Travel that lasts more than a few hours stinks no matter what...

If you are wondering...

It really does stink to be stuck in a moving vehicle of any kind for more than a few hours.  A plane, a car, a train, a bus, and even an RV.  Extra room to spread out just means you are bored and sick of seeing the same interior with more room to spread out...

We stopped in Pocatello to visit Grandpa Clay.  

We took this family photo...which will be on our Christmas card this year.

We had lunch with Clay and the kids got presents (lucky!).

It was 100 degrees outside starting about midway through Idaho.  The AC was not really doing anything in the front or back of the RV so we were all slowly roasting in our moving oven.  

We stopped in Sparks, Nevada and Clare got to have fettuccini alfredo for the first time in ages!  She is on Accutane for her skin.  She has to be careful not to eat too much fatty foods or her triglyceride levels get too high and she has to stop taking the meds early.  It is working to clear her skin so she does not want to stop!  Fettuccini alfredo is off the menu all the time but this time was a little treat!

Overall opinion on RVing?  It is so nice to have your own space when you get to your destination.  Driving for two full days back to back is not cool...no matter the vehicle for the drive. Packing up a third of your life to go on a trip is nice while you are gone but a butt load of work when you get home.

3.5 stars 

Lake Days...

We have absolutely loved our time at the lake!  The kids have been soaking up cousin time and we all have been soaking up the views and vistas.  Colter tried water skiing for the first time and really did not like it.  He promised Will he would try again on Monday and regretted making that promise all weekend.  However, on Monday he kept his promise!  He got up pretty easily and enjoyed his ski the second time.  He was so happy and proud of himself saying he didn't know what he had been so worried about earlier?!

The kids play with their cousins all day.  I am so thankful for a big group of cousins.  Wyatt is a trooper and plays games with the little cousins as much as the big ones.  They played ninja one morning for an hour.

We escaped the rain and thunder one morning for the refuge of the bowling alley.  It was perfect fun!

We brought some bikes and Colter really liked going out on collecting adventures to bring me back a flower in every color of the rainbow.  He even found two wild strawberries (they were delicious).

Will gave wakeboarding a go.  He likes wakeboarding...he is pretty good at it.  I thought he shouldn't do it since one of his shoulders is partially injured.  Alan told Will that Alan had sworn off wakeboarding for life after a fall that took him a year to recover from (hurt his back).  Will did four runs with decent results.  On the last run...you guessed it...he wiped out and didn't let go of the rope in time...ripping his arm out of the socket.  

We made a mad dash to the hospital with Grandma Judy driving, Uncle Kenny (who is a nurse) attending, Lorien supporting, and me trying not to scream "I told you so!".  So many little tender mercies also came along for the trip to the ER.  Alan gave Will a blessing of healing and comfort before we left.  The ER team got Will in and sedated pretty quickly and the whole ordeal was done in a few hours (from arm rip to return trip).  I know it felt like an eternity to Will but the timing was faster than eternity.  I think it took them ten minutes to get his shoulder back into the socket, which is not short, but they did it while he was sedated so all was good.  Now I have a slightly disabled husband who might not be able to drive the RV back home...oh boy.

Thankfully, I can drive and in an absolute pinch so can Lorien or Wyatt.  Speaking of Wyatt, he was the baby whisperer on this trip bouncing baby Tanner until he fell asleep for an afternoon nap.

Lorien was the water skiing whisperer, holding the training rope for ALL of Adell's attempts at getting up on skis.  Doesn't Lorien look so cute in her neon bikini?

Colter gave water skiing a third try and was a professional by that point.  He went three times around the bay and took time to try dropping one hand for kicks.  

Wyatt kept suggesting I come to watch him get whipped around on the tubes sometime.  I took the invitation and spent nearly two hours trying not to get too motion sick while Grandma Judy turned out water donuts on the lake.  Judy really knows how to drive a boat!  I was so impressed with the way she gave those grandkids the wildest, fun, crazy, neck-snapping, scream-inducing tube ride you could imagine...all while keeping them so safe!  She kept her eagle eyes out for other boaters and water sportsmen and her eyes on the kids being dragged behind out boat.  What a pro!

It was a great trip.  I am glad we made the time and wishing we could stay longer.  Thank (as always) for showing us so much fun Echo Lake!

The last kid to get baptized.

Oh, Colter!  You finally got to be baptized today!  You have been eight (and therefore eligible to be baptized) since May but with the COVID 19 shutdown baptism options were limited.  We got the idea to have you baptized in the lake from Aunt Heather.  Your cousin, Hazel, is also turning eight this year and they planned to have her baptized in the lake (in August).  They suggested a co-baptism with Colter and Hazel in August.  However, we will be back in school (hopefully) in August.  So we asked if we could do your baptism in July instead.  We got permission from all the appropriate people and were set to baptize you on the first Sunday in July.

You were so excited and totally ready...well...as ready as any eight year old can be.  You understand that being baptized means you will try to follow the commandments and remember to be like Jesus Christ.  You have been looking forward to this day all summer!

Wyatt was going to baptize you but we decided to have all the kids be baptized by Dad, you agreed.

All of the cousins helped clear the beach before the baptism.  

Grandma Judy told us about her baptism (when she was 19 years old).

Lorien gave a talk about how things don't always go to our plan but always turn out awesome.

When you were baptized, Wyatt and I got to be the witnesses.  You had to be dunked twice!  The first time your foot popped out of the water.  The water was so cold and you were not super excited to be dunked a second time.  But you got fully immersed the second time and were ready to get out of the water.

We were so lucky to have so many uncles at your baptism.  They all got to participate in your confirmation and receiving the Holy Ghost.  You got to sit up on two tall stumps stacked on top of each other, we all thought that was cool.  

And finally, Grandma Judy prepared a feast for you in honor of your baptism.  She made a Thanksgiving-style dinner and we all loved it.  She also arranged for you to have a special chocolate cake treat after the baptism was over.  It was a wonderfully memorable day.  I am so glad you got to be baptized at the lake.  

Happy Birthday America!

We really made the most of our first full day at the lake.  First of all, we all enjoyed a crazy, clapping, RV shaking, night sky illuminating, thunderstorm.  The little kids slept right through it but we old-timers really loved it.  With the dawning of the morning, we all got started on our favorite lake activities.  Colter went out with his cousins and learned how to use the kayaks.  He was so proud of himself!  When I complimented him he told me his success was all thanks to his older cousin, Brenton, who taught him all the tricks.  

Everyone really enjoyed cousin time.  We have the best cousins!

With some pressure and a little stress, Cotler got up on water skis for the first time!  He did not like it but promised Dad he would try to do it again on Monday.  

Adell kind of got up on skis.  She is too old to use the beginner skis but not experienced enough to use the intermediate skis.  She tried and tried with limited success.  

Lorien popped right up, easy peasy like she has been skiing since she was 5.

Clare took some convincing because the water is cold right now!  But she got in the water and did get up on skis a few times.  

And Will took a good turn around the bay on one ski.  I am always so impressed he can ski so easily!

As evening came on, Will and I joined the adults in a swim across the bay.  This is a tradition some of the adults do every year.  Will and I do not join in...I am not a strong swimmer and Will is allergic to the lake and trys to save his water time for skiing.  This year Wyatt and Lorien swam across with Uncle Ben, Aunt Charity, Uncle Alan, and Will.  I paddled across in a kid's kayak and Aunt Heather used a floaty to paddle across.  The water was cold, cold, cold!

Finally, it was campfire time (and smores!).  

We honored America by lighting little fireworks and sparklers while our neighbors all around the lake set off major fireworks!  It turned out to be quiet the show late, late into the night.

It turned out to be a lovely 4th of July and an excellent first day at the lake.