Jolly Holiday

Pool party!

What a wonderful holiday weekend! While the tall Vannestes would have loved to be at the lake, they also refuse to deal with the traffic that comes with going up north on the first "summer" weekend. It's enough to ruin an otherwise lovely holiday. Plus there are the small details like V3's arrival just around the corner. And there you have it - here we stay!

We sure made it worthwhile though. Saturday saw Mike putting the pool up in the backyard. My goodness, the fun! Pool-hating Quinn has made her peace with the kiddie pool and had a blast. She even figured out how to climb in and out AND mastered the "water slide." Bugs, of course, swam until her internal organs froze and she didn't have enough energy to climb out of the pool. Because that's what the Water Bug does! Combine that with some friends coming over to play and a bbq dinner - and let's just say bedtime was pretty quiet!

Boat baby

After the exhaustion of Saturday, we decided to have a lower-key day on Sunday. During nap, Mike and I made the executive decision to try a family boat ride. Mike scouted out the area lakes to see if he could find one that wasn't crazy busy - and was successful. So post-nap, we loaded up and headed to a small local lake. We had a little trouble with the big engine starting (and some engine work is now on Mike's to-do list). But the trolling motor worked great and was actually just the right speed for a leisurely boat ride. Quinn loved the boat ride and the slow pace. They both thought the rocking of the boat was pretty cool - and like a rocking chair. The water was deemed "cold" by the Bug - who insisted on putting her feet in and then was shocked when they were wet and cold. We'll definitely be doing that again. And it was nice to be on a lake!

Daddy's assistant

Today, we headed over to see some friends, splashed in their pool, ate on their deck, and checked out their toys. Just what we needed. It's back to reality tomorrow. But we enjoyed the several days of family time and a somewhat slower pace. It was just what we needed before the apple cart is rocked with a new family member. We will head back to reality with our spirits refreshed through some family fun.

And Mike and my life longevity is preserved by avoiding Memorial weekend traffic north!