Happy Birthday to Megan!

We had another great party for Megan on the 13th after we got home from Bear Lake. Megan wanted to make her own birthday cake this year. She said her dream was to wake up and have the cake baked and the frosting ready to go. I was more than happy to oblige knowing that the decorating would be done by her. This is her final creation. We all thought she did a great job with her first full cake. She used the decorating tips and everything. Her "Ice Cream Cone" was a hit. I think I'll hire her for the next birthday in the family.

We ate dinner with cousins and grandparents. Megan always picks chicken roll-ups and watermelon for her birthday dinner. We then gathered to watch her presents.

Eleven candles is a lot to blow out. I can't believe how fast the time has gone and that Megan is getting so grown-up.

Happy Birthday Megan! We love you!

More Bear Lake Fun!

Megan, Tyler, & Emily love the craft area at Bear Lake. Their favorite craft this year was coloring shrinky dinks. They loved watching their little plastic colorings shrink to hardly nothing. We spent quite a lot of time painting, coloring, and cutting. It was a great place to be on a hot afternoon.

One of the favorite games of Megan and Emily was glow-in-the-dark dodge ball. I think Emily just loved wearing the glow necklace around.

Emily spent the rest of the beach days fully clothed trying to protect her poor little legs. Grandpa Rich rented a boat and Megan loved being thrown around on the tube when she wasn't building on the beach. The water was too rough to try water skiing so that will have to wait for another year. Tyler just loved being the co-captain on the boat and had to be coaxed to get off.

Our last day at the lake was Megan's 11th birthday. We had a great dinner that she had planned and then ended with Key Lime cheesecake---her favorite. Her birthday happened to land on a Sunday so the parties with friends had to wait until the next week. Great times in Bear Lake!

Horseback Riding

This year we all headed to Beaver Mountain to ride horses. Emily wasn't old enough to do the entire hour long ride, but spent the time riding ponies around the corral. She should have been born in another family. She loves horses and wanted to ride and ride. Wendell had to sit out of the wind and watch because of his allergies.

This was Tyler's first year to ride and was a little nervous at first. Once we got going he loved it. He thought an hour sounded like a long time until it was over and then wanted to keep going. The helmet is definitely fashionable.

Megan was ready to go and liked the ride almost as much as Emily.

Emily and Anna sported their outlaw bandanas while waiting for the riders to return.

Chillin' in Bear Lake

Part of the fun at Bear Lake is sometimes doing nothing at all---like relaxing in the condos.

Lawn games are also fun with so much room to run and play.

We tried to play games that everyone from age 3 and up could play. We did better at some than others.

And of course the favorite is watching movies. This year the favorite movie was the "Pacifier." Emily loved it and watched it over and over. It really isn't that good, but seemed to always be playing.

Pickleville Playhouse

This year we all went and enjoyed "Annie Get your Gun" at the Pickleville Playhouse near Ideal Beach.

The kids were excited that they had front row seats. The play was cute and was really well done for such a tiny theater.

Emily, Anna, and Thomas jumped on stage as soon as the play was over and performed their own version of the dancing and singing.

Timberline Trail!

While at Bear Lake we all hike the Timberline Trail in Logan Canyon. It is an easy 1.5 mile hike that is perfect for kids. Even Emily could do the entire hike without help.

We weren't the speediest hikers, but we made it.

Megan & Chenelle coming down the home stretch.

All of the Rich cousins excited the hike is done and even more excited for the raspberry shakes after in Garden City.

Bear Lake 2009!

The entire Rich family converged on Bear Lake the second week of July for their annual reunion. We always stay in condos at Ideal Beach and then enjoy the lake, the pool, and the big grassy areas. Emily and Tyler spent a lot of time digging in the sand---so much time the first day we got there that Emily ended up with sunburns on her legs that blistered. I felt horrible. Wendell and I each thought the other had put sunscreen on her. We did manage to get Tyler and Megan coated though.

Grandpa Rich rented jetskis and had a giant water trampoline for the kids to play on. Wendell spent a lot of time on the jetski since someone over the age of 18 had to always be on it. Tyler and Megan loved the jetski, but Emily would have nothing to do with it.

Emily loves playing with her cousins on the beach. The water was a little chilly for her liking and she rarely ventured past her pools she dug.