There was lots of water/sand play, of course! It was HOT most of the days we were there so being in/near water was essential!
There was lots of family time!
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| Hanging with papa! |
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| Candy land with cousin Anna |
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| Will slept in a room off the kitchen so hung out with my mom, who is an early riser, every morning. She treasured the time and we treasured the extra sleep (although I was up by 6:30 every day but one). |
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| Ice cream outing with cousin Anna! |
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| It is possible to pout while eating ice cream. |
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| Getting pushed on the swing by cousin Kolin! |
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| More ice cream with cousins Evelyn and Charlie! |
And there was a little bit of fishing!
Phil did his annual swim across the lake on Wednesday - I kayak ahead of him and then he gets in for the kayak ride back. It’s a long swim - it’s a 25 minute kayak ride back with 2 adults paddling! I think it must be close to 2 miles across!
Not pictured is all the delicious food that my mom and brother made! We made dinner one night (seared ahi tuna with rice and corn on the cob) but I mostly contributed by helping with dishes.
I checked emails quite a bit but never had to take my laptop out so all in all it wasn’t too bad. I work this week and then leave for Banff on Sunday morning! It’s not ideal to have 2 vacations so close together but it’s the way it worked out for a variety of reasons that I won’t bore you with!
Do you have any annual traditions/vacations? We’ve done this annual lake trip since 2019 I think! We are lucky that my parents live on a lake and love hosting us!
This looks like a lovely family time, Lisa! I am excited for you to go to Banff but pretty sad I'll miss seeing you. Darn! It would have been so fun to get together!
ReplyDeleteThat is a really long swim!
This looks amazing! Yes, you are VERY lucky your parents have a lake house! I love all the family time- the boys must have loved hanging with their older cousins. And kudos to Phil- that is a long swim!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited about your trip to Banff. I can't wait to hear all about it!
Oh my goodness, what a GREAT time! Love the photos. How nice that the kids get to spend time with their cousins! I have never been close with my cousins, so I think it's wonderful when cousins get along and are able to see each other somewhat regularly. Love that picture of Will with his little pout. I am guessing it's not the best in the moment, but it will be a precious and funny photo to look back on.
ReplyDeleteYay for your upcoming Banff trip, too! You are certainly having a banner year when it comes to travel, and it's awesome that you are working in FUN trips alongside all the work ones.
While we haven't quite been able to get to "annual," I think of my summer visit to my parents' forest home as our vacation tradition. My husband can rarely join us, which is too bad (although he doesn't love being there -- too "boring" (I find it relaxing), but my daughter and I love spending the time with my parents and I think my husband is happy to have the house to himself once in awhile!
How perfect! Love the pouty ice cream picture them most-- toddlers, man.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely tradition! I am super jealous that you get a week at the lake every year!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great time and wonderful weather! I was just thinking that your two trips must be really close together. I agree that's not ideal for me either- I prefer to have some time in between, and so each trip feels like a true break- but sometimes it just works out that way. It will be great no matter what! That's so nice that your mom was able to handle Will a bit some of the mornings. And also nice that you didn't have to take the lead on all the meals! Sounds like it was a fairly full house, so I am sure the time flew by and the kids had no shortage of things and people to entertain them. :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a wonderful week away!! Just what you needed after all the crazy work stress & travel! The boys look so happy (aside from that ice cream picture lol)
ReplyDeleteSo nice they got all that cousin time. Older cousins are the best haha! Looking forward to seeing you guys in a few weeks. Maddy already keeps asking for Paul. It’s so cute how much she likes him already! We don’t have any annual trips bc I feel like we have no routine or normalcy in our lives. But we do try to get to San Diego annually because I love it so much!
(This is Abby , obviously)
I'm so glad y'all had such a great time at the lake!!! When it's hot being near or in the water is a must!!! The ice cream... even at 13 C asks for ice cream every night! She's a big sweets kid! The food y'all fixed sounds amazing!!! I don't love have vacations so close together either but I am in a similar situation and I'm just navigating as best I can.
ReplyDeleteOH Lisa, I'm so glad all went well and you had a wonderful time! It looks like the weather held for you and the kids had fun too. Kudos to Phil. That pouty ice cream girl is adorable!
ReplyDeletelooks like a perfect vacation! family, relaxing time, good food, and nature. I'm so impressed by Phil's swim!!! he must be very fit. does he swim regularly?
ReplyDeletewe don't have a vacation tradition, but we might start one, like coming to shanghai to spend a month or so every summer after this year's experience which has been amazing in so many ways.
That ice cream pictures is PRICELESS. Oh my - love it.
ReplyDeleteAnd so much fun to spend time with cousins like that; there is nothing like life at the lake, especially when there are lots of people so there is constant activity.
How exciting your trip is so soon. I hope it's wonderful and restorative and just plain fun!
What a lovely time away! AND you get your Banff trip right after it - maybe the timing isn't ideal but it's sometimes nice to have trips close together like that! So much anticipation to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteIt must be so nice, too, to have a lake house to escape to throughout the year and have extra hands to help out with the boys!
ReplyDeleteAhhh how wonderful! Nope, don't have anyone with a lake house to host us. My annual tradition is slowly becoming going to Poland to visit my friend. With kids?.. Not sure. T is adamant about NOT traveling for the Christmas holidays so we usually stay put. or, maybe... Spring break? Usually there is some kind of trip...
we went to the in-laws cottage last week, had 1 week at home and then I go to work meetings in New Jersey Tuesday -friday, and Saturday morning we fly to Chicago basically for the day, flying home Sunday afternoon. It's a crazy schedule but just how it all worked out.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful time at the lake. I think I told you many times that I wish we had friends/family with a lake house - haha. No annual vacation traditions for us, sadly.
ReplyDeleteThat is always so much fun! Glad you enjoyed it, all of the family time is really special.
ReplyDeleteWe actually had a week vacation last week as well, on Tybee Island in Georgia at the family beachouse. Kelley is now officially done with her internship, so school is in the books finally, and Ella still has a couple of weeks before moving into the dorm at Brevard so we had a window.
What a wonderful family week. Your cup must be overflowing with time with family and friends. :)
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