Bear Lake to Jackson Hole and Back Again

The week before school started we took our one and only summer vacation with both sides of the family.  It was a long exodus with many hours in the car.  First we pulled the Smith family boat over to Bear Lake, dropped it off at his sister's house and then hooked up to the Smith family trailer.  We then set off for Jackson Hole to camp with my mom and dad and brother Dan and his wife, Holly.  We camped at Gros Ventre Campground which is just outside of Teton National Park.  It's not the prettiest campground, but it works.

Ava couldn't wait to get up their to play with Ellie.  They had a ton of fun and truth be told I rarely saw them as they were deep in play either outside of our camper or my brother's or their grandparent's.

We played at the Gros Ventre River.  Which is one of my favorite things to do.  Dan caught a water snake and then both Ellie and Ava held it with nary a quiver or scream.  I don't know where she got such bravery from.  I hate snakes.

 We went into town the last day we were there.  Ava liked this little guy carved into the wood.  

Brielle found my new lip gloss in my purse and was perfectly content for at least a half hour.  Then I had  to dump some trash in the dumpster and with her on my hip she released the lipgloss and I watched it slide down the bear proof ramp and into the rubbish below helplessly.  Oh well.

 "That's right, in about twenty minutes you can wave your lip gloss goodbye, Mom!"

Brig and Brielle.  Brielle was a bit of a nightmare.  She has major mommy issues right now and wouldn't let anyone else hold her.  Not even Grandma who she usually adores.

We went up to Teton Village one afternoon.  They've completely renovated the grounds.  It was beautiful.  We spent a while doing the bean bag toss with Grandpa.

Brielle's new sunglasses.  They lasted a couple of weeks.  I have no idea where they're at now.

Here we are at the grove campground in Paris, Idaho.  It's a friend of the family's campground they made for their family to gather at.  They have a homemade zip line which provided hours of fun for the kids...and a few brave adults.

We spent a day at Bear Lake.  It was fun.  I hobbled around because I had sprained my ankle the day before acting as Brig's beast of burden attempting to load the huge tube into the back of the boat.  I stepped in a hole and twisted my ankle and disappeared beneath the mammoth inflatable.  To Brigham's credit he managed to keep most of the laughter out of his voice when he asked if I was okay as I writhed around in the dirt bawling.  It was painful, and embarrassing.  I blame Brigham.

 Brielle loved the water and sand.

Kyra, Ava and Ciara.  Three peas in a pod.  

Bentley and Brielle.  They are four months apart.  Bentley kept trying to hug her and Brielle would back away and hide behind my legs.  What is it about me that makes my kids so clingy?  I'd like to know.

The girls and Bentley's mom, Randi.  You can see the leviathan of a tube that damaged my delicate ankle in the background.

 Ava spent most of the time on the boat.  She's a fan.

 Hey there, cutie, with the totally natural pose.

 A playhouse at the campground.  Ciara and Kalyssa peeking out.  

After all the driving and boat/trailer hauling Brig was plum tuckered out.  So was I.  It's so much work to camp.  But well worth it for the memories, right?  That's what I kept telling myself anyway.