Two happy old posts....

Written on the night of July 12th

We have a week left at the lake... and I hate how fast it is going, but I love how wonderful it has been.  The weather has been wonderful and we have been able to get out on the lake and in the lake everyday.  In face I think the kids have tubed at least once a day since we have been here.  I even tubed.  This was a bit of a learning experience for my littles... they were trying to school me on the art of tubing, so I showed them.  I let go of both handles and rode on my knees no handed!  Sam looked at me with such surprise and wondered how I had learned to do such a thing, I looked at him and told him I was 34 and knew a thing or two.  ha ha!  Tonight I did have a moment, in between my screams of terror as I tubed with the kids, I looked at all of them smiling and the sun setting and I was so content.  I just wanted to freeze the moment and remember it forever.  Jerry topped it off by taking us all for ice-cream at Ron's and then me and the five elders rode the tubes home, jumped off and swam in... screaming for terror again because of the weeds.

The kids have been having a blast.  I call our visit here being at Camp Richard.  They get to swim and play in the water, work out in Papa's workshop, swim at Aunt Toni's, Watching Modern Family with Savannah and sometimes Sam when the kiddos go to bed, Going for drives, walks and a ton of good food.  Jerry celebrated his 40th birthday on the 7th so his mom made homemade Fettuccini Alfredo and a Baked Alaska for his cake.  The neighbors and some family came and we embarrassed him with candles and singing.  We actually sang to him twice, we sang to him at 12:01 the night before when we were hanging at the neighbors, they even gave him a piece of funeral cake. 

On Saturday we had another party.  Beef Teryaki (sp) and meatballs and homemade Pizza Rolls that all the kids made on Wednesday.  The food is rediculous!  We are so spoiled.  And so were the kids by the neighbors... They were here all last week until Sunday and so there was someone tubing almost all day.  On Saturday Jerry and I took the Pontune out and watched the kids tubing.  Then the girls and I went swimming out in the middle of the lake.  I was missing my suit, so I improvised with what I had ;)  Last summer I was big and pregnant and not able to swim very much, so this summer I have made up for it.  The kids and I have been swimming fools.  On Sunday we swam out the to the middle of our little bay, yesterday we swam forever at Aunt Toni's, it was windy so a lot of fun. (I even swam out to the bouy in the middle of the lake and back... did I say that we were loving the swimming?

Written July 14th

Whew!  I think we are all beat!  This has been quite a ride.  Today was the first rainy day we have had, so we went to ND and it was a lot of fun just hanging out, all ten of us.  The kiddos were pretty good and we found some goodies... We hit Sams, Scheels (a huge sporting goods store where the kids like to ride the indoor ferris wheel) and Target. (Grandma and Papa live an hour from all of these places, so they have to take advantage when they are in town.)   However, I have to say our best finds were at St. Vincent De Paul... Savannah found ten shirst for a dollar each!  In fact everyone but Jerry and Papa found something, for example, Sam found some killer Scooby-Doo silk PJ pants, whoo-hoo! 

When we got home it was breezy, grey and drizzling, but we have been on the boat and the kids have tubed every single day, so we had to keep our streak alive.  So the kids and I (minus Max who stayed with Dad and Grandma and Papa) went swimming to prove we could handle the cold air/water to go tubing.  Sam and I swam through the weeks to the middle of the bay and laughed and sang silly songs.  Then we went tubing... it was a short run, but we went.  Unfortunatly Savannah and Saxton took a rough spill and we decided to head in.  Otherwise it was all smiles and giggles.

I think that tubing has been my favorite activity to do/watch while we are here.  Yesterday the kids went a long stretch without a fall and Jerry and I were commenting how fun it was to watch them have fun.  We both just love to see them smiling and enjoying their time here.  I think I am happiest when the kids are happy.