We arrive at Bear Lake in Idaho

Rachel and Lexi playing air hockey in the basement of Kevin and Laura's cabin at Bear Lake

My cute girls, enjoying the beautiful views from the deck

We lit fireworks and sparklers on the beach right before bed

Kevin (our host and great friend) and Paul after a delicious barbeque when we arrived

View from the cabin's wrap around deck

Gorgeous view of the lake from the deck

Caitlin relaxes after a long drive

Lexi, Rachel, Caitlin, Jovian and Shayla

Spencer with his favorite buddy Miles

Palisades State Park: The Madsen family campout

Spencer catches little fish, tadpoles and frogs in a net (yes, he does return them to the water!)

Courtney and Caitlin smile in their swimsuits

Spencer and his look-alike cousin, Henry

Rachel, cousin Lexi and adopted cousin Jovian

Caitlin and Courtney wade in the lake

All my kids plus some cousins take a ride on the hobie cat

Rachel and Spencer swimming behind the boat while Caitlin and Courtney, et. al. head back to shore

Mixing Mentos with Coke--an explosive experiment

The saga continues. . .

Yes, we did get on the plane and make it to the homeland but the rest of our trip hasn't been without glitches. We had originally planned to attend Paul's family campout but because of the airline debacle, we missed all but the final day. It was at Palisades State Park, about 3-4 hours away from the airport. By the time we got our bags, picked up the van we are using and got on the freeway, it was about midnight. I hoped to stay the night at my parents' home and drive to the campout in the morning. But Paul wanted to drive there and get a hotel because he thought we would not wake up early enough in the morning and we would get there too late. So I conceded and we proceeded to drive all the way to Manti, Utah in the middle of the night. He called several motels in the area to try and find a place to stay but there were no vacancies (24th of July weekend ring a bell?) However, he kept assuring me that there were two other towns near the campground where we could find lodging. He kept calling with no luck. . .so then we arrived in the area and began stopping at motel after motel and each time found there was no room in the inn.



Alas, we ended up staying in a little town about 30 minutes beyond our destination at 5:00 in the morning.--another magical evening, if I do say so myself! The kids slept so late the next day that we didn't end up at the camp until about noon. We ate lunch and then what seemed to be a big thunderstorm blew in so everyone broke camp and put everything away (It ended up not raining after all.) So we drove all night to be at the camp for about four hours. At least the kids were able to go on a short ride on a sailboat, take a ride on the four wheelers and catch some little fish and frogs in the lake before it ended. It was great to hang out with Paul's family. They are awesome! One of the highlights of our evening was eating at Cafe Rio, one of our favorite restaurants on the way back to my parents' home.



Sunday we spent the day going to church and hanging out with Paul's family. It was a nice day.

On Monday, we drove three hours to the Idaho side of Bear Lake where we stayed at a friend's cabin. The lake was absolutely stunning--such a brilliant turquoise blue and perfectly clear. We could actually see the fish swimming around which is pretty uncommon in most lakes I've ever seen. It's the 2nd cleanest lake in the country (only surpassed by Lake Tahoe.) The views from the enormous wrap-around deck of the house of the lake, mountains and stars were amazing! We spent Tuesday boating, tubing, wave running, swimming and playing in the white sand. I even drove the wave runner despite my fears of tipping it over! It was a great day. Then we drove back to my parents that evening, arriving around midnight.



Wednesday, we drove four hours through the sagebrush and wasteland also known as Nevada to Camp Success outside of Ely, NV. My dad grew up in Ely so they decided to hold our family reunion there. We set up camp the first night and ate dinner. Rachel was excited because the place where we ate was very similar to the Camp Rock mess hall. The next day we went to Cave Lake where we canoed and picnicked. Paul then drove me and the girls back to camp (on the rocky dirt road) and then headed back with Spencer for an afternoon of fishing. Well, dinner came and went and there was no sign of Paul and Spencer. I started getting really worried. About nine, we had a little pow-wow and decided to wait a little longer and then send out a search party. Right after this conversation, Paul showed up. Apparently, he got a flat tire at the lake. All he had was a donut tire and he didn't think he would make it up the dirt road to the camp so he put in some fix a flat and headed down to Ely but the tire would not stay inflated. So he pulled off the road and eventually, a guy came and filled the tire with an air compressor. Unfortunately, the tire still would not hold air and Paul ended up on the side of the road again. Spencer was getting very upset so they said a prayer and sure enough, a miracle happened. . . A guy stopped and he had Paul drive to his camping spot nearby where he determined that the tire had an earlier repair come loose on the bumpy road. He just happened to have a tire repair kit with him and was able to repair the hole in the tire. Not only did he do that, but he followed Paul up to the camp just in case. He refused to take any money at all! Talk about a good Samaritan! The rest of the camp we spent having a great time with aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, grandma, and cousins. We also got to see landmarks in Ely that had significance to the family.



One of the nights we had a talent show around the fire. It was a lot of fun. Caitlin ran up to do a talent and she danced around a little and made up her own song. I think she would have done it all night if I hadn't gone and gotten from center stage. My Uncle Bob performed an amazing Indian hoop dance--it was incredible, especially when he did it with the fire. Rachel sang beautifully, Spencer threw a stick sideways (his talent made up on the spot) and my sister Em and I sang an impromptu duet. Paul was actually the star of the show as he hammed it up as a bubbling brook (gurgling water) and a waterfall (spitting it out) in a funny story my uncle narrated and had unsuspecting family members act out. It was a great evening. The final night we stayed in a hotel and got to take warm showers and go swimming, which was the best!



We got up at 3 a.m. Sunday morning to get Paul to the airport. He was trying to fly standby on an earlier flight than he had booked so he wouldn't be so tired when he got to work. What a mistake--he was going through Houston but had his flight diverted to Austin because of thunderstorms. Finally, he arrived in Houston but his flight home had already departed a few minutes earlier. So he ended up flying to Phoenix and then home and didn't get home until about 8 a.m. the next day--poor guy! At least he made it to work yesterday, right?



We'll be here for a few more days. Last night Rachel, my mom and I went to see Pride and Prejudice (a new musical production) at the Scera Shell. It was great! I'll have to post pictures when I get home because my mom doesn't have a memory card slot on her computer. Sorry about the length of the epistle but I thought you might enjoy hearing the crazy things that have happened on this trip so far.

The Little Jet that Couldn't

Yesterday was a stressful day in preparation for our annual trek west to visit the family. Finally it seemed that we were all set--bags packed, house secure, and we were on our way. We hit traffic near the airport and worried that we would miss our plane. I even called the airline a couple of times hoping that the plane was delayed because it was a little bit stormy. But each time I called, I heard the words, "On time." So we rushed in the airport, got through security, and with a sigh of relief, sat down at the terminal only to notice our departure was delayed for 2 1/2 hours. The weather started getting crazy. Huge blasts of lightning and thunder pounded and flashed in the night, the lights in the airport flickered on and off. They actually closed the airport for a while, leaving airplanes circling, waiting to land. Flights were being cancelled right and left but they continued to assure us that we would leave as soon as they could get the crew there from Cleveland.

So we ate dinner, wandered around the airport, returned to our gate to find no chairs, sat on the floor and waited. . . and waited. . . and waited. Each time the hour drew near that we were supposed to leave, the flight was delayed even later. Finally, after eight hours sitting in the airport, suddenly we were told our flight was cancelled. So the kids and I stayed at the gate (by this time, some of the kids were asleep on the floor) until Paul was able to arrange for another flight two days later (yes, that was checking at every airport with every airline in the area and there are several) Even people who were traveling alone had to wait two days because every flight was full. Trying to find six seats was nearly impossible. Then we had to wait in another endless line to get our luggage. After another couple of hours, we headed home without our baggage and arrived in our beds at 5 a.m. Oh, what a night!

So here it is, 7:50 p.m. the next day and we still have no bags. I finally ran to the drugstore to buy some mascara and we have just called the airline and instructed them to send our bags on to our destination so they don't end up at home when we get there. We leave tomorrow night. Despite missing two days of our vacation, it has been nice being lazy today, sleeping in and not doing much and having Paul at home. We thought we'd take the kids to a movie this afternoon but every time we were about to leave, another kid would be asleep. Now everyone's awake but there are no movie showings until late so we are getting pizza and renting a movie for them to watch. Hopefully, we'll get on the plane tomorrow night. Keep your fingers crossed!

The sweetness of summer

I love summer. I love being outside at night, watching the fireflies twinkle and brighten the darkness. I love barbecues and eating peas right off the vine. I love jumping into a refreshingly cool swimming pool on a hot, humid afternoon. I love violent afternoon thunderstorms with wind battering trees and rain and hail pounding down on the pavement while thunder crashes and the lightning flashes and crackles. I love the smell of freshly mown grass mingled with blooming flowers. I love the green leaves on the trees and the multi-colored flowers that beautify everything. I love finding a shady spot under a big tree to watch my kids play and swim. I love taking walks when the fresh dew catches the light of the morning sun and the mists are rising from the earth. I love feeling the hot sun warming my skin. I love the laziness of the mornings--not having to get people off to school. . . I love the beach--the surf rolling into the sand, the sand seeping through my toes, discovering the perfect shell. I love lying in the cool grass, watching the fluffy white clouds gliding across the bright blue sky. I love wildflowers and the smell of honeysuckle filling the air with its sweetness. I love the long summer days and the long summer nights filled with stars that make you feel like everything is possible. I love summer.

Can a zucchini make good bikini bread?

We are beginning to have a bountiful harvest of yummy food from the garden. In the last week we have picked tons and tons of green beans, lots of peas (yum!), more broccoli, several tomatoes, green bell peppers and zucchini. The peas and broccoli get eaten immediately because the kids love them. I take newly-picked pea pods to the pool and even the neighbor kids beg to eat them. The green beans--well, I have so many I'm going to have to freeze or can them but I don't have a pressure canner so I need to get one. Last year I froze them but I want to try canning them this year.

And the zucchini, ah the ever-producing zucchini. . . the kids love zucchini bread the best. In fact, yesterday when I brought in more zucchini from the garden, Courtney begged, "Mommy, please make more bikini bread," so I complied and made four loaves of zucchini bread and a zucchini cake. They turned out great! My kids say the cutest things!

More quotes

"He was just staring at me, like he was in awe." Rachel, clearly not lacking confidence about her appearance, describing a boy at the pool yesterday.

"It was another three swim suit day today but two are already clean! You are a laundry queen." Rachel, describing my laundry challenges (she has used three towels and three swimsuits in one day twice this week) and my laundry prowess. What can I say, "I got skills!"

"I have a water bottle. Ooh, the water is warm. That's good!" Rachel, while we were driving home from her swim meet last night and she was shivering in her wet swimsuit.

Speaking of the swim meet, Rachel had her best swim meet ever. She swam in five events and even got to swim in the crescendo which is always the last race of the night. It's a relay with kids from every age group and Rachel got to be the final swimmer on her team. She normally only swims two or three events so it was an exciting night! I had a babysitter and it was a really nice night in a beautiful setting with some great swimming. And, of course, Rachel's team won 14-0. They are undefeated this season and have dominated every meet.