Annual Family Trip to Priest Lake

We just returned from our annual, family trip to Priest Lake yesterday.  Since we wanted to stay home to enjoy the 4th of July celebrations, we opted to leave the morning of July 5th to drive up to the cabin where we joined my parents for the next six days.  Although we were blessed with sunny and warm weather in the 80s every day, the water was still really cold from the unbelievably cool Spring that we had.  As a result, we swam in water every day that fluctuated from 62 degrees to 68 degrees which is still really cold.  Although the three older children would become numb and get "used" to the water and played in it for long periods of time every day, I never really did and just took quick dips in addition to jumping in before going on my daily waterski.  We still had a great time and enjoyed spending time together and with my parents and being at the prettiest lake I have ever known.  I feel like I say this every year, but I am so grateful for this wonderful summer vacation home that we get to visit every July and August and for the memories that we get to make for "free" every year.  Here are a random assortment of pictures that we took throughout the week...

I loved going on a daily kayak ride along the shoreline.  Ella had fun hitching a ride one morning on the backside of the kayak.

Four siblings at play.

Logan loved paddling around in the kayak, too.

All three older kids loved using the paddle boards.  Here is Ella taking one out for an afternoon paddle.

We all enjoyed the brand new Sea Ray boat that my parents purchased earlier this year.  In fact, this is the first summer that I was able to get all three older children up on water skis three mornings in a row!  Ron even went after my morning run four of the five days I went skiing.  Here is a darling photo Ron took of Ella while riding in the boat.

Mama water skiing.

Ron water skiing.

Logan got up for the first time since he was seven years old!

Ella got up for the third summer in a row.

Lia has become a pro on two skis and popped right up each time and would take a long ski to Huckleberry Bay and back.

Lia water skiing.

Ella and Emmett enjoyed playing in the sand on our beach several times throughout the week.

Lia on the paddle board.

Emmy and Ella making "meals" on the beach.

The three older kids frolicking on the water mat.

The one Hartland fam photo we got grandma to take one morning after our daily ski was done.

Logan and Lia paddling off in the distance.

This is the first time the kids tried out a human pyramid on the water mat and it worked thanks to how tiny Ella is!

Three kiddos playing in the front of the boat.

We enjoyed boating over to our favorite public beach past Canoe Point.  Here is cute Ella hanging out on the front of our beached boat.

Ron always loves to throw the football around in the wonderful, shallow water on this sandy beach.

Ella catching the football thrown by Emmett.

Lia striking a pose while Logan catches the football thrown by Ron.

The Hartland kiddos.

A fun, family photo Ron took of the kids and me on a fallen log on the beach.

Mama and her kids.  Oh, how I love being able to share Priest Lake with them every year!