The Wolfley Family

Bear Lake holds a special place in my childhood memories. I spent most of my summers there--almost always surrounded by my cousins -- and just hearing the name evokes vivid memories for me. I spent countless hours exploring "undiscovered" trails in St. Charles Canyon with my siblings and cousins. We ate s'mores, we collected sea shells, we listened to our parents talk around the fire while we snuggled deep into our sleeping bags and planned how we would do it all again the next day. I got the chance to go back there with my own children and go camping again with my cousins last weekend. Although it definitely reminded me how much tougher my parents must have been when I was little (who knew camping was so much work?!) it was definitely worth giving my kids some of those same memories! There was much less relaxing than I remember, but we did get tons of good food, plenty of sunshine, and a whole bunch of laughter around the campfire. We also happened to have the most adorable group of children known to man, so you'll have to forgive me for the photo overload!

This shot was actually an "oops" but I am just in love with Brielle's belly from this angle! It also shows how busy she was the entire trip -- never seen without her hands full of something she wasn't supposed to have!

Kutter is absolutely beaming at getting so much attention from Cody, Amy and Simon, all at once!

One of the things I was most looking forward to is introducing my cousin Amber's little girl to Brielle. They are just over a week apart, and we were sure that they would share the same instant bond that we've had ever since we were little...

... this is the most interaction we could get from them the entire time! Maybe next year?
Ady and Kutter have never had that problem! They always manage to bridge the gap between "tough guy" and "beauty queen" and invent the very best games.

Now, this one is just priceless! Proof that they were actually enjoying each other's company.

This is the whole crew, finding a way to stretch out the fun while the grown-ups finished packing up.

Thanks to everyone who came for all the great food and laughter, and for helping me keep my kids alive! Whew!