Swimming at the lake feels completely different than swimming in the ocean, at least I can say this confidently for me and for Wilson, our daughter.  If she knows there is no chance of shark or jellyfish, she could swim all day.  She will also swim farther because her fear is at bay.  We spend the afternoon at the shores of Lake Couer D’Alene where the water is cold, clear and refreshing.

Fear holds us all back so much.  When I read through scripture I’m aware of how often it speaks to not being afraid.  I think so much of this is because when we are afraid, we are not living true to what we are capable of accomplishing.  Fear distorts our view, like murky water prohibiting us from seeing far enough.

We spend the day enjoying the water and paddling our kayaks around the area.  Wilson, as usual, makes a friend.  I have a quick moment taking in the scene…her little brother coming in between her and the boy she has met and think we are just at the beginning of how often this will happen.

We actually treat ourselves to a night out and book a reservation at the floating restaurant called Cedars adjacent to where we are staying.

Parker can barely keep his eyes open he has played so hard.  We tempt him with food and point out the swimming geese to feed and he perks up a little.  It’s a beautiful sunset due to the rains that came through.

What we are not afraid of for this meal is over indulgence.  We act as if we haven’t had a proper meal in a long time and top the evening off with the Mile High Mud Slide, Stuart going for the whole version on his own.

We laugh. We tell stories. We don’t use our phones once except to take pictures of the backdrop for our dining.  We may not have seen all of Couer D’Alene but we have seen as far as our eyes can see and that is enough for now.