LABOR DAY

This Labor Day weekend was full of surprises and was a roller coaster of sorts with it's ups and downs, literally any figuratively. We planned a way fun weekend up at Bear Lake. We only made it up once this summer and we were really excited about going again. Gage recently got a new calling at church, Elder's Quorum President. I am so excited for him and he is nervous and excited, I know he'll do great. This is was his first week so we planned on coming home Saturday night to set up chairs for church and to be here on Sunday for the block meetings and all of Gage's other meetings and then head back up to the lake. Thus the ups and downs literally. We got to the Lake on Friday evening and had a fun night out at one of the local burger joints. Cheyenne tripped with matchbox car in her mouth just before we left the house Friday, she cut her tongue and I think the back of her throat, she refused to swallow and had drool dripping out of her mouth and wouldn't eat anything. Luckily she decided ice cream was OK to eat and by Saturday morning she was back to her usual self (thank goodness mouths heal fast!). Trevin loves the trailer and thought it was lots of fun to have everyone on the same bed to watch a movie, Dad even slept with him all night, since Cheyenne and I ducked out of the movie early to steal the other bed.
We slept in as much as the sun would let us. Lately Trevin loves the 'Go Dog Go' book and in it it talks about night being a time to sleep and it's time to get up when the sun is up. So When it is dark outside Trevin will tell us, "Its dark outside, a time to go a bed." and then when he wakes up in the morning and it's light outside he'll excitedly say "Mom, Dad, The sun is up!" or "The sun is awake!" I love it. So we woke up when Trevin figured out the sun was awake and we got ready to go to Minnetonka cave.
We had tried to go up once before on a rainy day but everyone else had had the same idea, we got up there and bought tickets and had about 20 minutes before our tour started. We told Trevin there are bats in the cave and got to show him some pictures. He was so excited by the time we headed into the cave. Cheyenne was happy to wander for a few minutes.
At the mouth of the cave, we could already feel the cool breeze.

Trevin did such a great job, he walked the whole mile tour (total in and out) and had lots of fun counting the stairs. There had to be about 400 each way. He liked all the rock and so did Cheyenne, Gage is tough and he carried Chey the whole way, which can't be easy with how squirmy she was trying to get down. We had lots of fun and our tour guide did a great job keeping the kids entertained. Trevin and Chey were awesome, neither one of them cried at the end of the tour when they turn out all the lights and you get the chance to experience "total darkness" and they liked pointing out all the boogers on the ceiling, aka stalagmites.

The kids fell asleep on the ride back to the trailer, so we decided to go for a drive and listen to a book "Mocking Jay." Then when we got back to the trailer we ate and before we knew it Chersti and James and kids were up to join the party. We had lots of fun playing for a few hours and then it was time to head home for church.

I was excited to be home on Saturday night, I didn't feel all that great, but I made it through with Gage's help and support along with family helping with the kids while Gage was out. By Sunday I was feeling much better, church went great, Cheyenne and I got to help in the nursery, which was much better than wrestling with her in class or walking the halls. Gage finished his meetings and we were in the car again. You think after so many hours int he car our kids would get sick of it, but this time they slept, the whole way! When we got to the trailer the kids played with their cousins and I got dinner ready. We got to play a couple of rounds of 'sequence' with Ryan and Alex and got beat all but once. Then it was off to bed.

Monday morning we decided to head up to Bloomington Lake. I wanted to try the rope swing, since I passed on it last time and Alex hadn't been before. There were quite a few people there, it being Labor Day and all. Alex thought we were plotting a trick against her when we made her put on a bathing suit before we left, she thought we were joking about the rope swing. To her surprise everyone was really jumping in the lake with a rope swing when we made the hike in. Trevin loved watching everyone jump in and even counted down for them and cheered them on. Literally everyone (Dad, Bubba, Alex, Mom and complete strangers!)

Trevin chillin' out on the rocks watching everyone take the plunge.

Dad was the first in from our group. Trevin and Cheyenne sat with mom and thought it was awesome!Right after Dad went in Trevin wanted a turn, I knew this would happen so I packed his swiming trunks, all it took was taking off his shirt in the cold weather and he changed his mind.

Bubba's Back Flip...Alex is next...Some of these pictures are blurry because they are taken from a video, but I needed the proof that I went in! Me... My cheering section, Trevin even told me when to go!
A family picture at Bloomington! If you haven't ever been, you should! It is gorgeous!
Bubba and Alex posing for a panoramic shot.The rest of our trip was full of just relaxing and great views of the very blue Bear Lake! Maybe we'll try to make it up for one more trip...