Bearadise

"Howdy Ho!" Is how I overexcitedly began all of my emails to my family as we made plans for our reunion. The big day finally came, starting with a hike at Limber Pine Nature Trail while we waited for the green light on our Bear Lake Beachfront Playhouse. 

We made it in the fun house! Apparently I was having too much fun that first night to snap any pictures other than this one of my parents. The house we rented had slides connecting all three levels, an indoor basketball court, indoor trampoline, and indoor playground. It also had rooms to comfortably sleep each family and a kitchen with enough seats to feed a small army (and as it turns out...one mouse).

When we walked into the house, Eli said, "This is what I've been dreaming about!" And then on the first night before Jonah would let me put him to bed, he kept saying, "Need Grandpa." He refused to lay down and kept making his Grandpa insistence. We roamed through all three levels of the house before we finally found Grandpa. I thought Jonah just wanted to say goodnight to my parents, but instead, when he saw them he gave a timid "Thank you." It was so sweet.

The next day we hit the beach!

Jonah's sunglasses were finally living up to their full potential!

If you go to Bear Lake without getting shakes after, have you really gone to Bear Lake at all?

There's the basement play area that fulfilled every child's craziest hopes and dreams. Especially when Abe threw a pinata into the mix.

Jonah found a baseball bat which was all it took to keep him busy all week.

Eli found a pool table and played a few rounds with G&G before bed.

Carson and Newland's bond continued through the reunion. These two buddies were inseparable!

We woke up early for a morning cave hike. It was super interesting and super cold!

Back to the beach to warm up!

We had to utilize the movie theater one night before bed!

Mainly because the adults wanted some extra game time.

The next morning was our last at the house which meant soaking up all our last moments of trampoline shenanigans...

One last run for everybody through the triple-decker slide...

And one last stop for shakes. Bear Lake, we had so much fun we could Bearly stand it... (Be proud of me for only squeezing in one pun through all of that.)

We spent the afternoon on a journey to locate Peter Sinks. Not many of us had heard of Peter Sinks before the day Dallas encouraged us all to sightsee it with him. We were easily converted to the cause. Especially once we learned it would require us to four-wheel to get there. What an adventure! So we got to test different brands and models of four-wheeled...minivans...to see which one was the best off-road vehicle. Hint: When it comes to racing minivans on a rock road, everyone loses.

One did lose more than the others though. This loss was announced over the speakers to the whole skating rink at our evening outing. The employees politely informed the skaters that there was a minivan in the parking lot with a flat tire. We all looked around in a panic, breath held, and eyes bugged because we knew just the kind of afternoon adventure that could cause a popped tire. Sure enough, Jacob's van had bitten the dust of the Peter Sink's trail.

But what's funny is Jacob was the first one to turn around, saving himself from the 2 miles of jutted-rock road the rest of us traveled before finally giving up. And what's even funnier is the thing that popped Jacob's tire wasn't even a jutted rock, but a nail. So while we were all rightfully expecting flat tires through the rest of the day's travels, the least rightful person got one and not even from what we expected to cause it.

Moral of the story: If you're going to Peter Sinks, don't taunt the Peter Sinks gods by wimping out before completely exhausting all physical, emotional, and mechanical resources. They will seek their revenge.

Next up: Conquering Cannibal! (A less thrilling ride than the one to Peter Sinks.)

Lincoln demanded I take him on Terror Ride. His confidence and determination in regards to the ride led me to believe he had ridden it before. We waited in line, making scary faces. I pretended to be scared and Lincoln repeatedly talked me into staying in line and getting on the ride...and then halfway through the ride it all changed. Lincoln became very nervous. He shrieked in...well...terror. Ending with tears. So as we got off the ride, I got wide eyes from strangers who saw me carrying my emotionally tormented 4-year-old off the ride.

These two adventure seekers buddied up.

Before long Newland and Carson had braved up enough to join Logan and Eli. All four conquered "Cannon Ball."

And we'll end with Jonah in the whale.

Another successful reunion in the books!