Bear Lake Trip 2026: Part 1 (Fri-Sun)

Our big trip for the summer this year was going to Bear Lake in Garden City, Utah. We hadn't been there for 8 years, which also happened to be the same week that my grandpa passed away 8 years ago. It wasn't a family reunion this time. Those seem to be getting fewer and farther in between. This vacation we decided to invite both sets of parents and rented a good-sized Vrbo that was right in downtown Garden City. And we even invited our friends, Monica and Seth, up for one day. 

We packed up and headed to Nampa on the 24th to stay one night before heading on to Utah. That night we stayed at my grandma's house again and I invited my sister, Tammy and her kids, to come join us for games. The adults played Skipbo and Rummikub while kids played video games. The next morning Curtis and I took a 1.5 mile walk before cooking breakfast of eggs, toast and fruit. Grandma felt bad for not being up to cook for us. We assured her it was fine. I mean, she is 94 years old and we don't expect her to feed our family. After breakfast, we packed up and hit the road again. It was nice to spend time with her, even though it was short.

Saturday was fairly uneventful. We did get stuck in traffic for 30 minutes right before getting into Logan because of an accident. In Logan, we stopped for gas, groceries and shorts for Curtis and Garrett. Then we got dinner at Jack in the Box before heading up the canyon. We arrived around 5:00pm. Mom and Dad showed up around 6:30 or 7:00. My in-laws couldn't come up until Tuesday morning because they had plans in Utah to go see their grandkids (Nic's kids) and Monday afternoon was the only available time to be able to see them. So, Saturday we just settled in and relaxed for the evening.

Driving out of the canyon to see the very blue Bear Lake.

Sunday, we went to church at 11:30. Curtis, Jack and I walked because it was very close, only about a 7-minute walk. The other kids rode with grandma and grandpa in their car. Charlotte did walk back with us afterwards, though. It was a great meeting as a young man gave his farewell mission talk. That afternoon we drove up to Paris, ID about 25 minutes away to visit the tabernacle and get a tour. I was so happy to find that they were open on Sundays because they had volunteers that were willing to come give tours. It was a perfect activity to do on a Sunday, especially when on vacation.

Standing at the pulpit.

They said he wasn't allowed to play the organ, but he could play the piano down in front.

Upper balcony in the back.

Choir seats and organ.

Behind the main pulpit and choir seats there was a little half circle shaped room they called the "crying room", hence the girls' reactions in the picture.

After we finished touring the tabernacle, we drove a little further north to Montpelier to see the new temple that was nearly finished being built. The open house was in September, and it will be dedicated sometime in October (this month).

You can see the "M" on the mountain for Montpelier.

This was as close as we were going to get since it was still fenced off.

Standing in front of the Montpelier Stake Tabernacle, which is right next to the temple. This building was nearly a full circle shape and very unusual for one of the church's buildings.

Beautiful scenery on the way back to the vrbo (condo).

When we returned to the condo, we played games and relaxed. Then cooked some baked potatoes for dinner. While eating dinner I pulled up an old video on YouTube of a musical that I had watched on VHS as a kid. It was called "It's a Miracle". Dad couldn't remember it very well and Laverne had never seen it. None of the kids had seen it either and I hadn't seen it since before I got married. It was a live musical that was recorded about a missionary and his experiences and how he had a guardian angel. There were lots of comical things in it. Everyone enjoyed it and it turned out to be a great Sabbath day!

Playing Rummikub after our outings. 

July Parties and Projects

There was a new movie called "Young Washington" that was released by Angel Studios to the theaters the week of July 4th. Curtis and Jack got to go see it before we went to Idaho. Since they saw it then, Garrett and I decided to go the following week when we got home from our trip. It was a really good movie about George Washington before he became president.

That same weekend the boys worked on the shed some more. They worked on attaching trim boards and metal plates that will keep the water from going inside the shed.

Jack touching up the trim paint later the next week.

I hosted two swim parties for the activity day girls in July. We did two because Skylar was moving the week before the regularly planned pool party, so we wanted her to be able to come swim before she left. Unfortunately, Skylar got an upset stomach from eating something at a restaurant the night before that didn't agree with her tummy, so she had to miss out. These girls have so much fun when we have the swim parties. I love that we are able to do this!

That red tube was the best yard sale find back before we moved. I bought it for $2 and it has outlasted all of our inflatables! It has become a pool party favorite to see how many kids can get on it at one time.

One project I took upon myself to do was to clean the area by the pool pump under the deck. I managed to get Jack to help me. It was a big job, but it was worth it, and it looks so much better now!

This was after I already started. I pulled out the big bin that holds our pool toys and started clipping the vines that were growing so long and taking over!

Pulled everything out from under. I was able to post those two old pool robots that don't work for free on Facebook marketplace and someone actually came and got both. I just wanted to get rid of them.

After....I decided to move the pool toy bin out from under the deck so it was easier to get to and leave the storage buckets underneath that hold other pool related stuff like life jackets, inflatables, lights, etc.

Curtis hosted an Elder's Quorum pool party at our house where families were invited, so it was basically a ward party, ha ha. He smoked brisquett and the Gould's brought some alligator meat. They cooked it two different ways and both were very good! It tasted pretty much like chicken. Now we can say we've tried alligator meat, and yes, I would eat it again.

Jack buried under the pool noodles.

There he is!

We had a really good turn out.

It was all kids and some dads in the pool. The moms stayed out and visited.

Even our Indian neighbor friends came.

Curtis also hosted a Keller work party for our Richland office. We went rock wall climbing and then came to our house for food, swimming and yard games. We played croquet and ladder ball.

Charlotte invited her friend, Connor.

She could climb up to the 7th or 8th bar. I can't even go any higher than where my feet touch the ground, which was the 4th bar. 

The night of July 23rd (the day before we left on our trip to Bear Lake) there was a big wildfire on the hills only a few miles from our house. Thankfully, no one was hurt and no property was lost. It was crazy to see a fire like that right where we live. We actually had to drive up the hill from our house to get a good view of it. Curtis noticed it on his way home from work since he was driving on the freeway. This year was a bad year for fires. There were so many in the Pacific Northwest. I don't know if they ever found out the cause for this fire. The first thing I heard was maybe fireworks, but it wasn't confirmed. 

The morning after you could see the black on the hill.

This was the other side of the hill.

4th of July 2026

This year for the 4th of July we were invited to my sister Melissa's house. However, we ended up staying with Grandma again. We drove down on Thursday and stayed through Sunday. The weekend was filled with fun activities from playing yard games in grandma's backyard to visiting my own mother, who moved to Copper Springs assisted living facility in Meridian that very week, to swimming and fireworks at Melissa and Nathan's house, etc. It was a great weekend and one of the big trips we took this summer. I say big because it was filled with so many activities and so much family and friends.

Friday, we spent the first half of the day just relaxing at Grandma's house, playing games, and doing puzzles. In the evening we drove over to Meridian where my mom is now living and joined in the 4th of July BBQ. They had food, games and fireworks. Then it was back to Grandma's to watch a movie. And I honestly can't remember which movie we watched, but it might have been the documentary about Charlie Kirk.

Dad brought over some yard games to play in Grandma's backyard. As you can see, Milo came with us on this trip.

Playing ring toss. I played with them and it's not as easy as it looks!

I bought a patriotic puzzle to put together. I started it on my own but then grandma and Dad joined in. And I wanted a group picture.

One with me in it too.

At the 4th of July celebration with my mom in her new home.

The girls were playing Bingo with most of the people there.

These guys were playing Chess.

Some just relaxed. Alice was playing Bingo also.

Elder Butterfield. So glad he can come on these trips with us as a missionary.

Fireworks out on the lawn. Tamara's family was with us as well.

Fun with suckers and sparklers.

They had a contest to see who could get the bluest tongue. I think Anna might have won.

Sorry Charlotte, your sucker is white, no colored tongue for you.

Watching fountain fireworks that they lifted up on a ladder so they could be seen better. It was a fun evening.

While we were at the dinner in Meridian, Dad and grandma finished the puzzle! 

It can be flipped over to have a different picture. 

Saturday morning was the 4th of July and we were invited over to my in-laws to have breakfast. Ricky's family joined us as well. 

Alice got to see her best friend and help her celebrate her birthday. She went over in the early afternoon for a few hours and got to do some swimming.

After we dropped off Alice to her friend's house, the rest of us went over to Melissa's house to help prep for the 4th of July BBQ. Nathan paid the boys to mow the lawn, and I helped a little with food prep, although there wasn't much for me to do. We were introduced to Brazilian style coleslaw, which Melissa made, and it was so good! Alice came back a few hours later and people finally started getting in the pool to swim. Tamara's family, Dad, Laverne and Grandma all came over. Alex was also in town hanging out with his cousin Livvie. Apparently, he was the reason there wouldn't be room to stay at Melissa's house, lol. Actually, they weren't sure how many of Livvie's friends might want to come home with her for the holiday. It was all good though. There was yummy food, swimming, movies outside, and watching fireworks. It was a great day again and a wonderful 4th of July weekend!

Such a beautiful view out there back yard.

Playing games in the pool.