Memorial Weekend Getaway

We play this weekend by ear every year.  What will the weather be like?  How are the kids feeling?  Is anyone sick or getting run down?  What activities do we have going on that we can cancel?  You look at a picture like this and the answers are suddenly very clear.  The weather will be fine.  The kids will be fine.  The plans can be cancelled.  Up north it is.

Packing has gotten easier now that the kids are out of diapers and bottles.  We don't need a baby monitor, toys, etc.  Just clothes, their Puddle Jumpers, and some DVD's for the car ride.  Even the 2.5 hour car trip is relaxing.  I thank the minivan for that.

We arrived after stop and go traffic in spurts and the kids went right for the sand.

It's pretty hard keeping the kids out of the water in their regular clothes, but they tested their limits and we managed to stay dry.  The weather was a bit chilly.

We took a boat ride around the lake as the sun set and the boys were off to bed later than usual.  Hey, it's vacation!  Me, Scott, his parents, and his sister, Mindy sat around the fireplace watching a movie and catching up.

The next morning the kids were ready to rock and roll!  The temps had gotten down into freezing over night, but the sun was so warm that it we managed to make it outside and playing by 9:30am.  By 11am, it was downright warm.  The boys spent the morning fishing with Pops, throwing crackers into the lake to attract the fish, throwing sand toys into the lake and having to retrieve them while squealing that the water was cold, and building moats in the sand.

Ahhh the sight of the boys bonding with their Pops over a fishing line.  It didn't quite capture their attention until Pops yelled that they caught something.  Then, they'd race back to the pole and reel the fish in.  I was shocked at how willing they were to take the fish off the line and throw it back in!  It's amazing how much they change in a year.

By mid-morning it was time to ditch the sweatshirts and pants, put on our suits, and soak up the sun.  We all took a spin on the Jet-skis, the boys went for a paddle boat ride with Pops, and we rode in the Pontoon over to a playground and beach on the other side of the lake.  I may have indulged in the sun a bit too much.  Let's just say my stomach hasn't seen the sun in roughly four years...so it was a little burnt in my new bikini.

Having a front row seat to watching your kids make friends and bargain over toys is an unique experience.  I wanted to step in so many times as I watched the dynamics, but it's time for them to figure it all out.

That evening we had a bonfire and made s'mores.  Sean got a sliver in his foot from the dock so bribing with s'mores while Scott worked on getting the sliver out was our best chance at removing it.  We weren't lucky, but a band-aid and some Vaseline did the trick overnight.

That evening we put the kids to bed early and played two games of Euchre.  Pops and I were victorious, finally!!

Sunday morning started with clouds.  Warm, but cloudy.  A perfect morning for Pops and Scott to golf.  As they finished their golf game, Nana and I brought the boys up to the course to "trade" so we could go hit up the Outlet Mall and sales!  The boys got to take a spin in the golf cart.  Surely a highlight.

After naps and after some damage was done spending money at the Outlets, the boys woke up and we were ready for round 2 of fishing and playing indoors.

After dinner that evening, we took the kids over to the Activities Building on the lake for an ice cream social.  Face painting, ice cream, bubbles, and the local fire truck - the boys were in heaven!  And just in time for us to drive back home to beat the Monday traffic and storms!

Driving home late Sunday evening in the rain was the best decision we could have possibly made.  No traffic, smooth sailing, kids in PJ's coming down from their ice cream sugar buzz watching movies until they fell asleep, you couldn't ask for a better end to our little getaway.

Monday was a day well spent at home working on the house.  Between laundry, grocery shopping, cutting the grass, gardening, and cleaning the garage, we were productive.  The boys even got in a bike ride and puzzles.  It was an amazing weekend spent with family.  We made some pretty great memories up north this weekend.

Three more weeks until Disney and until the summer is ours to go back to the lake and to continue making these memories with the boys.  This is what life is all about, right?!  Getting these opportunities to re-fill our tanks and to re-boot to make us truly appreciative to all that we have.  These memories with my boys, watching them experience these things, fills my heart.  It's honestly better than experiencing things myself.  No one told me about this rewarding part of parenthood. Seeing things through their eyes...it's unbelievable.