The Enns Family: 8/1/10

4th of July...at camp

Before I met Ben, I would sometimes plan my vacation to come up to Coeur d'Alene to watch the 4th of July parade or at least the fireworks! It's such a cute little town and they do put on a good fireworks display. The town has grown and Ben thinks it's overcrowded. Now he's getting what he always wanted...to be in the woods for 4th of July. I always loved the family getting together in the park, but Ben prefers a smaller crowd. He always commented on why would they go to the city park when we could picnic up on grandpa's mountain? So, here we are, starting our day as we often do with a family picture. He is a trooper for tolerating my many pictures! We do have a wonderful life and wonderful people we spend it with...I am VERY grateful!

Again...I love the view! I get Taylor to stand by it so I can love it even more! On 4th of July, we decided to run to a little town, on our 4-wheelers, and get the kids some ice cream. That sounded like a fabulous idea! The road we took to get there was a little more "main" than we expected, so we did find a different trail for the ride back.

Taylor got a huckleberry ice cream cone! She loved it! And, how cute is this little store!

The kids also played on that little play ground for a bit as well. We had lunch here too.

Yep...it's me and Taylor...

Taylor fell asleep on the ride back to camp...

She usually always wakes up happy!

After a shower, to wash off all the dust from our ride...I'm happy too...

We drove into a nearby town to watch fireworks. Taylor was happily looking forward to that...

She liked the fireworks, but thought they were a little loud...

Family holiday picture...everyone smile...

Taylor and I ended up watching the fireworks from inside daddy's truck. It helped muffle the sound. She enjoyed that a little better...

And, this is how she finishes her day at camp, bundled up in her little bed with a movie...

I miss seeing our family in the park and the grand fireworks, but I love our family in the forest and the great times we have with them. This also insures I get to watch the fireworks downtown after Thanksgiving, which is how I love to start my holiday season!

A VERY Long Ride...to "blue heaven"

After Taylor and I walked in the Kiddie Parade, we rushed home to get ready for camping, which has been one of our favorite things this year! We got up to camp early enough that I got to go on one of our "girls only" sunset 4-wheeler rides. We just take a little ride, but then stop and take many pictures, which means two cameras balanced on a 4-wheeler and then running to be in the picture. It is really a lot of fun!! It was pretty cold the next morning when we started off on our group 4-wheeler ride. We are all bundled up with a couple jackets each...

It was especially nice because Matt and Holly drove up that morning to join us. I love to have him join us! See how the clouds are in the trees behind them...I love that! It's one of my favorite views...it kind of reminds me of fall, which is so pretty! It also reminds me of how I imagine it would look if you actually did go through the wardrobe, like in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe...

This was one of my favorite rides. I love to see lots of streams and waterfalls, no dust and lots of green...

Taylor always loves to ride! I love her smiling face...

I loved the views!!

It was so green and we could see across the tops of the mountains with the little trails winding through the trees and patches of ferns that looked like the greens of a golf course from across the ridge. This is a nice little rock arch...

I love the rides that are on smaller trails. They are so green. We actually drove over this little waterfall.

We stop often to snack...and Taylor picks flowers and stretches her legs...

My friend Cris actually took this picture of Taylor as they were sitting on the road for one of our stops...

It did warm up throughout the day, but we try to be prepared for everything...

Matt came over looking for snacks I had packed. On this particular trip I had made my mother-in-law, Jeanette's, roasted red pepper dip. It's wonderful! I was able to balance the camera on top of the ice chest real quick to capture the moment...I love my boy!

We drove through an area with some HUGE trees...

This is the Jordan Tree...

Apparently you can fit like 10 people or more inside it...

Matt went inside, but Taylor was not as interested in actually crawling through the dark hole to find out what the interior of the tree was like. He got a picture as Holly was climbing through the little hole in the tree and standing up inside. I guess you can stand and see up rather far...and it's roomy. I was not going to crawl inside to find out for myself.

We ride almost every weekend. It's been a long time since Taylor has fallen asleep like this. However, it was a rather long ride.

It was full of lots of beautiful views. Taylor and Cris are sitting on the road, playing with the rocks and watching some of the other kids climb the hillside.

I wish I could remember what Taylor was singing as she was doing her little dance...

She does a little "shake-a-shake-a" dance...or she was saying something about her little "bum."

She is quite the character and is always very entertaining! She is so sincere! If she sees something cute or something she likes she has been saying...with a gasp, "Oh, that is so adorable!" She is awesome to shop with too!

Her imagination is amazing and she is full of cute little stories...

As we drove through so many beautiful areas all day. I wondered what this "blue heaven" place would be like. I saw this blue building out of the corner of my eye. I jokingly said to Ben, "Is this it?" ...and laughed, because it's called blue heaven and here was this blue building out in the woods. Then I noticed everyone in front of us turning up the road. "Are you kidding?"

Nope...this was it! We stopped and had dinner here at "blue heaven" and it's not even really a pretty blue....more obnoxious...

Anyway, the ride all day was beautiful and there is a beautiful view from the "blue heaven" building, that I originally thought was some kind of outhouse...

I guess I wasn't the first person to think...are you serious, this is it, but some of the guys thought my reaction was funny, because, seriously...it's a blue little building...ha ha!

Kiddie Parade 2010...July 2nd

I loved walking in the Kiddie Parade last year with Taylor! I was thrilled to find out the kiddie parade was on the Friday before the 4th of July. Otherwise, we would have missed it since we have been camping.

We added a few more decorations and I took lots of pictures...

We walked with my cousins...this is Anissa and Makenna with Taylor...

The weather was much cooler this year. We are a little more bundled up. I packed umbrellas. We did make it back to the car before it started sprinkling.