Bear Lake

July 30th - August 3rd  2012

The Waterfall crew headed up to Bear Lake for the week in an attempt to make some new family memories and possibly (hopefully!) start a new tradition of summer family reunions (at least on the even years).

Well, here we are:

Top- Erk, Jsk, Coco, Liz, Meg, Ben, Ry, MK, Ty, Amy, Katie, Dave

Bottom- Winston, Maria, Benjamin, Dad, Lizzy, Mom, Malan, Kate, Rachel

(Kind of shocked that we are all in smiles...I thought the camera man was going to get shot in the process of taking this picture.)

My parents rented this sweet humongous house (up on the hill, literally) with plenty of room for all of us.  There was a big deck off the back with a view of Garden City and the Lake.

On the deck grubbing up. 

So fun to be with cousins.

(Maria with one of her two wear-everyday-dresses.)

Malan and sun-kissed cheeks.

Playing on the grass with Grandma.  W and Kate's faces crack me up!

Family pictures #2.

(Yes, there were 3 attempts. 1st was with parents, kids and g-kids (minus one adult), 2nd was all adults, 3rd was, well it was #3.)

Kate and Winston playing with Eric.

 Rachel, Maria and Kate in the tub, which someone termed "Cousin Soup."  (Winston and Lizzy were also in the tub, but I couldn't find a picture with everyone that wasn't without some nakey little kids.)

The full moon on chalk night.

Seriously, the view was off the hook!  We would watch the Olympics til way late then come out and look at the moon reflecting over the Lake.

And yes, what Waterfall family Bear Lake trip is complete without a trip to Minnetonka Cave?  It was quite the adventure. Long, steep walk for the kiddos and even longer walk for the parents if they were carrying a kiddo.  We only had to make a few threats of leaving the kids in the dark, and they kept walking. The kids had fun tho, even if they were all half frozen at the end.

Trip highlights not photographed: Boating and sea-dooing on the Lake with some waterskiing and wakeboarding, Malan's first time on the boat (we called her the little turtle - turtle power!), La Beau's shakes (and fries), Raspberry Days, Ben got in some biking solo and with Colbanous, playing Things, good food, cousins having slumber party and the kids giggling and giggling together as they watched Toy Story, playing on the beach (and getting kicked off the beach by the 'authorities'), getting our booties kicked by Insanity (thx Katie and Liz for playing along), the Olympics, painting nails, Hippy Cricket.

Thanks Mom and Dad for a great trip.

Maria talks about it ALL THE TIME!

I am so glad we could all be together.

(Thanks Katie and Eric for some of your pics since I didn't take many.)