Family Reunion at Bear Lake - Kayak and ATV Day (Monday) (add photos)

 It's another beautiful day at Bear Lake - the sun is shining, there is a gentle breeze, and the lake looks amazing! 

Breakfast this morning was prepared by Marissa and Michael.  The are so sweet to make breakfast for us!  Everything was delicious.

Devon has to do online school from 10 AM - 12 PM so the rest of us left the house around 9:50 AM to allow him so peace and quiet while taking his class.  We walked over to the marina and rented kayaks and a paddle board.  Oh my gosh!  What a blast we had.  Mark and I started out in a two-person kayak, Jessica and Robert were also in a two person kayak, Tate was with Cayson in a one-person kayak, and Marissa and Michael were on the paddle board.  We had so much fun and got so many photos!  We rented the equipment for two hours.  After a while, everyone traded around so that everyone got a turn on the different equipment.  Mark and I had a ball on the paddle board too!  He sat or knelt down in the back while I stood in the front.  (It was too hard for both of us to stand).  I had done a paddle board before in the ocean with Marissa - but wow that was hard to find my balance - the lake was so much easier!  Mark and I had a great time.  We then let Tate and Robert have a go on the board.  Watching everyone have a great time in the water was all I needed to make my day!

Devon and Sierra were a little late coming down to rent the ATVs but luckily no one had rented them after us so the rental company let me move my rental from 12-2 to 1-3!  YAY!  We rented two ATVs.  Mark, Jessica, Tate, Cayson, Marissa and Michael took one ATV, while Devon, Sierra, Robert and I took the other one.  We each went in different directions.  Robert drove our ATV to Fish Haven where we found some wicked trails to ride.  He did an awesome job!!!  The Devon drove - YAHOO!  We had such a great time.  Sierra drove us down the mountain back towards Fish Haven and then I drove us back towards the rental.  We had some extra time so we found more trails and WOW, these trails were even more steep and treacherous than the first ones.  I loved that I was the driver for those.  I traded with Robert for the last drive!  We filled up with gas and took the ATV back - all in one piece without rolling it (or popping a tire - like Landon did a few years ago).  

Mark and his crew drove the trails that we found in the end FIRST!  They said it was crazy!  Dad drove the whole time.  At some point Jessica, Tate and Cayson got off because it was just a little too bumpy for a pregnant woman and for Cayson!  We met up with Mark at the gas station!  Our crew was looking for them the whole two hours we were out - so crazy that we eventually ran into them but just at the very end.  It sounded like they had a great time too! 

After ATV riding, Marissa and Michael made sliders for lunch for everyone - wow - those things are delicious!  We ate them all up!!!

The rest of the day was at the pool, tennis and basketball.  

Today has a sad ending, because - two families are leaving!  For dinner we were supposed to have pizza, but I decided to take everyone out to the Raspberry Shake place (which is a diner).  We got hamburgers, cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets along with delicious shakes for dinner.  This is where we had to say good bye to Jessica, Tate, Cayson and Robert.  Devon and Sierra left just an hour later!  It's so sad to see them go but we had a great time with everyone. 

Before they left, I asked, "What could we have done better?"  Everyone said it was GREAT!  They loved it!  That made me so happy!  I'm so glad everyone had a great time!!! 

Robert's last year in scout camp

Robert - a few months back wanted to go to scout camp - then a few months later changed his mind.  Of course that was after Mark and I had signed him up and had other boys and leaders counting on him attending, so we stuck to our original plan and had Robert go.

He had an exciting week planned with activities like ATV riding from 8:00 - 12:00 every morning, then lunch with the troop.  After lunch Robert had three merit badges:  Leather works, Wood carving and sculpting.  Then it was dinner time and free time.  After dinner all the boys did the Oceanography merit badge.  The biggest highlight of the week was something called GAGA BALL.

All the boys loved it, Robert and Devon especially!

One day while at camp Robert wanted to pass off his mile Swim.  It's a special patch the boys can earn.  Well, the weather canceled it until the next day, so then the next day Robert went down to do the mile swim again.  He was more than half way through his swim when all of the sudden the life guards shout out that they can't find someone and order everyone out of the lake so they can look.  Robert was so glad to hear the boy was fine and nothing serious happened, but he was disappointed that the two times he had the opportunity to swim the mile, he didn't get to (finish).  

On Friday, Betsy showed up at 1:00 to pick up the boys.  They cleaned camp and loaded up the car and we headed home.  First we stopped at Sonic for some food - Devon was so hungry and so was Robert.  They ate and ate.

Actually Robert said the food at camp was great and he ate every night except Thursday night so he was hungry!

Robert had a great week.  He spent the week with Trevor Underwood, Zac Fisher and Jay Harvey.  It was a great time.  They also were great "older scouts" to the younger guys!  So proud of them!

Boating, Jet Skiing and Driving the ATV

The first day we were to have play time on the lake it was overcast with rain, but today was awesome weather!!!  Mark and Marissa and Robert went on the boat with Julie and her boys and Gary and Diana while Devon and I went on Jet Skis.  

Mark getting the boat out

We rented a tube for the boat.  The kids had a ball riding the tube, but it really bounced around.  Robert got to drive the boat while Mark was on the tube - he gave Mark lots of turns...  wipeout!  

After Devon road the jet ski for a while, he went back to the boat and took Robert out for a ride.  Robert got to drive - he had SOOOOO much fun.  Then Betsy found the boat and took Marissa for a ride.  Oh my goodness, Marissa loved driving the jet ski.  She went 40 miles per hour.  She was cruising!!

Marissa on the jet ski

After Devon and Robert's turn, Devon gave the jet ski to Julie and she took the older twins, Logan and Tanner out on a ride.  

Julie with Logan and Tanner on the Jet Ski

Betsy on the Jet Ski

Betsy LOVED the jet ski.  She was on the jet ski the entire time.  She and Marissa tried to find the boat several times, but we didn't find it so we just kept riding.  Mark road the boat the whole time.  

After our FUN time on the water, Betsy drove the kids around on a ATV.  We drove all around trying to find trails but we only found one before it started to get very stormy.  Marissa was freezing so we went back to the Lodge to drop her off.  By the time we got back to the Lodge it was raining and cold! We will have to ATV another time.

Betsy driving the 4 person ATV