We had a wonderful long weekend at the lake! We left on Thursday morning and the drive there went much much better than my solo drive with Will 2 weeks before. Having Paul in the back to entertain Will and being able to hand snacks back really helped. The drive home didn't go as well but I have low expectations for drives and it wasn't all that bad. I'm glad we were able to go up there and spend more time with my sister and niece. They are spending 5 weeks at my parents to escape the intense Arizona heat!
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| Will loved it when Paul held his hand! |
Here are some of the highlights!
Water time: Both boys played in the water although Will was less into it than I expected. The water was still pretty cold so I think that is why he wasn't keen about swimming much. But Paul totally exceeded my expectations and spent lots of time in the water. We had lots of fun on the lily pad (the orange floating thing in the picture below).
Boating: Friday was a picture-perfect lake day so we went on 2 pontoon rides - we ate lunch on the pontoon and then went for a pre-dinner cruise. Phil, Paul and I also went on a short kayak ride on Friday. It was really windy on Thursday and Saturday so that was the only time we were able to get out. Hopefully there will be less wind when we are there in August so we can go on more kayak rides.
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| Phil, Paul and my niece Evelyn |
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| My nephew Charlie, my dad, Abby, and Maddy |
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| Heading out for a family kayak ride. |
Outdoor play time: The kids spent lots of time playing with toys on the patio and front yard. The cars and trucks are a particularly popular toy with the little ones! Paul really loved getting pushed in the swing on the beach, too.
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| My niece Evelyn pushing Paul in the swing |
Cousin time: Besides time with my niece Maddy, my niece Evelyn and nephew Charlie spent the day with us on Friday while my older sister took my Godson/nephew James to St. Cloud State for college registration. Evelyn and Charlie played so well with the kids! Then James came back on Friday evening with his girlfriend. Paul is OBSESSED with James and his girlfriend and was their little shadow. We were so impressed by how much James and his girlfriend played with Paul and Will. I don't think many 17yo boys would spend so much time with little kids so it really melted my heart! We went out to dinner on Saturday night and Paul was excited when James asked if he wanted to sit by him. They played tic-tac-toe while we waited for our food.
Phil and I both had the day off on Monday as the markets were closed in recognition of Juneteenth. But daycare was still open so we had a wonderful kid-free day. It was nice to have a quiet day at home after being away. It was a mix of productivity (grocery shopping, meal prep and laundry) and relaxing/doing things we enjoy (I read, did a lower body beach body workout and napped, Phil hit a bucket of balls, and we watched a show together on).
We are looking forward to our next trip to the lake in August which will be a longer 5 day stay!
How was your weekend?
5 comments:
What a nice trip! I'm wondering if the lake ever gets warm. I grew up near Lake Michigan and I seem to remember it being cold no matter what. Anyway, it sounds like a perfect mix of fun and family time. Glad the car trips were better! And- every vacation should end that way, with the boys in daycare and a day off for the adults.
This weekend looks like PERFECTION! Too bad the water wasn't warm enough. But it seems like you guys were able to make the most of it anyway. Going out on a pontoon boat sounds like such fun.
And I agree with Jenny - you capped off a busy time with family in the best way: a day off for the adults and daycare for the kiddos. Woo!
Yay for such a fun time with family and for all that sunshine and water. Summer living at its best.
Also a HUGE congrats on the BOBW episode; I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but can't wait! You are such an ideal guest :)
I love all these pictures so much!! We have never been a "go to the lake" family, but I know SO MANY PEOPLE in our area who do this regularly or weekly in the summer. It looks like absolute joyful fun! I love the cousin time. I was never real close with cousins growing up, but Ivan has cousins that were like siblings to him. My mom basically grew up with a couple of her cousins, too. I always think that is so cool. It's hard when you don't live right by each other though to really develop that close knit relationship. That was my issue- we lived over 2 hours from my closest cousins. Just didn't see them enough!
That kid-free Monday sounds glorious, too, especially after being away for the weekend. :-)
Wow, so I am feeling old...did you say college???! I remember little bit photos of James from the early days of blog reading!!
Also I think this post answered my question about Paul and the water!
I spent the long weekend hiking in Yosemite and it was beautiful! There was still a lot of snow and it got down to 17 one night! What a difference from your weather, eh?
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