Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

We are staying beside a beautiful lake in Idaho among the mountains. They are having a heat wave for this part of the world...around 100 degrees. The sun is so intense here. We are browner than when we left Texas. We are staying in a resort that is right on the water. We are in the older part of the hotel in a tiny room that feels like a cabin on a ship. Expensive for this tiny room but the next bigger room is $200 more a night...so, we opted for the smaller room and to have some money left for the trip home. They then offered us the bigger room for $30 more a night but then we wouldn't have been close to Corey and family and that would have make things harder..so, we are still in the tiny room but that is just fine.
Last night we watched the fireworks over the lake. We climbed Tubbs Hill, which is fairly steep and watched perched on the edge of rocks...a little scary sometimes. Lots of kids that had had too much to drink....I really don't think that they were celebrating our country's freedom as much as they were celebrating their own individual freedoms. It was great fun though and definitely an adventure.
Ava is in love with her grandpa. She loves being with him and looks for him all the time. It has been so fun to watch him with her. It brings back so many memories of Tim with our kids and how he was always such a loving, kind and caring father. I am married to a good man.
Today was the rehearsal in the scorching sun...so hot but everyone remained goodnatured about it all and we got through the rehearsal fairly quickly.
Rehearsal dinner afterwards....dinner, wine, lots of fun conversation, watching the sunset over the lake and behind the mountains from the balcony of the dining room. Richard then played the piano in the resort lobby and gathered quite a crowd...everyone from the rehearsal dinner and others. Two older women sat down and were enthralled with his piano playing. They even sang along with the oldies that he played...so sweet. A.J.'s cousin, Shannon, sang a few numbers with Richard and she was good. Ava loved the music and danced and entertained everyone. She liked to stand and watch Richard play.
The wedding should be beautiful....I'll keep you posted.