Lovers of the Lake

Oh, Bear Lake...you're kind of our favorite.  Thanks for another memorable, relaxing and perfect few days on your shores.  Bringing my babies to this place will never, ever get old.

Mid-July always brings a trip to the cabin and some time spent with our favorite cousins.  As if one reunion isn't enough, we are blessed to spend long enough at home between our Island Park and Bear Lake getaways to do some laundry, check on our fish (why won't it die?!) and restock our coolers with treats and drinks.  This year was the big Coffin reunion, meaning my mom's cousins, aunts and uncles joined the regular crew for a few fun-filled days.  We are far too big (and include way too many little babes now) to all congregate at one location, but we meet up on the beach every morning and back at the cabin, the milkshake line or the park in the evenings.  Thanks to my grandma's big family, many of my mom's cousins are actually closer in age to me and my siblings, creating one big and crazy extended family.

Two sure signs of a good time: a cabin deck lined with dirty beach towels and a little girl asleep mid-bite.

Our time spent at the cabin is just as perfect as the moments spent digging in sand and attempting the paddle boards.  Playing with cousins and four-wheeler rides with dad were just a few highlights.  And can I just say we loved having dad with us the whole time?  Last year I made the 9 hour trek by myself (I'm a crazy person) and we were so lucky to have him playing with us for a full four days.

None of this would really be possible without my amazing grandparents.  They are the masterminds behind this reunion, Grandma's Store, nights spent at Pickleville Playhouse, trips to Merlin's, and milk can dinners.  They are famous for their milk can dinners and it is one of Ryan's life goals to get ourselves a milk can and recreate such goodness.  Basically they fill two milk cans with cabbage, ham, polish sausage, onions, red potatoes and carrots which are then steam-cooked to perfection.  Two cans easily fed our 60+ person party with extra to spare.  So yummy!

And because Joni and Jodi (and probably the rest of us, too) love a reason to throw a good themed party, we decided to celebrate the new adventures of some of our own.  Miss Markee leaves for her mission this week and Miss Taigen was only a week away from becoming Mrs. Burch.  Markee is a cousin who lives in Arizona and was called to serve in the Pocatello, Idaho mission.  That's right, she was called to land full of Coffins/Gunters, a place her grandma actually lives and somewhere her dad and sister visit on a yearly basis.  Crazy stuff, right there.

And celebrate we did.  While the outfits gifted were slightly different in style, they were both showered with fun gifts to help them through the new adventures they are embarking on.  Kyrsten had to go and make everyone cry by giving Taigen a print with some of the lyrics from the song "Butterfly Kisses."  It is a song that holds special meaning to Taigen as she and my dad used to sing it together while she was growing up.  Kyrsten is always so good at being thoughtful and in tune with what others need.

I feel so blessed to live this life of mine.  I know I am a broken record when I say that, but it is just so true. It is overflowing with good people and happy things.  Sometimes (too often) it is easy to compare and see what I don't have, but when I take a breath and let myself refocus for a minute I realize I wouldn't trade any of this for any of that.