Bear Lake

We just had an AMAZING time at Bear Lake with Marshall's side of the family! To be honest it was the perfect little get away from reality that I know I definitely needed! We left on Friday August 5th and drove about 6 hours up to Logan. Desmond has always been such a good traveler and this trip was no different. We stayed with Marshall's brother Colton and his sweet wife Jenna. We spent Saturday and Sunday with them playing Michigan Rummi and watching the Rio Olympics. The rest of Marshall's family got to Logan Saturday night and we left for Bear Lake Sunday afternoon.

This is where we stayed while we were at Bear Lake. Isn't it beautiful?! There were plenty of rooms, beds, and bunk beds. There was even this cool little cave that went under the slide and then connected into the master bedroom. It was SO nice! This barn was just 20 minutes away from the beach. We were able to watch the Olympics, play Quiplash, cook meals, and spend quality time together. Probably my favorite thing we did here was play "drunk waiter". It's when you spin in a circle until you're dizzy then try to walk a tray of cups across the living room. Needless to say, we all fell over immediately, some more than others.

Monday we got all of our beach gear together and headed for the lake!

Desmond LOVED the lake, and that's an understatement. He is our little swimmer fish and loves the water. Once we got his floaty on he dashed for the water and kept running through it. The great thing about Bear Lake is that the water is shallow at the shore line and keeps at that level for a while. It was like a giant kiddie pool for Des! He kept splashing, running, and playing in the water. He especially loved it when the waves would hit him. He would laugh and laugh as each one came closer and then hit him. He's started doing this thing when he runs where he lifts his knees up really high! It's so funny to watch, especially when he was running through the water.

While we were there I was able to catch some pictures of Des 'stimming'. For those who don't know what stimming is here is the definition: "Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as stimming. A repetition of physical movements, sounds, or repetitive movement of objects common in individuals with developmental disabilities, but most prevalent in people with autistic spectrum disorders." We started noticing Des doing this pretty early on. When he gets really excited, happy, or upset he'll start flapping his arms, then he'll clench his fist, go a little rigid, starts opening his mouth really wide, and then he'll start shaking his body. He had a bit of a cluster of these when he was sitting with his cousins playing in the water. I think he just got really excited, but he did about 5 or more rounds of stimming that just puts that pit in my stomach full of worry. I think to someone on the outside you'd think that what he is doing looks pretty cute. I don't blame anyone who says, "Oh, Des is being so cute! Look what he's doing!" I mean for the longest time I thought it was pretty cute too, until I came to realize what it actually was and what it meant.

We were also able to do some fishing, Des got to throw some rocks into the pond, play in the park near the barn, and we went to the lake again the next day. We had an absolute blast this trip and were so grateful for the time we were able to spend with family. My heart was filled to the brim with gratitude for family and the love that we felt for each other. There were a few times this trip that I teared up because of how grateful I felt for my in-laws and the support they've given us. I feel truly blessed to be apart of this amazing family. Desmond has the best Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. We loved our time at Bear Lake and can't wait to go again someday! Hopefully some day soon!