Bear Lake Beach Bums

For the past few years we have gone to Park City every October.  This year we didn't plan on going, but when our timeshare had a last minute opening the same week our kids had a couple days off school we went for it!  It is so beautiful there this time of year.  We were able to have lots of fun with friends and family, and then we came home to a beautiful weather here in Idaho and of course...General Conference!  My sister Heidi and her kids are visiting.  It was such a great week.   I have to admit it we were feeling a little sad this morning when we had to wake up early and get back to our regular routine.

Here are some fun "beach" pictures from Bear Lake to cheer me up...

The kids build this pyramid with all the rocks on the beach....too many this year!  I think this is Will.

Austin.

The big kids getting into some sand building. 

Joshua trying out a paddle boat.

The girls relaxing in the sun.  (James is back behind them I think.)

David taking London and Annie for a ride. 

Me...yes, I cropped my legs out of the picture.  Perks when you are the blogger.  

Eliza, Brett, and Isabelle

Nic and James

Travis and Heidi

We rented this huge trampoline one day.  Most of the time,  David would be the launcher.  He would jump as hard as possible on the launch pad and the kid sitting on it would go flying into the water.  I wish I could have captured some of the little kids and how far they flew! 

David had a serious workout that day.  

Sophie Rose

I have a picture like this with all my kids at this age.  They are always fascinated by the birds and enjoy chasing them up and down the beach. 

Luke and Isabelle

The little girls....London, Eliza, Isabelle, and Annie

Sadie and Abigail getting in some reading at the beach. 

I love that just sitting around the lake keeps the kids entertained for hours. The water is so shallow for so long, it is perfect for little ones. 

And big ones too...

It is so relaxing, that sometimes the kids just konk out. 

 This swimsuit of Annie's was our favorite! 

 I am so sad because this weekend at the hotel pool the chlorine was WAY to strong and bleached it out.  Boo.  (I know, serious problems here.)

These two are looking pretty cute with their matching beach do's.  They also have matching skinny little legs.  (Eliza and Isabelle)

Well, that's enough fun in the sun for now!  Now, I must rush around cleaning up the house as fast as I can, doing lots of laundry, and making a menu for the week...need to go grocery shopping!  The kids will be home before I know it. 

Gray Skies in China

There is just so much good out there to read, look at, listen to.  You just have to find it.  Once you do, you will not have enough time to take it all in.

Recently, our bishop gave us a book to read.  It is called, "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" by bestselling author, Clayton M. Christensen.  He is a business professor at the Harvard Business School. Although his bestselling books are not particularly religious, this book is directed at members of our church.  He gives easy, practical ways to tell others about what we believe, and share "the good news" of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   I learned a lot from it and went away inspired to be a better "everyday" missionary.  So inspiring!  It also takes the "stress" out of it, because there is really no pressure to "convert" or "baptize".  Just to invite others to learn more, or share what we believe openly and not be afraid!  You are just sharing with others something that has brought you great happiness.

Anyway, one of the gems I found in the book, doesn't even have much to do with missionary work.  He talks about a couple, Mara and Danny Kofoed that crated a blog called ablogaboutlove.  They are a couple living in Brooklyn, New York.  When I first visited their blog, I honestly was kind of thinking...here is another "NYC" couple, that always look chic and fashionable, and live this fabulous lifestyle that I don't really relate to day in and day out.  And PS, they good looking.  If you read a lot of blogs, you know what I am talking about.

However,  I read a lot of their posts and they gave me a lot to think about.  Mara and Danny have not been without their own trials.  (Shocking, I know, EVERYONE has trials, even super stylish people that live in New York.)  This is a second marriage for both Danny and Mara.  Mara struggles with infertility.  Mara just has a REALLY positive, frank attitude about love and marriage and coping with trials.  I think her advice is really great for those married, singled, and divorced, about being happy NOW.  Everything she writes about is all stuff that we all know.  We have learned it over and over our whole life.  It is sometimes nice to just get a coarse refresher from a new perspective.  It is all about taking responsibility for YOUR OWN happiness and not letting your joy be dependent on ANYONE ELSE!  It's good stuff.  So, if you need a new blog to check out...it's a good one!

On another note....we have been having some crazy weather around here.  I swear I look at the sky several times a day, and it is just amazing.  We really do live on such a beautiful planet.  My brother, David, travels all around the world.  He has made several trips to China this year.  A couple weeks ago our sky looked all gray and blah from all the fires we have had in the West this summer.   I was commenting on the yucky, grey, milky color of the sky and David said that the sky in China always looks like that due to the pollution.  He thought that once he got out of the city into the countryside the sky would look different.  It didn't,  it was still the same ashy colorless sky.  How sad it would be to never see the amazing clouds, sunrises, and sunsets that we enjoy almost everyday here.

Last Monday, we had an incredible thunderstorm all night and into the early morning.  It was the most thunder and lightening I have seen since our days living in Kansas.  Whenever I run into a storm like that, I quickly realize how small and powerless I am compared to God and His power.  It is easy to forget how powerful the forces of nature are!  This is what it looked like as the kids left the house for school.  

Due to my lack of camera skills, I was not able to capture the deep colors of pink and and the vibrant blue in the sky as the sun was rising over the valley.  This gives you an idea though...

The sun setting over Redonda Circle. 

I think I have seem more rainbows living here in Idaho, than anywhere else in my life.  Again, I didn't capture that amazing colors....but it was pretty neat.  

This past week the weather has been so up and down, in one direction there are dark storm clouds, and the other side of the valley is blue skies with white fluff clouds. 

My favorite time of day outside. 

The girls enjoying the rainbows.  

Bryant told them that Grandma Bogren has rainbows in her house everyday in Canada.  She has one of those lamps with crystals that shoot little rainbows everywhere.  Annie thinks that idea is pretty fascinating.

Another stormy sunset. 

I took these with my iPhone at the boy's soccer game.    

Every Wednesday, the storm clouds seem to miraculously find their way to our soccer field.   This Wednesday there were blue skies everywhere except right above us. 

I am so grateful for the beautiful sun, the clouds, and the skies above us each day.  Even if I complain about the dark rain clouds, I will take them.  They  make for beautiful views overhead.  I feel so sad for people, especially children, that don't get to see something as simple as the colors of the sky.

(Sky in China-I stole this off the internet.)

Who likes to taking Family Photos?  Just the thought of them a few years ago could give me an anxiety attack.  My kids would NOT usually cooperate, you try and iron their clothes, get their hair all perfect, and cross your fingers that they will smile.  Forget smiling...let's just hope no one gets in a fight and starts crying. Usually we started out with, "Okay, everyone that cooperates, we will go get ice cream later."  By the end we had upped the bribe to..."What, you want a triple scoop?  Okay.  Money?  You got it."  We were desperate!  All good parenting went out the window.  I don't think we are going to do "official" family pictures this year.  I will just have to find a snapshot for our Christmas Card.  The extended family did an impromptu photo shoot at Bear Lake wearing our fancy family reunion shirts.  There was nothing stressful about it!  (There is also nothing professional about it.)  

Isabelle, London, Alexis, Emmaline, and Eliza

"The Middle Girls"

The boys...didn't have the timing right yet, but they still look cute.  

Joshua, Holden, Nic, James, and Michael

Our first attempt was really lame, no one is looking, the lighting is bad, and we decided to wait a bit for the sun to go down a little. 

Some family members did not want to wait....I tried to entice them by taking a family shot of them before they left the beach entirely. I think they were having one of those family photo experiences I mentioned above.  They boys just wanted to get in the water and so they could not be coaxed into "waiting for the perfect lighting."  

Cuties...

Luke and Austin

We all waited around checking out the pictures we had gotten.  How did we manage before digital photos? 

Annie looking for rocks.

She wasn't alone....

Pollards

Us 

(Notice how wet Annie and boys are...that water is just irresistible.)

Garzas

Sisters...

Natalie, Heidi, and Jennifer

Too much to say about this one, but it just cracks me up.  

The "big" girls.

Chloe, Sadie, and Abigail

Ryan and Sophie

Joshua

I love this one too...

Sadie, Joshua (with no head), Holden, and Abigail

Joshua and Abigail

I am cheering for Ryan?  I am not sure, but I think it is funny.  Ryan should have gotten into dance...look at those leaps, even his toes are pointed. 

Yahoo!

Heidi...I think you should just go ahead and use this for your Christmas Card.  

I promised my mom I wouldn't post the "good" group picture we finally got (even though we were missing some people).  She DOES want to use it for a Christmas Card I think.  I really think she should bag it and just send this one out....

Grandma with the boys

 I think it is my favorite picture.  

And this close up of Luke and Michael is pretty funny too.  

Well, there we go.  I have finally documented ONE day from our trip to Bear Lake in TWO posts.  I don't think I am going to get to it all.  

Happy Family Picture Season to all!  May your pictures be full of lots of mismatched clothes, orchards, old cars,  and really light airy lighting.

PS  We ARE missing some members of the family in the big picture.  Grandpa, Michael, Carly, and their three cute kids.  So sad they could not come.  :(  MISS YOU GUYS!!!!