Day 4 - Bear Lake beach day, poppies, cubs and monsters

Any day that starts with this view:  

Can only be a perfect day. The lake is gorgeous. Deep and clear and blue turquoise. The sky...oh the sky!

We packed any portable food and headed down to North Beach to claim a spot. I took a drive-by photo of this darling field of poppies. I vowed to return and do them justice later.

And we are finally using the paddle board! I thought the hand pump was broken. Turns out I was giving up before the pressure gauge could recognize my efforts. My rigorous pumping was underwhelming.

I realize that these photos make it look like we were splashing and playing in a refreshingly cool lake on a sunny day. Actually. It was nice a sunny. The lake was ice cold. Painfully cold. Deep, numb ache cold.

Every one of those people are crazytown.

Still, we thought the paddle board would be fun, just as long as you didn't fall in.  Everly decided she'd try going out for a ride with her dad.

She enjoyed that for about 4 seconds before she came to her senses and cried to get off. The risk of being dunked in that water must've gotten to her.

Despite that. We had a glorious day. The crazies paddled about and went tubing with Uncle Mat on his boat.

The rest of us basked in the sun and played in the sand.

Ethan's castle...complete with moat.

Everly and Jonas digging and filling holes.

Anna and Addison trying to get their sea legs on the boogie boards.

I played around with the camera settings on my phone...

Cute Mathew.

Sunshine Laney

Beach baby Everly

Aunt Lori with Addi

Madison and Kelsey

Hufford brothers, the next generation

The paddle board brigade

Megan giving Laney paddling instructions

A sand cake for Mathew (soon to be 16!)

Lazy man's spike ball. No standing allowed.

And back to the house to relax and make food. Grab another beautiful panorama from our balcony.

There is ALWAYS a cubs game on and we were surrounded by our fellow Cubbie fanatics.

I don't necessarily follow the games very closely, but I love the sound of one on in the background with family chatting and playing and hanging out together.

I almost forgot about those poppies, but Mark reminded me and had the idea of running down on the four wheelers to see them. He's a sweetheart, that one.

And of course, if there is a kid that sees anyone having fun of any sort, they want in. So we gave little rides around the dirt roads by the cabin. It was cold!

Mat and Lori's beautiful Bear Lake "cabin". This has to be at least one version of absolute heaven. I know it's my idea of heaven during the summer. Cool and clear and breezy.

We wiled away the evening hours playing with Otis, the sweet underbite pup....

And chasing the resident raccoon.

Then a terrifying game of Monster with the uncles. Children descended the stairs into the dark, huddled and nervous... Mat and Jim waited until the perfect moment to jump out and roar...sending every child tearing for the stairs.... you can't beat that for pure fun.