Friday, June 5, 2015

Summer wouldn’t be summer without . . .

Bear Lake, of course. I love being there any time, and Mike is especially fond of being there in the fall; and I am too, but there is just something about summer time – the lake, eating breakfast on the deck, opening windows to cool the cabin down. That’s when I feel my spirit practically wrenching itself out of my body to get there ahead of the rest of me (because it is simply too impatient to wait for the physical half of me to pack and clean and drive there)!

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And it is a bit of a short summer window, really (what with snow often lingering about for Memorial Day, and occasionally trying to sneak its way back into the picture the minute August closes out).

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Having nice weather this particular weekend seemed especially lucky. We’ve just been through one of the rainiest Mays I can remember, so getting a sunny and fairly warm weekend (you’ll notice kids still occasionally donned jackets at the beach) was fortunate.

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I don’t know why or how, but something magical happens at the cabin with our kids. They just start . . . doing the kinds of activities that make me most happy to see them doing. Penny and Jesse spent hours outside breaking rocks open to look for gems. Abe, Daisy and Goldie laughed endlessly as they wrote various nouns on small papers, pulled two of those nouns at a time out of a bowl, and drew whatever the combination was (cookie slug, lama girl, watermelon whale, hot-dog panda, etc.) I suppose they still do those types of things at home, but they just happen more consistently and effortlessly when we are away from everything else. They just get to the cabin and it’s: “Start playing creatively. Stat.” I imagine it’s mostly the absence of internet, wii games, and any type of TV but the occasional DVD or old VHS; but, whatever it is, it makes me feel so content.

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I’m already plotting ways to stretch our July trip up there out as long as possible.

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Oh! And before I end: a few quick pictures from my cell phone.

During one of my childhood Bear Lake visits, my mom took my two sisters and I on a horse-back-riding excursion. I’ve always remembered that little adventure (and always remembered how strangely in awe I was when my mother – who was just my mother and certainly had no existence outside of reading me books and tucking me in at night and what not – suddenly set off confidently into a full and free gallop). Mike took our oldest four on that same ride this weekend. We couldn’t have picked a more perfect time to have them go. I mentioned all of the rain we’ve had, and honestly, I can’t imagine even Ireland has anything on us as far as lush and green at the moment! They got to head on a trail through mountains and flower-covered meadows for a full hour – each on their own horse.

Photo May 30, 4 50 29 PMPhoto May 30, 5 25 44 PM (1)Photo May 30, 5 35 09 PM (1)Photo May 30, 6 15 54 PM (3)

Also, a few pictures from a stop at a little natural spring on the drive back home:

Photo May 31, 7 34 46 PMPhoto May 31, 7 35 13 PMPhoto May 31, 7 36 15 PMPhoto May 31, 7 36 27 PMPhoto May 31, 7 38 52 PMPhoto May 31, 7 43 18 PM

5 comments:

Kara said...

Love those pix!

Shannon said...

Oh man! Bear lake? Horse back riding? Ricks springs? What heaven! I'm so happy you guys have your cabin!!!

Marilyn said...

You are cute. Your buried children are cute. And especially…all those French braids are cute! I am just not good at French braiding my girls. I'm better at it on MYSELF! But as none of us have very long hair right now I guess it doesn't matter so much. But I do so love those braidy girls in their swimsuits.

It makes me wish for a little cabin in the woods, or on the beach. Ah. So lovely. And that noun-paper game sounds just spectacular.

Nancy said...

Marilyn -- I'm definitely still a novice (my sister can whip those braids in in a manner that leaves them looking undisturbed for days), but I'm much improved from my early attempts -- that didn't even resemble braids at all. I often force them into french braids for Bear Lake to avoid doing hair for a few days (messy though the braids look by days two and three) and to keep their hair slightly less prone to snarls during all the driving, 4-wheeling and beach play. Those darn tangles. I'm often tempted to chop Penny's hair (as much as I love it long) because the whining that goes into brushing it each day is just too unpleasant!

Gayle Harris said...

I love your post, and am so happy that you have found a place that brings you such joy. I know you have such happy memories of Bear Lake from your childhood, and I'm sure your children will be able to feel the same way about your cabin and visits there. I'm so glad you don't have a TV there, so that games and conversations and an occasional well-chosen video or DVD can be their inside recreation, and you can do so many outside activities (beach, hikes, four-wheelers, and even horseback riding!). Happy memories, memories, and more memories!

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