In The Hartland: July 2019

We just returned from our first summer trip to Priest Lake yesterday. After only being home from our marathon trip to Florida FOUR days (in which Lia attended GS camp the entire time), I sent both Logan (with Chris) and Lia (with my parents) up to Priest Lake with the rest of my family for the week. Since Ron had a work conference in Portland July 14th to 18th, I just didn't feel up to being there alone with the baby and the rest of my kids without his help. As a result, I agreed to send up our two oldest children to enjoy the week with their cousins. Ron and I then headed up with Ella and Emmett on Friday, July 19th. We arrived in the late afternoon to a full cabin as every single person in my family except Rebecca was up there. We enjoyed a fun filled and loud 1.5 days with cousins before everyone left on Sunday except for my parents and Riley. Chris and Natalee had offered to leave both Riley and Trenton behind with us for the week since they did not need to be home like the rest of their family, but my parents would only agree to hosting the older and easier one of their two kids since they were both pretty burned out and exhausted from the previous week. Since Riley is such a fun, easy-going, and helpful guy to have arrived, we gladly agreed to keep him with us for the week. We then spent the rest of our week enjoying everything Priest Lake has to offer in the summer from swimming to water skiing to playing on the beach. We all had a wonderful and relaxing vacation at the lake while enjoying sharing it with baby Emmett for the first time.

Ella loved paddling around in the innertube tied to the dock all week long.

Logan continued to be maniac jumping and swimming without a life jacket on all week long.

Logan doing a cannonball jump into the water.

Thanks to her swim classes at the Y, Ella got really good at doing a perfect cannonball jump into the water this past school year. I love how she curls herself up into a perfect little ball every time she jumps into the water. I managed to get a picture of this with Callie happily photobombing in the background.

Spencer striking a pose on one of the paddle boards.

Lia, Logan, and Riley hanging out with Spencer in one of the giant innertubes.

We managed to get an entire group picture (minus Rebecca) on Saturday. My mom posed us in the exact same spots that most of us stood in for a similar picture taken in the snow back in December 2015.

All fourteen grandchildren sitting on the stairs ranging in age from six months to 22 years old.

Grandma hosted her annual treasure hunt on Saturday. Here are the boys trying to figure out their first clue.

The girls getting ready to read their first clue.

All of the girls giving me a smile before heading off on their hunt.

We found an adorable tree frog on the deck while the kids were looking for their loot. Here is the funny picture that Brent took of the frog and me.

All of the boys enjoying their spoils after finishing their treasure hunt.

The girls retired to the neighbor's deck to enjoy their bag of goodies after they had found them. I just love how happily Ella hangs out with the 'big girls.' It's like she doesn't even notice that she is so much younger than everyone.

Ella really got into using the paddle board this week. Here she is cruising around with Brynn near our dock.

A close-up of our cutie.

Lia out on the paddle board.

Logan and Ella playing around on one of the many innertubes tied to the dock.

The cousins battling it out on the two different tubes.

Ella, Logan, and Trenton hanging out one the 'little kids' tube.

A close-up of Logan basking in the sun.

Lia and Papa showing off one of their favorites tricks in the water.

Mama and Ella cruising around on the paddle board. This was one of my favorite activities that I did with Ella this past week. She was such a good little buddy and would always agree to go for rides with me up and down the shoreline.

Logan joining Ella and me.

Logan taking his own turn on a paddle board.

A shot of Ella relaxing on a tube.

We enjoyed eating s'mores one night for our dessert after the large group had left and this was the mess that was found on Logan's face after eating his. What a silly boy.

Riley, Lia, Logan, and Ella enjoying their messy s'mores.

Brother time! Logan holding Emmett in the cabin.

Our first Priest Lake Hartland Fam picture since Emmett joined our family.

I made sure that Riley and Lia had a chance to water ski every morning this past week after the group had left. Here is Riley getting ready to go.

And he's off! Grandma driving Riley out on his morning ski.

Lia did a great job for the second summer in a row getting right up each time the boat pulled her out of the water. She managed to ski for quite long distances most mornings before letting go or crashing.

I was also able to convince Logan to try water skiing for the first time two different mornings and he actually got up one time and skied for several seconds before falling down. Riley managed to get a picture of this exciting event before he crashed!

Baby Emmett managed to make it down to the dock a few times while we were there (as he often times was taking his morning or afternoon naps when we were down at the beach). Emmett looked so cute hanging out in his baby tent where he got some well needed shade each time he was out on the dock.

A close-up of the cutest baby around.

We took the younger kids on some slower innertube rides. Here is a picture of Ella coming in after a ride with Riley and Lia at her side.

Riley, Logn, and Lia getting ready to go out on a ride.

Lia and Logan out on the paddle board.

Riley, Ron, Ella, Lia, and Logan enjoying a boat ride to Canoe Point.

Baby Emmett tolerating the awful, infant life jacket on his first boat ride ever.

A close-up shot of Emmett looking miserable in his life jacket.

We pulled our boat up to one of the beautiful, public beaches inside canoe point. Her is the gang (minus grandma who was taking the picture) posing on a fallen log.

Another shot of the Hartland fam.

Adorable Ella enjoying the pristine beach.

Ella running down the shoreline.

Ella, Lia, and Riley posing for me on another fallen log.

Ella playing in the awesome teepee that someone had built on the beach.

A precious shot of grandma and Emmett relaxing on the beach.

And another shot of mama and baby. Oh how I love this little bug of mine!

We enjoyed a cruise to Upper Priest Lake on our last afternoon there. Everyone came with the exception of grandpa. Emmett did a great job tolerating the long boat ride there and back. Here he is sitting in Riley's lap.