Happier Still: Cabin! We spent the night with the kids! Eeep!

Many many years we head to the cabin for the fourth of July weekend. This year was no different. It's nice to escape the early July heat and celebrate E's birthday up there. The mosquitos are terrible but everything else from the weather to the forest to our secret lake is perfectly lovely.

We arrived around lunch time and planned on not napping the kids. We wanted to spend the night so we wanted this girl to get really tired out so she'd fall asleep easily. (Ha! We are so naive!). We badly wanted to hike to the lake and Juliet was intent on riding in the backpack the entire way. Last year she hated the pack. This year she's back to love. This was taken on the cabin porch before E had even taken a single step into the hike. Thanks dear for dragging our large child up the mountain and back.

This man in the most incredible hiker. He lead the way the entire hike and set a fast pace that the less in shape adults (me included) and the fathers caring thirty pounds on their backs had a hard time matching. He never complains. He hikes fast and happy and is always on the lookout for water.

Now, don't be hating on my Photoshop skills. Impressive I know. We arrived at the lake and were so hot from our climb up. I brought my suit because I love swimming in the lake. Both kids wanted in and I told them they were welcome to swim in their underpants. So in he goes. And it's cold!

Juliet, Daddy and Grandma found a little beachy rock to play on and relax.

My mom always jumps in with me so we were both in our suits. The kids were loving it!

In I jumped! I actually did a canon ball off a submerged rock and squealed with delight as I dunked under the cold green water. James saw me and wanted in, so in he came. Oh what fun. (I swam in this lake when I was pregnant with James too!)

After we dried off and dressed these two sat down to talk. They often are caught holding hands unprompted and I am so happy E caught this sweet moment. Best friends.

After we returned to the cabin everyone wanted to chill out in the dim cabin and let the kids play. They went upstairs to the loft bedroom and played and played. I have no idea what was so exciting up there, but they happily stayed up there for an hour or more.

Soon the day was getting late and I wanted to go explore. I asked the kids to join me in the meadow and they were not interested. I asked my mom and Charles, and they wanted to rest. E wanted to stay back as well, so they suggested I go take a walk alone. Alone. The most dreamy word when you are a parent. I never get time alone, especially walking in the forests I love so much. Because I didn't have any little legs to slow down my route, I chose to bushwhack and soon stumbled upon this sweet duo. Mama and little calf.

Next I found a big rock to take a rest on and looked down only to see this itty bitty nest filled with four perfect eggs. The entire nest was on a two inch lip off a rock, and was weaved with little pieces of green moss.

All too soon I got a SOS text from E saying he needed kiddo backup, since we was about to start dinner. While E grilled carne asada these two tromped into the woods with me and were about as sweet as sugar.

Seriously!

We ate a fantastic dinner of carne asada tacos and did s'mores near the fire pit.

We covered Juliet head to toe in clothes that had been treated with bug spray. Somehow this method really worked, since she didn't get a single bite (compared to last year when she got dozens). As dusk fell we told her she had to wear her bonnet (also treated with the bug spray) and it made for such darling classic photos. Don't mind the stained shirt and dirty face. ;)

This girl is a character. Even when smelling flowers.

We said goodbye to my mom and stepdad and made up some beds for the kids. Juliet was crying that she was ready for bed and I offered to take James on a twilight walk and he said he was ready or bed too. I had high hopes. The cabin was dark and quiet. As soon as we had them tucked in Juliet starting acting super wild and singing and not setting down at all. Finally (an hour later) she conked out, but by then James was so overtired that he sobbed that he just wanted to go home. He sobbed and sobbed for over an hour and finally finally they were both asleep. But sleeping on the floor between the two of them is not exactly relaxing. I hardly slept all night and by morning I was feeling it.