4th of July - 2011

I just wanted to post a couple of pics from our trip to Idaho for the 4th of July:

 We spent the day with my Grandpa Rudd at his house on the lake.  It was a beautiful day and we got there in time for lunch and then sent most of the kids and the dads out on a boat ride around the lake.

 The weather changed so fast though, and it started to rain... then Hail!  It was a scary few moments for the moms back at the house as we saw the huge hail coming down all around and worried about our kids and husbands out on the boat.

 Everyone got back safely though, they said it didn't even hail where they were.  The weather was nice for the rest of the evening.

 Looking at bugs on this tree trunk.

 Alex and Mike exploring the lake.

 Here are my brothers and sister-in-law enjoying a fire (we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows) while we waited for it to get dark enough for fireworks.  Grandpa's house is one of my favorite places to be.  I have so many happy memories there.

There was a beautiful sunset that night. Of course my brother took this. He's so much better with my camera than I am!
 

We stayed the night and went home the next day, back to the house in Shelley where I grew up. We had more fireworks - Alex loved them.

I wanted to show the kids the (semi) wild places where I used to play as a little girl and tell them stories about the canal where we weren't allowed to play (but we did anyway!), and about the time I hid in the fields to avoid a doctor visit.

Even though I love where we live in California, it's all very developed where we are and it's just not the same. 
I'm so glad when we can escape for a while.