Bear Lake

Jeff and Saydi invited us up to Bear Lake to see them after their adventurous six months in London. We met up with them in Park City to caravan and we switched around people until we had two cars: McShums and Waylanders. Everyone behaved so nicely on the trip up -- makes me wish we could always sprinkle in a few cousins on car rides! When we arrived, as we were unpacking things and stowing food, Rob helped Emmeline conquer the spiral staircase. It is steep and metal and I thought that she would be stuck on the first floor for the duration, but she got all the way up, and Rob put one Jelly Belly on each step which was enough to motivate her back down. She had no problem with it the rest of the weekend!

 That Bear Lake is almost unreal. It is clear, has a sandy bottom, incredible colors, and while we were there it was 71 degrees. In the water! Essentially a giant inflatable pool.

 Maddie got to try out the new paddle board. She'd just learned how a couple of days before with her McCousins up at a reservoir while trying out their new kayak and paddle board.

 She loved it and she's really good at it too.

 This was Will's first time and even he stayed up well.

 Rob got the kids building sandcastles on the shore. I can't believe that gate on the right!

 We spent a little time clearing away rocks so that we could wander out to the swimming platform, canoe, dock, boat in our bare feet. Last time we were here the lake was so low that tractors had to tow the boats down. This dock wasn't used for years.

 Charlie was in his element.

 Even Sebi and Hazel tried out the paddle board. And they were good too! Saydi took it out for a spin and on her first try it looked like she was out in the middle of the lake. They all made it look so easy that I couldn't really see what the point was.

Then I tried it, and I found out very quickly that the point is balance. Umm hmmmm. No pictures of me up here because there were almost none where I was standing on the board.

 The light up there changes so rapidly and it too, is almost unreal. I love the clouds and the sparkle.

 Kids were canoeing, splashing, wading and getting in trouble over throwing sand at each other through dinner.

 Saydi's family invited us to a wonderful BBQ in the pavilion with 5 of her 8 siblings and several cousins and relatives.

 Joss had a grand time in the hot tub with all of them.

And we stayed until after sunset before heading back to put kids to bed and watch the bats at dusk.