Bear Lake

So I went up to Bear Lake this weekend. My dad has a friend, named Lyle. They have been friends for years and years. Lyle and his wife, Jenny, have a job where they go and heard cows in the mountains. Well, since one of my dad's favorite things to do is play cowboy, he goes up there and helps them. My mom goes on occasion, just to hang out in the camper, read, sew, crochet, and pretty much get away from it all. She decided that it would be great for all of us kids to come up. We agreed. Though, alas, Jaynie, Justine, and my brother-in-law couldn't make it. We still had fun, though.

When we got there, (after a harrowing dirt road that shouldn't be driven on), this is what awaited us. My dad's own version of Lonesome Dove. Oh, that's my dad and Jenny. (My dad's the one in the hat).

So, I'm sure I've mentioned it before but my dad hates getting his picture taken. I have pretty much taken it upon myself to catch pictures of him when he doesn't realize that I am taking them. Case in point...He might look mildly annoyed, but really this is his normal face, and he wonders why people are intimidated by him...

Here is my mom making Mountain Man breakfast. A Palmer family tradition. Though, we have graduated to a dutch oven stove, instead of using the fire.

Bacon and onions, a great way to start a dish...it could also explain why us Palmer's would last awhile in a famine...

Still cooking...there is Oliver in his pack n' play. He wasn't too thrilled with this. He would rather run around, but he still is in the habit of eating anything he picks up. Doesn't really work with camping, especially when there are horses and cows around. What does that equal? Poop. Lots of it. Yuck.

After breakfast/lunch we went for a drive around Bear Lake, so that my mom could show us the Old Lady and the Shoe house. She thinks it's the funniest thing she's ever seen. Then we stopped by to get the Famous Raspberry Shakes! I was the only one who got raspberry. Jarika got oreo, Jake got caramel, and my mom got smores. Oliver got a vanilla cone.

 This is the before picture...

The middle...

The after picture...good thing they had a hose...

Then we went to the lake. Auntie Jen (me) bought Oliver his very first sand toys! He was pretty impressed.

Though, he didn't really get them. He thought the shovel was a spoon, and tried to eat the dirt. Hopefully he didn't get a parasite or something...

Uncle Jake is so nice, playing with his nephew and teaching him all kinds of cool things!

Including how to be 17 and dump lake water all over your 1 year old nephew...

Jarika and Jake gave up on running after Oliver. So basically it was just me and my mom. Good times...

I love how blue the lake is. It's almost like you are at the ocean, except for the mountains and fresh water...and no seagulls...and it doesn't smell weird...

My mom revisited her childhood in Panama and collected shells for Oliver...I hope she doesn't hate me for posting a picture of her bending over...oh well, I thought it looked cool!

He get's this crusty look from his mother, believe it or not...

Jarika's shirt says "Goonies never say die," basically she's awesome...

Oliver is obsessed with balls. OBSESSED. He kicks them and throws them and shouts GOAL! Though, it's more baby talk, than a real word. He found this abandoned beach ball, and you would have thought he died and gone to heaven. The rest of us weren't too thrilled because we had to chase after it when he threw it and the wind took off with it. If we didn't then he ended up on a mud hole or in a random puddle of water.

For example...

When we got back, Jake decided to ignore us and read Harry Potter. Don't let this picture fool you, I had to yell at him because he has the unfortunate habit of flipping off the camera...

This is across from our camp. I really need to invest in a nice wide angle lens. I have started using my 50 mm lens for everything because it's just nice glass. The wide angle lens I have is just kind of crappy. It's like difference between a Hyundai Accent and a BMW. Yep, too bad my BMW costs $1700. Awesome.

 
This is Junior.

What?! Jennifer play with lens flare?! No way!

This is what we got to see all day, giant bulls wandering around bellowing. It was cool? Not really, there was cow poop everywhere. Gross.

Here is Junior again. If he looks pissed off, it's because he is. My dad was gone with his fellow horses on a ride. They get nervous and stressed out when part of their herd is gone.

Here is Jake taking Junior up to the pond for water. It was really pretty...minus the cow poop....

The pond...and lens flare!!!!

After a night full of rain, thunder, lightening, and the stink of my brother after he ate BBQ chicken (we shared a tent), it was home again, home again...

I shot this out of the car window...I kind of love it. I made it home, and now there is a tent on my front lawn drying out. Good times. I just wish the other three yay-hoo's could have made it...