Secret #31

Camas finally had a few days off and we were able to have a summer vacation!! Yay!!  For the past year we have been collecting many different camping items. We have also been testing them out and dreaming of the day we would get to use them.

This is hot chocolate that we made from our awesome new burner thingy. It worked like a charm. And then we were off! We went up to the south hills here in Idaho and the drive we beautiful!

The first night we were there we stayed in the Bostetter campground and we were the only ones there other than a few wild cows that lived on the edge of camp. It was the perfect place to camp until I found a monster spider occupying the bathroom when I needed it.

The next day we went for a little rocky drive, saw lots of deer tracks, and stopped to hike into a little place called phantom falls.

 It's hard to see the falls in the pictures but it's coming out right next to Camas' hat and then it falls and makes it look like it's raining!

After the hike we needed to go find our next place to camp.  Our plans had fell through, due to rocky roads not being nice to our car, we made our way out of there. We headed for Independence lakes. It was a short drive to get there and a nice break from the heat. 

This is my very first time backpacking!!! I would like to say I'm already a pro but I think I would have died if Camas wasn't there to turn on our cool burner thingy to make me food... or make me a fire.. or put up our tent.. okokok I really did help with all of those things but I wouldn't have even made it to the top without Camas. I'd still be pouting on the trail.

We stayed by the first lake, it was beautiful, and it was a perfect place to camp.

I think sitting by the fire is one of my favorite things about camping. And everything up there made the hike so worth it!

This is us washing our dishes and it was the perfect spot to do so!

This is the second lake and there were a lot more people over here. The fishing is better and the water is not so gross. The hike down was a lot better than going up and I only got two blisters in the process. I would say that was my biggest success but secretly going to the bathroom in the wilderness ended up being a proud moment. (I know mom, not very lady like of me to say.)

Secret #30

I honestly think I have the coolest family ever and secretly the best looking. It's been years and years and so many years that I can't even remember how many years since we've all been together. The only one missing was Camas:(  Destroying the chance of a new family photo. How sad. But on the plus side,  there were lots of fires so he was kept busy! 

Here's to the start of our break. Shilo and Betsy started their drive from Utah to Washington a few days before me so we got to meet up with them in Burley for lunch. 

 Eli would not say a word, laugh, or make any noise for that matter.

And then I made it to Washington and it was a blast!

 McKenna with her finger in her nose and Julie with her toes in her mouth! Cutest girls ever!! haha

 There were so many many things to do and so little time to so them!

 

Games with the cousins! Lots of laughs, food, and fun.

Nieces!

 I LOVE holding these girls!

 Swimming at Grandma Jeans! Eli is one rad dude. And the only kid I know that would keep sunglasses on in the pool/car/everywhere.

Bowling as a family was probably one of the funnest activities that week. McKenna would not stop squealing it was so fun! 

One of those days you wished you had a real camera and not just your phone. I love this picture! Too bad it's fuzzy.

Fishing at the pond!

The fish here are HUGE!! And Grandpa Ted is proud of that. 

The last main event was my great grandma Lucy's family reunion. I didn't really take any pictures here so I got the huge family photo one off of facebook and secretly it's still not a very good photo.

 The horse I told Camas he could get me. One of the few I'm able to ride on my own. 

The whole week everyone tried, some harder than others, to get Eli to like them the most.

And somehow he has this obsession with Camas and he wasn't even there! Should of stepped up my game. 

Camas! Why wouldn't he be the favorite?! He was gone all week and back just in time for me to get home!

Secret #29

I would just like to say that I have spent my whole childhood sitting in grass and looking for four leaf clovers. And never found any. Now BIG secret, I even did that in my little league games and sadly enough high school and college softball games. Once an outfielder always an outfielder. Buuuuuuuut I finally found one! And I didn't even mean to!

I'M   THE   LUCKIEST   GIRL   EVER!

Secret # 28

Fourth of July and Hill family reunion were an amazing combination! There were many highlights and needless to say it would just be to hard to say them all! So here's to a long story short.

 There was so much food here that sampling a little of everything just put you over the top! I never hit a hungry stage and that's saying a LOT. I'm hungry all the time!

 We also did our annual games. Spitting cherry pits and horse shoes! Both I'm super awful at. The red cups up above is how far each age group was able to spit. The farthest cup was the adult winner until my stinkin awesome dad beat it! It's truly a talent. Such a talent that when no one was looking I tried my best and barely made it past the 1-8 year old cup. Proud moment. My other proud moment is the horse shoe picture, one of my closest tosses. Needless to say my partner had to make all the points and we still lost. 

 I loved seeing all the people I haven't seen in like forever! Chelsey and Katie will always be my favorites. Family resemblance, the butt chin. And I love my grandpa. There's always a few times when someone's calling out grandpas name and I always respond.George and Georgie! He taught me how to spell my name. Or at least tried. And I already miss my grandma!! I don't get to see her enough!

 

Love you:)

 End of the day I won! I guessed how many was in the jar! There were many jars of many things but at least I got one.

FIREWORKS! Or just fire?

 How many men does it take to put 3 fires out? ALL OF THEM!  And they were so good at it.

Lastly the next day, is swimming at Moses Lake! Uncle Brett has an awesome dock. we swam all morning and into the evening.

We also had much more food, a clown named Cookie, an obstetrical course, a group of golfers and fishers, a minute to win it, talent show and awards!

Secret # 27

It's the HAZELTON CELEBRATION!! It was a long but SUPER fun day. I've been hearing about it all month from the primary kids at church and apparently it's the towns event of the year. 

We started out the day with Camas getting a new and awesome gun for him to go hunting with this year. 

NEXT: Parade!

 So much fun and we got sooooooo much candy!

Then the most heart wrenching part.. There was a fire so they took my husband away from me:(

But the day went on without him. We went to the other festivities with a bunch of booths. We ate hamburgers, fries and pies!!

 Baby Reese back from her nap and as adorable as ever!

Diet water, every girls dream come true.