Bear Lake, Utah - Part 2

Dear Friends:

[This is the second post on our trip to Bear Lake]

Last week, my family spent time in Utah for my wife's family reunion.  The reunion was held at Bear Lake.  We left off after our first big day at the lake.

We awoke the next morning and gave all the kids a chance to tie-dye their very own shirt.  I think the kids really liked getting to personalize their own shirt with a wild array of colors and patterns:

The view continued to be awesome...no matter what time of day it was...

The view looking back, up towards the mountains...with a forest-covered valley below.

For the trip to the lake, we rented a power boat...and a huge inflatable tube for the kids to ride on.  They took turns being dragged behind the boat.  For most, this was the highlight of the week, as they moved across the boat's wake and held on for dear life.

This is G-Man and his cousin M.  They had a blast together and held on pretty well...

I finally convinced my youngest daughter to try it.  She was VERY nervous, so I wrapped my body around hers, and we went pretty slow.  She loved it, as we knew she would.  The boat shifted speeds and our momentum chanced, so we went head-first into the water.  She was scared at first, but now talks about it as her favorite part of the trip ; )

After a fantastic time at the beach that day, we settled in at the cabin.  My sister-in-law made an eclair dessert...and almost all of the cousins lined up for their share:

The next day, we wanted to give the kids a little taste of fishing.  We rented poles (not the best, we discovered), and headed down to a local pond.  I think G-Man has only been fishing with corn as bait, and was a little surprised that we were using live worms ; )

Patience is not always easy for a kid to learn ; )

Afterwards, the kids were treated to another awesome art/craft project.  My wife's aunt drove up to the cabin and helped the kids paint rocks and golf balls with cartoon faces.  They kids loved exercising their creative skills to make some pretty decorative rocks:

Inside the cabin, some of the kids were devising their own games and activities.  With a staircase, and a loft just above the main room, the kids had a whole routine of throwing small stuffed "Tsum-Tsum" toys - they were Disney characters.  It went on forever...

It came time for my brother-in-law and his family to depart.  He had to get back to work.  The kids all decided to do a group hug with Grandma and Grammy:

Later that day, the remaining family made their pilgrimage down to a local diner - La Beau's.  They make some of the best milkshakes around.  Bear Lake is well-known for their raspberries...and they were in season.  The raspberry milkshake was a big hit...it's simply divine...

At night, this is usually the waiting line for the shakes to be make.  The line to actually order is just as long...it's a local ritual, to be sure:

L decided to try a "marshmellow" shake

G-Man had a root beer float

Only in Utah could you have a root beer brand called "Brigham's Brew", with a picture of Brigham Young on the front:

The next day was our last on the beach.  The kids still managed to have a great time.  L decided she was going to ride "Nemo" on the water...

L and G-Man decided to "pretend fight" on the beach. L was using Nemo as a weapon...which was hilarious to watch...

We decided to rent a waverunner that day, making things much more interesting.  Everyone took turns riding.  My wife took the two kids...but at a very slow pace...

Since this was my first time on this kind of watercraft, I wanted to try it on my own, before taking kids with me...

After getting the hang of it, I proceeded to take each of the kids for a ride.  We had an absolute BLAST! The smiles in this picture tell the whole story...

The next day, we had to leave the cabin.  After cleaning the whole thing, I took one last look at the gorgeous view from the cabin deck:

On the way back to Utah County, we stopped briefly at the Brigham City Temple.  It's beautiful, as all temples are, with spectacular architecture and gleaming white stone on the exterior.

With some extra time to spare, we decided to stop at the LDS Welfare Square.  This is an amazing place, dedicated to helping the needy, and providing opportunities for individual service.

We toured the "Bishop's Storehouse" which is almost like a small grocery store, where those in real need can get food and other essentials for their family.  I've volunteered at several Storehouses in my time...none of them were quite this big.  The warehouse had up to 3 months of supply, and also coordinated shipments of food across the globe.

These grain silos were built back in the Depression...and according to the tour guide, they built them in 8 days.  Amazing...

We toured the bakery, cannery and would up at the dairy.  The shift had finished long before we got there, but it's still amazing to see how this small facility can produce so much, for so many, around the globe.  We learned about the process for all the milk-based products:

The kids were fascinated with the cheese-making apparatus.  This giant set-up produces hundreds of pounds of cheese every day.

At the end of the tour, they let us sample all of the products that are produced there.  We had peanut butter and jelly/honey sandwiches, chocolate milk, and cheese.  Each of these items were really good.  I'm still amazed at what the regular staff is able to accomplish with an army of volunteers each week.  When I lived in Utah, I used to be able to volunteer at a Church cannery.  It really felt like I was helping people in need.  We don't have a cannery in Austin, but I've been fortunate to volunteer at our local Bishop's Storehouse...and it's always a good feeling when I'm done.

Before leaving Utah the next day, we had a delightful breakfast with the family that was still in town.  Most of the kids posed for a final picture together.  I just love that they have so much fun together.  Because, at the end of the day, isn't this what it's all about?