Good times.

I guess I’m letting my Priest Lake photos speak for themselves, for the most part. By day #2 I was overwhelmed by all of the things that I felt like I needed to blog {journal} about in vivid detail. Facing such a task has made me swing to the other extreme. I’ll skip most of the details. They’re in the pictures, for the most part, and the rest can just stay put in my head I suppose.

As predicted, we had a lovely time in Spokane {Priest Lake}. Getting there was an adventure, as always, but after a three hour delay at JFK {how predictable}, and a sprint to our kindly-waiting-last-flight-out-of-Salt-Lake, we made it. Even better, we made it with our luggage. The air in Spokane was crisp & refreshing when we arrived. It was a splendid change from the oppressive heat & humidity of NYC. I really love the Pacific Northwest.

Among the highlights of our trip: Meeting my BFF Alissa & her fiancé Ryley for breakfast Saturday morning in Spokane. Cutting my hair off 6 inches {Chris cut 5 inches off of my ponytail without me even knowing- he just knew I’d want to go shorter. I love that he knows that I trust him THAT much. Of course I wasn’t mad- just shocked that he had the guts!}. Getting huckleberry shakes on the way up to the lake. Running with my sister Tara a few times, and feeling so good about working towards a goal together. Playing Simon Says with Parker, Spencer, Harrison & Ellie. Jumping off the dock with my Dad. Holding Quincy for the first time, and being completely overwhelmed at how tiny she is {and how good her parents are}. Eating my mom’s yummy breakfasts. My dad’s hot chocolate first thing in the morning, with lots of whipped cream. Painting my niece's toenails hot pink. Mike smelling like gasoline & dust after going on long motorcycle rides with my Dad. Looking for huckleberries {& bear poop} on the hike up to the Wigwams. Eating the huckleberries straight from the bush. The smell of the lake & cabin- indescribable. Reading for hours, uninterrupted. Flannel sheets & big fluffy comforters. Sleeping with the windows open, listening to the water lap against the shore. Going onto the dock at night and seeing the most amazing stars I’ve ever seen. My sister Joanna coming up from SLC as a surprise. Sitting on the boat with my sisters, not doing much of anything except talking. German pancakes. Putting my Nike+ sensor in the washing machine, shortly after taking it off my shoes so that I wouldn’t mistakenly wash it {it’s ruined}. Elkin’s for lunch. Lots of boat rides. Running into the mother of one of my childhood friends on a hike in the middle of the woods {small world}. Wearing pajamas until noon. Going without makeup. Barefoot, barefoot, barefoot. Chilly mornings. Sunsets. Barbecuing. Salmon. Sitting on the dock with my toes in the water. Visiting our old stomping ground Hill’s Resort for soft serve ice cream cones. Loving being with most of my family, but terribly missing Patrick & Kera {+ Haidyn}, Elizabeth & Ryan {+ Cameron & Hudson}, and Andrew- I wish we could all be there together, at the same time. Right about... now.