Spirit Lake, 4th of July, & Spokane

After our amazing time in Montana, we drove to Spirit Lake to spend the rest of our vacation with my family!  I love spending time at my parents cabin, where life just seems a little bit slower (I mean it is Idaho.... I kid I kid).  Usually our days are filled with maple bars, swing time, puzzles, raspberry picking, boat rides, cocktail hour, sunsets on the deck, and bon fires & s'mores.  My mom is the most incredible hostess, always having fun surprises to make our stay a little extra special.  Our first night there we arrived to raspberry daiquiris straight from the garden (these were actually made my frozen berries from last summer, since this year's crop hadn't quite come in yet).  The next night's cocktail of choice was mojitos!  My parents have a ridiculous amount of mint in the garden, so Conor & my dad are always making different concoctions trying to perfect their recipe.  I always like to have a cold beverage to sip on, but of course I have to keep my drinking in check since I'm still frequently breastfeeding Liam.

In anticipation of Liam's visit, Nana & Pops purchased a swing to hang from the deck (where Liam had an awesome view of the lake) & a kiddie pool so he could splash around in the water whenever he pleased.  They also got a baby gate for the deck, so Liam could freely walk around and we wouldn't have to worry about him & the stairs.  It was so relaxing for me to know that their cabin is a safe environment for Liam, and that there are always extra eyes watching his every move!

We celebrated the 4th of July during our stay, which just so happens to be a favorite holiday of the Keenan Family (have I mentioned the ginormous American flag in our guest bedroom?!).  Spirit Lake is a tiny town (no stop lights, but three now four bars on Main St.), yet they still put together a little parade every year.  It's always an interesting experience!  Plus, this was Liam's 1st parade, so that makes it just a little extra special.  :-)  I'm really not that into parades. However, I am a huge fan of the candy that always gets thrown!  But alas, I'm getting a little old to be running after candy like a crazy girl and would probably get some evil stares from the little kids.  So instead, I just watched them gather up all the candy in sight as my mouth watered...  Liam had on a festive outfit (of course) and sported some American flag swim trunks!  I also happen to have an American flag swimsuit that I busted out for the occasion.  The rest of the day was spent on the boat, and then we had a BBQ later that evening.  Nothing says 4th of July like barbeque chicken, potato salad, & corn on the cob!  After dinner we usually set off a few fireworks and then head out on the lake to watch some of the big displays.  But this year, we had the little guy in tow; he was exhausted from our busy day and not prepared to stay up for the late night festivities.  He saw a few fireworks before we put him to bed, which he was completely mesmerized by!  Seeing fireworks in his eyes was almost as adorable as seeing twinkling Christmas lights in his eyes!  Oh, who am I kidding...they aren't even close!  Once Liam was in bed, we enjoyed various firework displays from the deck!  Luckily, the loud fireworks didn't seem to bother him, and he slept soundly...well, as soundly as my child sleeps!  Happy Birthday America!

Each day was relaxing and truly felt like a vacation!  Conor works incredibly hard, so it was nice to see him take a break from work in Montana and Idaho and be able to focus all his attention on Liam & I.  There is nothing better than waking up as a family each morning!  :-)  I also treasure the time with my parents and love seeing them shine as grandparents!  My dad took time off of work as well, so lots of fun was had by all!

Sadly, Conor did have to go back to work eventually, but he was a wonderful husband who let me stay with my family for five extra days.  Most of my time was spent at Spirit Lake, but we did head in to Spokane at the end of my visit so I could see some family & friends!  It's always hard to squeeze in time with everyone we want to, so our days were extremely busy trying.  I hardly took any photos while we were in Spokane which I am supper bummed about!  However, the highlights include:

• Taco (and margarita) night at my brother Ryan's house.
• Lunch (which included a little bubbly) & shopping date with Nana for the Nordstrom Anniversary sale.
• Dinner at my Grandpa's house with my uncle & cousin from Texas who were in town visiting.

• Play date at Manito Park with my friend Christina (Liam's godmother) and her little boy Tommy.
• Lunch and kiddie pool time with my brother Jon's family.

• Dinner & drinks with Nana & Pops and my godfather & his wife at Casper Fry.  This restaurant was amazing, and they have a great outdoor patio where we got to enjoy the warm summer night.
• Send off breakfast at Madeline's with Nana & Pops!

I packed as much fun as possible into our visit, but it never feels like enough time!  I better start planning our next visit tonight!  I'm bound to have some Delta miles stored up by now...