We got back from our family vacation on July 6, and boy have we been trying to get back in the swing of things... It was such a special vacation and I am so thankful for all the special memories that we were able to make as a family!
So here were some highlights:
We listened to "The Magicians Nephew", "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", and started "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis. It was such fun for the whole family!
Bravo Farms. Our favorite rest stop right on the 99.
The pond near the cabin were we watched for frogs and ducklings!
Always on the go!
Making Grandma's Aebleskivers:
(It really made me miss her...)
Getting ready for a day of adventure:
Visiting a Sequoia grove...
...then fishing at Dinky Creek!
Creek swimming was a huge favorite of the day!
We went on our first family backpacking trip to Mystery Lake!
Last time I was on a back packing trip, I was pregnant with this kid...
Oh how I love my girl...
Our campsite...
Their first time sleeping in a tent... They kept wanting to try it out...
Out little fisherman caught his first LAKE trout, a 10 incher that he was SO excited about!
S'mores...
Minus some mosquitos, it was a perfect trip!
We brought the fish home and Ryder cooked it...
Ryder got a BB gun and we took the BB gun and the .22 out to do some shooting:
Just call her Annie Oakley
We had a little girls morning going on a nature walk for flowers and decorating the cabin for the 4th of July and doing some crafts and watching Mary Poppins...
finger stamped flag...
Ryder helped us with our chalk board block writing:
and the boys went fishing...
They caught brook and rainbow trout and the biggest Ryder caught was 12 inches!
Shaver Lake celebrates the 4th of July the Sunday before, so we headed to the lake on July 3rd for a day of swimming and relaxing and fireworks!
The day was absolutely magical... The weather was perfect, we ate good food, the water was warm but refreshing, and the kiddos snuggled up to us for the fireworks, as they lit up a night sky that was already full of stars, and then reflected on the water!❤︎
The next day, on the actual 4th of July, we did a local hike:
Then we BBQed steak, and it was so good!
We ended the meal with frozen cherry pies and a glow in the dark dance party...
I can't tell you how much I love this trip. We have a taken it a few years in a row now and I think it is quickly becoming a highlight of my year! The connection that we get as a family is priceless and I feel that we come out of this week a stronger family unit than we were, ready to tackle all that is ahead...
We can't wait to go back!
