We spent a long, sunny, lazy weekend at the lake. And it was divine. Perfectly, completely, totally divine. It was THE most fun and relaxing thing we have done as a family in eons.
Chad, Jamison, and Joshua headed out a day ahead of us girls to secure a spot. The girls and I mowed the yard, picked up fireworks, and finished packing. Chad and Jamison hauled out the vast majority of our toys - but I was enlisted to pull out the jet boat and the ATV.
Chad surprised the kids and bought a jet ski. To say they were thrilled would be a gross underestimation. Sierra was the most excited. She continues to be very limited in what she can do physically. Swimming is a no-no. Tubing and wake boarding are obviously off limits - but driving the jet ski was something she could do! She said it was the first time she had felt totally normal in a long time. She was great at pulling tubes, which gave her dad a whole lot more time to nap (or play with Mataya).
I was surprised at how much fun it was. Sierra taught me to drive it. She teased me at first about driving like a grandma - but by the end Joshua commented that I did drive like a grandma, because Grandmas are supposed to be fun!
Mataya was very unsure about camping at first. She hated the jet ski and cried every time it pulled up to shore. She was not a fan of the pokey field grass. She did like the inside of the camper! It ended up working well that Chad arrived early. He was able to snuggle her close while I played outside with the kids.
By jammie-time Mataya was trucking around the camp site cheering on our game of washers.
Can you say Daddy's girl?
Se adores her Daddy!
No fish were killed during this camping experience. . . unfortunately.
My kids have always loved snakes (the firework kind that is). But Joshua calling them "Yucky kaka" his very first July 4, has forever embedded them into our Independence Day tradition.
Sierra showed them to Mataya.
Mataya responded with "tinky (stinky) poopoo!"
So funny!
Early morning snuggles are one of my favorite part of camping.
Mataya agreed!
Because she is not a water bug, she kept one of us busy reading books most of the trip.
One morning she spotted all of her siblings sitting on the couch waiting for breakfast. She decided they should be reading to her instead of joking with each other.
She "let" Jay read first.
Then she moved down one lap to Rah-Rah.
And then she "allowed" aka insisted that Brenna read to her.
Joshua quickly left the couch when he saw the pattern that had been formed. He LOVES his baby sister, but not enough to read while on vacation.
The kids are always good at helping, but when we are camping, they are THE best.
Look who stopped by to snuggle with his LaLa?
Krissy and Devin spent a couple hours at our campsite. They spent a little time on the water while Wyatt and I bonded over a nap on the couch. Yummy!
The kids spent a TON of time on the water.
And in the water.
Mataya (sort of) tried to nap - but there was just too much excitement to waste time on sleep.
Luckily she slept late each morning, which helped her maintain her sweet personality though she had to be so tired.
I have a few favorites when it comes to camping - uninterupted family time, sun, naps, being on and near the water, AND daddy cooking! Oh, I love it that he cooks!
Jamison was CRA-CRAZZZZZY on that jet ski.
I let him pull me on the tube, once. He actually did great - but it took all his self-control. He perfected this little move that caused water to splash up and all over my face. He could barely contain his glee. I could see his grin through the waves. LOL!
He may ride jet ski like a wild man - but he is the calmest, kindest, most thoughtful 17-year-old I know. He is so patient with his siblings. He watches out for them with concern and a dose of humor. He watches for ways to help his dad all the time. We had three truck-loads of stuff at the lake this week. He pulled the jet ski and left a bit before Chad and I did. When I arrived home, he had the jet ski backed into the garage, all the other vehicles moved around so that Chad could quickly and simply get the boats and camper into their "homes" and he had his truck fully unloaded.
Joshua adores fireworks. His job was to stomp on the firecrackers to make sure no fires were started. He took that job very, very seriously!
You know JG is excited when he poses for photos!
His pose inspired a series of poses!
Sibling photography was a fun way to kill time while we waited for it to get dark!
Baby girl was so tired - but JG insisted she stay awake for the fireworks!
For the record, she did not enjoy the fireworks much - but her siblings surely did!
There were thousands and thousands of dollars of fireworks shot off around the lake. It was a blast to sit at our campsite and watch the show as it moved throughout the lake area.
After the last sparkler was lit, we sat around a fire, ate s'mores and hot dogs, and enjoyed the night sky filled with fireworks for a long while. It was sublime.
This weekend was all I could hope for - warm air, low winds, satisfied kids, yummy food, long naps, and late mornings. There will be few like it in my lifetime, and so I will hide it in my heart with joy and contentment. . . always and forever.
