The One Bear I Like

Is the one that's a lake. 

I KNOW! I reused my instagram caption. But SO WHAT! I found that caption particularly hilarious and needed to double document it. OKAY?!? Get off my back.

As is now tradition, we went to Bear Lake!!! We learned this year that the best way to beat the crowds is to go the weekend after school starts. We basically had the place to ourselves. And ourselves included this haul of kids. 

Bear Lake has magical powers which cause brothers -- who had spent the entire week before entering its spell screaming at each other -- to suddenly and sporadically get along and even...hug. *fairy dust sprinkle*

We met up with a bunch of friends from our neighborhood, so Eli was in heaven!

The weather was perfect. The kids were happy. The dads were cool in their new shades. This is why we keep coming back, Bear Lake. You're good to us.

This baby was cool in his dad's shades too.

We got Eli water guns for his birthday with this outing in mind. Cue Carson's possessed face the minute his hands reached his water weapon.

Here's Ellie perhaps trying to devise some rules of the water/mud fight that was about to go down? Either that or showing off her "gun?"

In no time, water was flying, sand blobs were being flung and the lake was a designated war zone. 

Which kept three little boys very happy and very occupied for the majority of the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Lincoln kicked it on the beach, in and out of naps with Jeff.

Until I stole him away to give him a quick dip in the lake.

In the five minutes it took to document Lincoln's first dip in Bear Lake, we lost Eli and Carson. All the boys were playing happily, within near eyesight as we snuck away for a picture. We looked up post picture, and everyone was right where we left them except our two boys. 

We sheepishly looked around...trying to gather a search and rescue team without alarming too many people..."Umm... Have you seen our boys?" We said practically under our breath to each passing member of our group. No one knew where they were. Each person that realized our kids were missing went running in opposite directions as I glanced over the water with a pit in my stomach, hoping they were anywhere but there.

We found Eli a few pop-up tents down the shore from us and he told us he didn't know where Carson was. Pit in my stomach dropped even further. Panic began to surface just as Jeff called out, "Found him!"

Carson, Carson, Carson. He had spent the morning doing what he does best -- bopping around without a care in the world. He loved to be at every tent BUT ours. Turns out he just kept on a-boppin' down the shoreline, smiling at strangers and running in circles around unfamiliar umbrellas until we caught up with him way further than we ever expected to find him. I will undoubtedly grow an ulcer one day thanks to this boy's carefree ways. 

Lincoln was safe in one of my young women's arms while we searched for the prodigal son.

I kept a close eye on the runaway child after that.

Eli and Carson made "Saturn Cookies" out of the sand. No. Saturn Cookies are not a common dessert in our home and I'm not quite sure where they got the idea.

I said, "Smile!" Eli struck a weird pose, Ben ran away and only Ellie obliged.

Sandy toes and salty kisses. One in the same if you're Lincoln.

The trick to getting all the boys to semi look at the camera, you ask? Requesting that they show you their best super hero pose. Gotcha, suckers!

Note to self -- take family picture at the lake BEFORE the kids are tired, hungry, exhausted, cold and ready to go home. Meh. Jeff and I look cute. 

It was a dreamy day with good friends and lots of fun!