But Jeff hates the heat and never has any toys to play with. Until this last weekend.
Our last trip over the 4th of July was the last straw for him. No more walking down to the beach through reeds, muck, mud, and rocks. No more sitting around being bored. No more wishing he was up in the mountains riding some trail. He said he wasn't coming back up unless he had one of these...
I didn't think he'd really go through with the purchase. We went and looked at a few ATVs on Wednesday and by Friday we were the proud owners of a new Polaris Sportsman 400 ATV. Jeff asked me what his limit was and he found one that fit the budget. I've never seen him so giddy. But I'm not sure who was more excited about it, Jeff or Pearl. We had to practically drag Pearl out of the dealerships. Of course she was quite distraught when she learned we didn't have the money to buy the mammoth four wheeler with her own seat or the Side x Side which cost more than our car!When we got home from what I thought was just window shopping, Jeff told me "we need to talk about it" before buying one. Ha. I told him to just do it, really thinking he'd never go through with it. The next thing I know, he's shouting with excitement, hands in the air, "I got a loan!" Uh, what happened to the "talking about it first?" It's by far the most non-essential, frivolous thing we have ever done!
So we borrowed my uncle's trailer, packed up, and headed up to Bear Lake to break in the new toy. Not even Cole's screaming for over an hour could deter Jeff from what he has now dubbed "the best Bear Lake trip EVER" - although it came dang close, especially the screaming on the ride home through construction and one potty break. Seriously, if it wasn't for the new toy we would have dubbed this the WORST Bear Lake trip ever with the ride up and back. Cole is NOT a good traveler yet. And it wasn't just Jeff and Pearl who were thrilled with the four wheeler. When my dad got home (we had to factor in at least one pit stop to feed Cole), he didn't even come in and say hi but walked right over to the new ride to check it out. Jeff decided to play a joke on him and hit the panic button to the truck just as he was about to touch the four wheeler. It was hilarious but man oh man was my dad excited (and I'm pretty sure a bit jealous). My mom was really excited too... mostly because she had been telling me to "let the man get a four wheeler" for months. Even my Grandpa was excited!
So Jeff went on a morning ride every day, coming back dirty and happier than he's been in months. I think he finally felt like he could do something by himself. He took Pearl on rides all day long. She didn't have to beg very hard to get one either. They did "crazy driver" and "bagels" as Pearl called doughnuts. They went "super fast" - uh, ya they really did go super fast too. I was told I don't drive fast like dad nor do I do "bagels" like dad. Someone has to be the safety police!
We also threw in the usual...Raspberry milkshakes.
Playing on the beach. I was bummed I didn't get any pictures of Pearl playing in the water - well pushing Jeff in the tube then jumping after him - but someone was always needing his mom! You wouldn't know it from these pictures, but Cole did not enjoy his first outing to the beach. At least he ate good down there. And thanks mom for having a spare pair of sunglasses in the trailer, even if they aren't very flattering on me.
Building sandcastles.
Enjoying the outdoor shower. So, so, so much better than getting all the sand hosed out of your swimming suits than having to use the outdoor hose! Thank you Bath & Body Works for plastering every hotel with your shampoos and lotions! 
Napping. Pearl crashed after four wheeling and playing in the sun all day. Even Cole had a three, yes three hour nap one day! Jeff and I could believe it. Of course it has to be a day that we aren't driving anywhere! The kid never naps longer than 45 minutes!
And just to shake things up a bit, going to the city park to do "super underdogs" and "buzz lightyears" on the swings.
After three days of zooming up and down the beach (we have successfully managed to figure out how to get all four of us, plus all the beach essentials, down in one trip), putting 50 miles on the new toy, and hitting the 53 mph mark (I just smiled through clenched teeth when he told me this) we headed home only to begin the countdown for the next trip to Bear Lake. That and counting down until we get a second four wheeler! Double the fun, right?
