We were so lucky to be able to get a whole week up at Priest to once again explore with Grady, spend time with family, celebrate our anniversary and spend time as a couple. We spent the first half of the week with Chris's parents and then they so very graciously offered to take Grady for a few days so that Chris and I could enjoy time together. Together, it was was the perfect combination of a vacation for us.
Our first night we had the biggest thunder storm I'd ever seen at Priest. It roared in while we sat at the dinner table just as Grady was begging to be "all done all done". Once that thunder hit Grady was no longer "all done", he just wanted to sit with Mommy or Grandma and listen to hear "funder turn off and funder turn on" ("funder = thunder in Grady speak). As long as no trees come crashing in on us, I'll take a good storm any day. The night was eventful with power going out and staying out well into the next day, the big boys going down and telling us the lake looked like an ocean with waves crashing over the top of the dock, and lots of flashlights (a dream come true for Grady). It was fun and a good start to our little adventure. From there on out, we had perfect weather with hot days, lots of sun, and too many "popticles" to count. Grady was SPOILED with love from Grandma and Papa.
Grady did lots of driving the boat with Papa and he took a trip up to forest two again to leave treats for the animals. Papa tells us that our carbo-loader Grady ate almost all the treats (bread) on the way up to the forest. The poor deer may just starve.
I was sure to get a picture of the "Grandma Hide Game" this time around. Grady asked demanded many grandma hide games. Grandma was very sweet to play at least ten times a day.
Somehow these two always ended up adorably matching each other too.
Swim time with Grandma.
Don't mess with this kid, he is serious about his water sports.
Grandma taught him how to jump off the dock and he did this about 150 times.
This guy is serious about his water sports too. Yup, I married a babe.
After the storm, the men were on a mission to fix the beach, fix the dock, fix anything that needed fixing in a very Johnson-like way. Grady mostly played on the beach with Grandma during this time, but he'd occasionally offer his helping hand.
Grady helping daddy by removing a single rock from the beach.
It surprisingly took our water-loving boy a few days to want to venture from the beach into the shallow part of the lake. Jumping off a dock is no issue, but apparently going down a gradual sandy beach is overwhelming. Once he was in though, he would have walked out to the middle of the lake and drown in process chasing the waterskipper bugs on the lake surface.
This one cracks me up because it looks like some fancy mud spa!
See ya later buddy....
Seeing Chris at "his lake" with his boy is so special.
I told you, he is very serious about his water sports.
Our boy is getting so old and is so adorably curious. I just love him.
These two celebrated 41 years or marriage together!
We celebrated our anniversary the day after Kim and Eric. Our adult time started with our anniversary dinner at Elkins. It was fantastic. We ate ourselves until we couldn't stuff another bite in and then we ordered desert to go because I'm only going to be pregnant on our anniversary once, right? Dinner was great, the time alone even better. On or way home from dinner we stopped the boat to enjoy not one, but our two amazing desserts (mud pie for me and huckleberry crisp for Chris for the record). We watched the sun set and sat and talked some, but mostly just sat together in the quiet admiring how lucky we are in so many ways. We first met 14 years ago at SCU orientation at age 18. 6 years of dating (with a hiccup or two), 8 years of marriage, one crazy dog, one beautiful son, a bulging baby bump, lots of laughter, some tears, and many adventures later, here we are. How lucky we both are to have found each other, to have united our families and to have formed our own little family. To be able to navigate life's highs and lows with such a wonderful partner is the greatest gift I could have.
Several quite nights were spent playing games, talking, reading, and just being together without any distraction. It was simply wonderful. We spent our days eating slow meals at restaurants, fishing, reading, and just coming and going as we pleased without having to think about kid logistics. We missed Grady and talked about him probably more than anything, but the simplicity of 3 days without worrying about keeping a two year old alive and entertained was wonderful.
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Time without Grady meant that Bella got her fair share of being the center of attention. I am pretty sure that Priest Lake is her happy place. She LOVES fetching off the dock more than anything and we love watching her. To think that 4 years ago she wouldn't even swim.
She also loved going for boat rides and especially loved it when Chris caught a fish.
31 weeks!
I dragged this lovely pregnant body up on our traditional hike. I may, just may, have overtaken Bella in the panting category. :) It still felt good to move despite the panting.
Sometimes I forget how cute she really is. Love this pup so much.
I couldn't sleep one morning so got up to watch to sun rise. I have been to Priest probably 15-20 times, but I have never done this. I never knew it could get more beautiful. It is good for the soul to see the sun come up in such a beautiful place on earth.
And then....we woke up very early on Saturday to head home and this was the way that the lake chose to say goodbye. Not only did I see one sunrise while I was there, I saw two! I think I'll have to make a sunrise tradition in years to come.
It was a perfect farewell. Thank you Johnsons for your never ending hospitality, for taking our little man off our hands for a few days, and for allowing us to go to the place we both love probably more than any other.
Until next year, when the Johnsons will come in as a family of 5 (with Bella of course).
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