Happy 4th!

We spent the last few days at the cottage celebrating the 4th.  It was quieter than past years, but that’s okay.  One thing that didn’t change is the kids always outnumber the adults!

It is so hot!  We had no problem wasting the day away on the lake.  Most of the time we were actually IN the water.

 

 

Sof got very brave and was jumping off the swim platform.  It helps that her buddy Alexander goes first and shows her how to do it!

Nolan is great with the littles.  He is so patient every time he sees Sof.  She has to warm up to him again every time, after all, he’s a boy!

Nightime brings hanging out and food!  We went to Harv and Lee’s both night because they have a great beach area for the kids to play.

    

Once it got dark we set off some fireworks of our own.  Two 13 year old boys come in handy for that.  They are more than eager to help out with that!

Daddy’s are good for sparklers.

 

The girls seemed to get comfortable to watch the fireworks show, but they seem more interested in their phones!

 

After that, all that’s left is to go home, brush your teeth, and go to bed.

We had a great couple days, and we’re going to continue it over the weekend.  Adrienne and I are on a one day break at home.  We drove back this morning for her to go to dance, and then tomorrow I will take her to the airport.  Then I’ll head back to the cottage.  Until then…Happy 4th!

If You Say So

After rehearsal on Friday Miss Dori gave a little speech about how hard the kids have been working, how great their bodies look after all the conditioning classes, and how it will be great for them to just rest this weekend. Then she said, “We don’t want any injuries! Stay away from things like steps, and of course NO tubing or waterskiing or anything crazy like that!”

Yeah, sure. Whatever.

It’s been incredibly hot here, and you won’t find any complaints about that when we’re at the lake. Well, maybe there was a little complaining when Mark, Em, and I biked 40 miles Sunday. Yeah, we complained then. Saturday though, was all fun in the sun. Even Baby Natalie got to get in on the fun. Babies usually stay with Grandma Linda, but wouldn’t you know it she went and made plans on Saturday! The nerve!

Kaitlyn and Livy are expert kneeboarders this year. They jump in, grab their board, find the rope, and get themselves situated. The big lake makes even Livy look small. Em and I yell comments in our high pitched mama voices like, “You okay? You got it?”. They affirm that yes indeed they’ve got this, the boat takes off, they pull their knees up, and Em and I marvel at how amazing they are. By the way, we do that every time, not just the first.

The beach brings relaxation for everyone. Even Natalie is content with a sand toy and shovel.

Awwwww, my big girl building a sand castle. That’s probably a Miss Dori approved activity!

The water is literally so warm it’s not even refreshing. There is no cringe at the first step. I can’t imagine how it will feel if this heat keeps up!

Kaitlyn caught a fish in her bucket. She took very good care of it, holding it very carefully. It wasn’t a very exciting fish though. For some reason all it wanted to do was sleep on the bottom of the bucket.

Livy and Lexi love to play bakery in the sand. They make sand “cookies”. It keeps them busy for hours!

Beaches and boats are two of the great things about the cottage. There are so many other great moments that happen off the water though. The luxury of all spending the night in the same house with no schedules to keep allows for lazy mornings.

 

Even with all the fun the boat, lake, and beach brings, a bucket, hose, and and some dish soap can prove to be just as fun!

We were lucky to have Mark’s Dad and lady friend Jeri with us this weekend.

We came home for just a day, which was long enough for a grown up night out. We headed downtown with Mike, Alison, Alan, and Jane.

We went downtown Detroit because Alan and Jane really wanted to see the city. On the way down they asked how it compares to New York or Chicago. I was admittedly negative about what a dump the place is. I only go downtown for a dance convention that Adrienne has each year at the big hotel there, or for a very specialized venue like a show or sporting event. Really, I was just as much a tourist as Alan and Jane were. Once we got down there I remembered all the city has to offer and how sad it is that the leaders are so corrupt. The city has so much potential. Oh how I wish it were different! I love the city vibe of Chicago and New York!

Mark won $200 after about 10 min. of play on the slot machine! Since Alan and Jane treated us to dinner(thank you!) it was a profitable night! We don’t know when we’ll see them again, but we’ve sure enjoyed their company the last few weeks.

Now we are headed back to the cottage for the 4th. Looking forward to business of friends and family gathered for the holiday! Happy Independence Day!