Bear Lake getaway

Quick getaway to Bear Lake with my high school besties to celebrate our 40th birthdays! 💙 A perfect overnight trip full of laughs, good food, gorgeous views, late-night chats in the hot tub, and soaking in all the nostalgia. 

We stayed at Heather’s parents’ adorable lake house with the most beautiful view of the lake—it was the perfect spot to relax, laugh, and reminisce. We did a fun gift exchange of our favorite things, ate at some yummy local spots, and of course couldn’t leave without getting a Bear Lake raspberry shake. 

Grateful for decades of friendship and the kind of friends who you still love and can pick right up where you left off no matter how much time has passed.

Her parents lake house had the most gorgeous views! 

and fun little visitors

Just sitting on the deck, enjoying the views, and catching up on life!

When in Bear Lake you can't pass up the opportunity for a raspberry shake!

 It was a great way to end our month long Utah stay!  Till next time Utah!

Duchesne Cabin

This month my parents sold the family cabin — and with that, we said goodbye to a place filled with decades of memories. We were lucky to go down one last time to help pack it up, but also to soak in all the lasts.

This wasn’t just any cabin — it was built by my grandparents the year I was a senior in high school. It was my grandpa’s baby, and it truly felt like a piece of him. We spent countless weekends there building fires and roasting s’mores, sitting on that old wooden bench (the one that always threatened splinters), laying in the back of Grandpa’s truck watching for shooting stars, and shooting BB guns at old tin cans in the yard. Inside, the soundtrack was old school vinyls especially Queen — the unofficial anthem of the cabin — with old Disney VHS tapes of childhood favorites playing in the background.

We’d play darts, I would read books out on the porch, paint rocks (my grandma was such an artist — her creativity was amazing), and stay up late playing Scattergories. Starvation Reservoir was just outside of town, and we loved spending hot summer days in the water. Duchesne was the sweetest little country town, famous in our family for its small-town rodeo.  Movie nights at the old drive-in just a town away. And of course, the Rhino — everyone’s favorite. The boys could ride it for hours on end.

After my grandparents passed, I was so grateful my parents kept the cabin in the family. It meant more time to make memories in that beautiful place with the most stunning sunsets.

It’s hard to see it go. So many memories packed into those walls.

Thanks for everything, cabin. 

My first and last signature on the door

🩷

Link to past cabin blog posts
 

More Utah fun

After our time in Idaho, Brad headed back to Texas for work, but the rest of us kept the fun going during our month-long stay in Utah. One of the sweetest highlights was Brooks’ baptism. He asked Carson to play a special musical number on the cello—When I Am Baptized. They even rented Carson a cello for the day. It was beautiful and such a tender cousin moment.

We squeezed in so many family moments—ice cream after family pictures, 

a Mickelson reunion in Logan

where the kids’ favorite game, Right-Left-Center, ended with Emily’s son Sam as the big money winner!,

and of course when you're in Logan you have to stop for Aggie ice cream.

There was swimming with cousins,

a cousin Lagoon Day where we came, we screamed, and stayed until closing, Lagoon days are the best kind of tired.

and bowling with Grandma Clark.

Kae and I took on the Ice Box hike near Snowbasin,

Kat spoiled the boys with back-to-school shopping, 

and the Murphy family honored Olivia by continuing our summer mini-golf tradition—followed, naturally, by even more ice cream.

 

We also had plenty of movie nights—so many superhero releases this year! We watched Superman, Fantastic Four, the last Mission Impossible, F1, and for Logan’s birthday, Jurassic Park.

Utah always means time with family, traditions we treasure, and—apparently—lots and lots of ice cream. 🍦❤️

Farewell McCall

Our time in McCall has come to an end, and my heart is full. There’s something so therapeutic about being surrounded by nature, stepping away from the noise, and simply being together. This trip was beautiful in every way—from the stillness of the lake and the glow of the sunsets to the laughter echoing through the house and the quiet moments of reflection we shared.

We packed in so much fun—lake days full of kayaking, paddle boarding, and swimming, scenic hikes with incredible views, and bike rides that left us grinning and windblown. The kids had a blast and the grown-ups did too.

The most meaningful parts of the trip was taking time to honor Olivia. Being in a place so full of beauty and love made it feel like she was right there with us. We felt her in the sunset, in the quiet of the water, and in the closeness we all shared.

Leaving is always the hardest part, but I’m so grateful for this time we had together. McCall, you were good for the soul. 💛

Oh and Kat bought Logan these cigarette candy which he thought was hilarious. I guess every kid needs an aunt who will let them be naughty. 😈 

 

Sunset swim

One of the highlights of the trip for me—right up there with the lanterns for Olivia—was heading down to the docks with my sisters and jumping into the lake. The sun was setting, casting that golden glow over the water, and the temperature was just right. It felt freeing and cathartic. A few others joined us after and jumped in too, and it turned into this perfect, joy-filled moment. Such a beautiful way to end an already fun and full day.

 

Ice Cream Alley

After our kayaking crew missed the earlier ice cream run with everyone else, we weren’t about to go without—so we hopped on our bikes and rode over to Ice Cream Alley. Even a single scoop there is massive! I got Huckleberry (when in Idaho, right?). We found a spot by the lake to sit and enjoy our cones, and just when we thought the day couldn’t get any better, Aaron Paul (yes, Jesse from Breaking Bad) biked right by with his kids in a trailer! Apparently he has a second home here in McCall. It was such a fun, unexpected end to a great day.

Sisters 💕!

See! Look how massive it is! And that’s a single scoop!

Right after this picture was taken Marilyn was like Aaron Paul is about to ride his bike right in front of us!

The biker gang!

After we got back it was poker night!