for some beautiful scenery.

Rexburg Rapids

One of the days my mom was up visiting, we went to Rexburg Rapids.  I'd been before with the youth in our neighborhood but Addy had never gone.  Her favorite part was the lazy river because she could 'swim' as the water pushed her along.  It makes her feel pretty cool to be learning how to swim like Gracie her cousin.  

I had to convince her to go down the little kids slides. She ended up liking the red one but not the green one because it splashed her face.

This picture is not of a random man but to show Addy walking up the steps with her hand over her face!  She hates having water splash in her eyes.

Grandma warming up even though it is the hottest day of the summer at 96 degrees.

Table Rock

One of the biggest reasons my mom came up for the week was so we could go hike Table Rock.  She's been wanting to do it for quite some time and finally convinced us (or maybe I volunteered) to tag along.  

So excited to start out!!!

Going through the Jedidiah wilderness.  It was such a pretty time of year to go because the flowers were huge and green.

 

See that tiny little knob behind us?  That is where we were headed.

Getting closer but still have quite a ways to go!

So I don't have any pictures of us at the top because sadly we never made it that far.  As we were heading up the switch backs, the sky kept getting darker and darker but we kept pushing on.  If you look in the picture above, we made it all the way up to the top of the ridge, so just after a super steep part, when it started raining.  We kept hiking a little bit further along the ridge cause we were so close, but then we started seeing lightening and decided we really shouldn't be it's next target. So we quickly ran back down the trail with the rain pouring down and heard some serious thunder and I'm sure there was some great lightening but I stopped looking for it cause it was too scary!

After running down the trail for awhile and feeling a little more save, we stopped for a picture.

Have I mentioned how beautiful everything was?

My mom had a very unique way of getting across the logs!

Going back through the beautiful flowers.

Almost back to the car....it was also about this time that I accidentally peed on some stinging nettle.  That made for a very uncomfortable walk down the trail!

Exhausted but also a little disappointed we hadn't been able to make it to the top.

Also just a little bit dirty from all the mud.

We had such a fun time even though I thought I might die at a couple of those steep parts.  And since we didn't make it all the way up, we are just going to have to do it again next year!

FHE

We took another walk up cress creek for family night.  This time we took some of our neighbors that couldn't make it last time we went.  Plus my mom was up visiting and she's always up for a walk.  It was a little bit warmer on this day so as you can see in the pictures, we stopped to play in the water a couple of times to let the kids and adults cool off.

My mom's back was hurting her so she thought it would help to run up the hill :/

These girls loved the big dandelions.

My mom also showed them how to look for the smooth rocks so then they started collecting them.

This waterfall was a big hit!

i think my camera got a little splash of water and blurred my face