Summertime Is Family Reunion Time

Last weekend we got together with Mike’s family at Bear Lake for a summertime reunion. Mike’s parents, all but one of his siblings, most of the spouses and all the kids were together. Some people wouldn’t claim to be fortunate in the in-law department. That’s certainly not the case for me. I very much love my in-laws, all of them, and feel so fortunate to have married into such a family. It was good to be able to get together with almost everyone (we missed you Lance, Pete, and Tim). Mike’s family is spread out all over the country and we don’t have the opportunity to get together very often. This year we were nearly complete… as close as we could get anyway. We had a grand time. I tried to savor, knowing it wouldn’t last long.

My brother-in-law Zack’s parents have a beautiful cabin on the west side of Bear Lake just across the Idaho boarder. They were so generous to allow us to use this incredible space for our reunion. (We stayed here once before many years ago) The cabin is a perfectly situated and delightfully cozy spot in one of the most beautiful places in Utah, and there’s plenty of room for everyone.

Bear Lake is one of my favorite spots on earth and you can see why…

A view from the cabin’s deck

Another view. Looks like a little slice of Switzerland.


The room Mike and I stayed in, appropriately called “The Sun Room.’ Lovely.

The accommodations and surrounding were amazing but really this trip was all about family…

Because all the grandkids were in one place at the same time, of course we had to get them together for a photo. It’s not easy posing 15 kids and getting them to cooperate. It wasn’t going so well until Uncle Zack whipped out his best ape impression to get the kids laughing and smiling. Worked like a charm…on the rest of us too. Zack’s got mad skills in the animal impressions department. His ape was dead on.

Little baby Lucy (Zack and Karen’s) was a major attraction at the reunion. For Mary Kate especially who, like I’ve mentioned before, is obsessed with babies. Anyone would be obsessed with this adorable one…

Some of us got in some last minute Aunt Dani beauty treatment before she was off to Boston. It’s a shame that she moved across the country. Those of us left behind in the west will not be looking quite as fabulous anymore…

Aunt Karen get’s some highlights

Mary Kate talked Dani into cutting some bangs which make my daughter look entirely too grown up if you ask me…

The cousins had a great time together. There’s very little in life that’s better than hanging out with cousins. I have many and I should know…

I think these two look so much alike (although they didn’t appreciate me pointing that out over and over). They got along swimmingly too. Jeffrey has learned some really useful and intelligent sounding new vocabulary words after hanging out with Bryn this summer. I wish she lived nearby because I think my boys would be ever so much better educated if she did.

Mary Kate has loved having Megan, the one cousin who is her same age, living here in Utah. Yeah for Darin and Kim for moving back to Utah for good!!!

Sarah played us some tunes on the guitar…

Jonathan and Ivy took a walk with Grandpa…

Momma Lynette was beautiful and pleasant…

And I spent three uninterrupted days with my favorite person. Not too shabby for a weekend at the lake.

This wasn’t all though. We caught a baby mouse, ate delicious food, laughed and talked into the late hours, watched movies, listened to music and of course went to the lake a few times to swim and ride the jet skies.

For a glimpse of all that lake fun see the next post….