bear lake

one of Kendrick's aunts owns a cabin by Bear Lake, so it is his family's tradition to all go up there every other year. Lucky for us- this was that year! kendrick and I were able to take Thursday and Friday off work, and headed down Thursday afternoon. the drive down was beautiful- I always forget just how stunning Logan canyon is!

once we were in Garden City, we had some pizza with the family, and enjoyed catching up with all of the cousins. later that night, we retreated to the cabin where we all chatted until bed time. 

the next morning started super early, like 9 o'clock early...which I realize isn't all that early, but for a vacation, it was early. we headed out to the lake, which was quite chilly, so rather than waiting for it to warm up, we decided to join Kendrick's dad in taking one of the jet skis into town (it was having trouble starting up). after dropping the jet ski off at the shop, Paul ended up treating us both to lunch. I decided on a Dole Whip and some Buffalo Chicken won tons, and they were quite possibly the best thing I have ever eaten... or at least in the top five.

once noon hit, the sun was shining and we were back and out on the lake. utah has been incredibly smokey due to some wild fires in neighboring states, which in turn made the lake a pale shade of teal, instead of it's familiar deep blue color. also, you couldn't even see the other side of the lake with all the smoke in the air, which made taking the jet skis out even more thrilling as we drove out into the foggy abyss. kendrick even mustered up the courage to try out his family's kayak.. it's safe to say he didn't get very far.

for dinner, we decided that we had to try out this place, because crepes are just something I will never say no to. it ended up being one of the best ideas we've ever had, and I will never forget those gigantic, mouthwatering, creamy raspberry crepes. 

our second day on the lake was a completely different story. just like the first day, it was chilly and the water was icy. however, the main difference about this day was that it didn't warm up, at all. the entire day was gray, windy, and cold. Kendrick and I decided to brace the ice-water lake for a quick jet ski ride, but that probably lasted 1.36 minutes... if even that.

our friends Marcus and Lonnie met up with us around eleven, and we all ended up heading to the hot springs just down the street. fifteen minutes of sitting in hot water was all we needed to thaw out, and we were ready to take on the rest of the day (smelling very much like sulfur).

the last night in Bear Lake was game night with Kendrick's family. kendrick's aunt Joleen is literally the queen of games, and she has quite the reputation for thinking up the most creative things to play. we ended up playing a live version of Clue, and I had the honor of playing Ms. Scarlet. we were all scattered throughout the house, along with weapons, and different clues. All of the lights were turned out, and everyone made there way around with flashlights, gathering all of the clues that were spread out. it was honestly so much fun!

we left Bear Lake Sunday morning, and couldn't resist stopping by this pretty place on the way home. this was my first time seeing this temple up close, and it quickly made its way to the top of my favorite list (behind the Salt Lake temple, of course). while we stared at the temple Kendrick said, "I just don't know how you can look at this and not feeling something." and it's true, the peace and love you feel looking at them is undeniable. I love temples!

only two more years until we get to do this all over again...and I can hardly wait! hoping for a little more sun next time- and a lot less smoke. ;)