Summer Bucket List

I'm proud to announce I completed everything on my summer bucket list. 

Before you oooohhhh and aaaaaaahhh, I feel the need to confess that my summer bucket list only consisted of one item -- go to Bear Lake. But to Bear Lake we did go!

Practically every other week, we would catch wind that someone in our ward had just returned from the lake unofficially acclaimed as "most kid-friendly" due to its never-ending shore of toddler-waist-level water, allowing the kids to run free with little risk of drowning. Unless, of course, you're Carson.

Carson loves to crawl in water. Only trouble is, when he takes one crawl too deep, leaving his hands unable to reach the bottom without his face going under, he panics, flails, and flashes a look of hopeless shock across his face. What he doesn't realize is, if he would just stand up, the water would barely graze his knees. So this whole scene played out a few times. One of which happened while he was wearing a life jacket, proving once and for all that he is undoubtedly the most accident prone child I have ever crossed paths with.

Eli took comfort in his arm floaties.

The guys set up a pretty nice camp for us on the beach.

The cold water took a little getting used to, so the kids instinctively made a hot tub to acclimate their bodies to the lake.

Seagulls suddenly appeared right at 12:00. Seems they know when everybody starts to get their food out. Jeff took matters into his own hands and "single-handedly got rid of the seagulls" with the help of a fully loaded super soaker.

After lunch, we got the tubes out. Eli loved the tubes and spent the majority of the afternoon like so:

Carson got more and more brave with each hour that passed. By afternoon, he could be found with his hands pressed together like this, "diving" through the waves (without actually going under the water).

The boys refused to look at the camera if they noticed it out, while the girls would completely stop what they were doing to pose for a picture if they saw a camera in hand. I actually had to put my camera away several times because I felt like it was holding the girls captive from their playing.

Here's the prime example of they boys' reaction to the camera:

As soon as I told my mom we were going to Bear Lake, she said to me, "Put on LOTS of sunscreen. The worst sunburn I ever got was at Bear Lake. LOTS of sunscreen. On you. On your kids. On the part in your hair. On the tops of your feet. Everywhere."

Okay mom. I'm an adult. I'm responsible. I know the dangers of being in the sun. And besides, I don't burn. I get tan, so none of your warnings even apply to me.

I'll just be on my merry little way enjoying the perfect weather while making sand castles with my kids.

I'll just enjoy evening out the tan lines on my thighs that never see the sun.

I'll just sit with my back to the sun while I watch Jeff carefully craft a perfectionist's dream sand castle completely by hand.

No. Big. Deal. Mom.

Don't you hate it when your mom is right and knows you so well that she can predict your every vain mistake? Luckily I DID fully sunscreen my kids. Except for just above Carson's upper lip, so he's got a bit of a sunburn stache, but it appears to be more cute than painful.

I promptly threw a shirt on and already felt the sting as it swiped against my skin. Then I went back into the sun to snap a few more pictures.

May this forever be on our summer bucket lists. With a side note to reapply sunscreen throughout the day.

We heard a lot of talk of famous raspberry shakes, so we made a stop for some ice-cream on the way home.

Don't judge me because I got cookie dough ice-cream instead of the world famous raspberry. It was still one of the best shakes I've ever eaten.

It was such a fun little day trip and the perfect close to a great summer!