Before Abe Left -- Bear Lake

We spent a good portion of Abe's last week with us up at Bear Lake. We'd gone for a quick trip in June but wanted one last really good stay up there as a whole family before Abe left. Due to Girls' Camp, Abe's senior trip, a stake mission training camp that Abe was helping run, things Mike couldn't miss with work, and . . . building new decks, . . . that week right before his departure (which happened to be over Goldie's birthday and the 4th of July) was the only one that worked. 

We left on Tuesday afternoon (Goldie's birthday). Mike couldn't come 'til later, and I was worried her birthday would be nothing but packing, driving, and unpacking. But, we got there before too late in the day and sent Abe down to get us food from LaBeau's for a birthday picnic on the deck. It was relaxing and happy.

Then we went to the marina to feed the fish. 

That night Mike arrived with Goldie's gifts. But we will save that for a post of its own. For now -- some more of Bear Lake:

We spent a few days at the beach. 

We also drove to a kids' rodeo on the 4th. (It was insanely crowded initially, but a windy rainstorm got rid of most of the spectators [and sent me to the car with Starling for a while]. After that there were so few people there that several of our kids participated in the pig chase, goat chase and chicken chase! [Though none of them caught said animals]. Sadly the rain also meant that I kept my camera in its case in the car.) 

We came home late Friday night. (Cleaning and packing up the cabin on the same day as going to the beach and having sand and wet towels and everything else to take care of is usually something I avoid, but we wanted to make the most of our time there while still getting Abe back with a weekend and a few days to get last things done.)

(Hans's lower lip is stuck out like in the above photo . . . a good portion of every day. So many things don't go his way. . . . Dear boy.)

(That last photo is fun and a little sad. Abe created these massive, impressive Lego robots with moving parts and shooting weapons and little Lego men in cock-pits controlling them, etc. all out of his own head over many trips up to Bear Lake. They were so great that we couldn't bring ourselves to ever destroy them, but Jesse in particular was always sad that so many of our good Lego pieces were now rendered useless as they were wrapped up in Abe's robot masterpieces. Abe told Jesse he could take them apart once he left for his mission. So . . . here they are . . . breathing their last breaths.)

The End.