Lake life

Every year over Labor Day weekend, my dad's side of the family gathers for the traditional weekend at the lake. Going back, this has been something we have done since I was a child. I grew up going to various cabins/resorts throughout Minnesota each summer, and I am so very happy that this weekend tradition lives on for my own kids. I cannot thank my parents enough for pulling us together and giving us a long weekend at the lake each and every year. By far, it is our girls favorite part of summer. I do not lie when I say that the moment school ends in June, they are asking when we go to the lake! And there were tears this morning when we had to return back home, knowing it would be another long year before we get to go back again.

This post is picture heavy....consider yourself warned :)

We went back to Idelwild at Lake Osakis this year and Lincoln laid eyes on this mower sitting near the playground and claimed it his for the entire weekend. Thankfully there wasn't much competition for him and he pushed that thing around all. day. long. So much so that the resort owners wished it really did cut the grass so they could put him to good use!

My brother won the title of 'favorite uncle' with all of his offers for boat rides and tube rides. Lincoln was pretty hesitant that first trip around the lake, hanging on to me the entire time. But once he got a little more comfortable with the whole 'we-are-on-water' feeling, he eased right into it and just enjoyed the ride. There's discussion about my dad selling his fishing boat and next year renting a ski/fish boat for the weekend....let's just Sidney is NOT in favor of this plan. The tears streamed down her face as she thought about this idea; and frankly, I mirrored her feelings.  

With having a toddler on our hands, one who moves very fast, we instituted a rule from the start for Lincoln: if you go on the dock, you wear a life jacket. And the boy had no questions and no fusses with that rule. He loved walking on the dock, fishing off the dock, and heading down to the boat so he promptly wore his "life-a-jacket" at any request.  

My poor mother (and brother and cousin-in-law) got tasked with helping the kids fish off the dock many times each day. Let it be known, I don't do well with unhooking fish and I don't much prefer to bait a hook, so I'm just fine letting someone else teach them how to fish! Ryan fully agrees with me on that :)

My mom has been their teacher since they were little, and now, both girls can cast their own line (and do it well!), Regan will bait her own hook and if it's simple, unhook her fish! The kids figured out quickly that if they stayed near shore, they could catch these tiny perch at a pace that created chaos for those trying to take them off the hook. It was pretty comical to listen to Lincoln fish. That boy didn't just catch fish, nope, he was catching shark! Watch him in action HERE.

Regan enjoys fishing so much that she went out on the boat with my parents one afternoon. She has the patience for it and chatted their ears off. When she successfully reeled in her first 'keeper', I guess she squealed in both delight and shock! And there was no way she was getting that fish off her hook; it was much too big for her liking! I guess she squealed and shouted a little too much and caused those boats around her to turn their heads and check out her big fish :)

The peacefulness with water nearby is something I can't even explain. I love that there is always something for us to do, but nothing really that needs to be done. I don't clean, we did as little cooking as possible, and it's all about chasing the kids, finding fun and being together.

 Look at this little boy....between his fingers is a tiny minnow that my brother helped him pick up. EWWW! He came up to me "mommy choch it" aka: touch it.

Um, no thanks buddy, I'm good!

Here is our half of the group, some day I want to take a picture with the entire clan! We fill up 5 cabins between the 21 of us and virtually take over the place. The kids listed this as their favorite parts of our weekend:

Regan-catching her first 'keeper' fish!

Sidney-tubing

Lincoln-camp fires each night

Thanks mom and dad for yet another wonderful memory for our entire family.

We love you!