Gone? To the North Country? In the middle of the night?

A couple months ago Sam's family had a reunion at Bear Lake, and we couldn't go, so I started thinking maybe we could plan a trip of our own. (We haven't been there since 2010!) I found the cutest little place to stay in Smithfield, above Logan. And even though it was only a couple hours north of home, it felt special, just like anytime you go somewhere different: new places to eat, new roads to drive, new places to run. We loved it!

Our rental house was in Smithfield Canyon, and the road up the canyon was gorgeous! Everything was green, and it seemed so quiet and peaceful, even though we weren't that far from the town center. I loved running up the road in the mornings, even though I usually try to avoid going uphill because it makes me go even slower than my usual tortoisian pace. The first morning, I didn't know Abe was out running too, and it was a lovely surprise to find myself suddenly waving hello to HIM as I waved hello to the other runners enjoying the downhill while I was still toiling upward.

Another day, we ran together and Abe nobly stayed with me the whole time, even though I kept telling him to go on ahead. I was so pleased with the sight of our two shadows running together. Who would have ever thought I'd have my own son to run with? I loved it.

We had fun eating at new places in Logan, notably Herm's Inn where the kids were extremely delighted to discover the size of these cinnamon swirl pancakes they ordered.

Goldie, for her part, got a plate called "The Goldilocks," which was one pancake, one scrambled egg, and one piece of bacon. It was, indeed, just right for her.

At the mouth of Logan Canyon, Malachi communed with some geese

while the others watched ducks.

Each time we drove through the canyon to Garden City, we were all re-surprised at how blue Bear Lake is as you come down the hill. So pretty! Goldie asked, uncertainly, if it was called "Bare Lake": "Like, the people are all bare?" Happily, everyone we encountered was clothed. :)

I didn't take pictures of all our playing in the lake, but just imagine a cold and clingy Ziggy and seven other yelping, laughing, splashing, dirty, sand-covered children and you will have the right idea. We were all hungry and eager to find sustenance afterwards (why does swimming always make one so hungry?).

We tried raspberry shakes from four different places and found our favorite. This was a scientific duty which we took very seriously (and congratulated ourselves on our methods afterwards). Never again will we get shakes anywhere but…Zipz! Unless something changes, that is, and necessitates a repetition of the experiment next time. :)

Teddy took it upon himself to count the waterskis, ending up with a different number each time he walked back and forth along the fence.

"Make your face look like a man!" I heard Junie telling Daisy. They both seem to be doing so.

These pictures are notable for the smiling Malachi in the background. He must not have been aware he was visible.

Abe (and the other boys too, but especially Abe) was in heaven because of the variety of sauces available. "The way to my heart is through good sauces," he told me, quite seriously. Eligible women, take note!

These two pictures sum up so much about this trip and this stage of our lives in general. Ziggy, complacently accepting the TWO BITES of ice cream that are being simultaneously fed to him by his devoted acolytes…

and then roaring indignantly when MORE doesn't come fast enough! Scary.