Gramp Rapids: The Cabin

Here it is - at long last - the finale of the 4th of July posts. Thanks for hanging in there with all the updates. We did a lot during our time away and what we learned is that we have crossed that magical threshold where "vacation" can actually feel like a vacation. And we can spend time having fun with our kids rather than just trying to keep the wheels from falling off.

We spent our longest time ever up north (Sat-Fri) and there were protests and a back seat sit-in when we packed up to leave. They were not ready to go - and that was awesome. Except the part where Declan shrieked "I want to go back to Gramp Rapids" randomly every 20 minutes. While the week was not perfect and there was handful of meltdowns or less than stellar moments, the fun times far outweighed the few moments of reality.

**We also learned on the trip that if you make espresso brownies for a family gathering, you label them as such so that people don't unknowingly give one to their three-year-old and then spend the afternoon wondering how on earth he is keeping up so well with the big kids ... [looking at you, Brenda! ;) ]

On our last full day, we decided to head back to the cabin. It was a beautiful hot, sunny day - perfect for the lake. My parents, sister, and our nephews came out too - and we even got Brenda and Otto for a while. The kids, Grandpa, and Mike got out the fishing pools and fished off the dock. Ben and Nate took the kayaks several times. Fiona and Ben attempted to catch minnows. Declan and Otto mastered the art of sharing the very gigantic new sand truck that Gram brought out. It was just the best afternoon!

My dad brought his boat and took several of us tubing. As we were getting low on gas late in the afternoon, my sister and I did a mid-lake tube switch (pretty standard procedure). Then when Em was done, instead of Ben kayaking back to the cabin and us driving back, we successfully executed the mid-lake kayak-to-boat, tube-to-kayak, boat-to-tube triple switch. It was a thing of beauty! And critical to execute well as two out of three of those options are near impossible to climb back in from the water!

Ben and Mike also entertained us with their tube jumping skills. There were dives through the tube, feet-first through the tube, attempts to land butt first in the hole, and even the dive through the tube on the dock into the water move. We were all laughing so hard, especially because we weren't sure at the beginning that Mike would even fit through that tiny hole!

The diving contest inspired Quinn and she even jumped off the end of the dock to Mike several times. She's becoming so brave in the water and we are just so proud of her. Fiona wasn't big on the tube or jumping off the dock, but that was mostly because she doesn't want to wear her life jacket anymore. Her swim skills have improved so much this summer and girlfriend just wants to be free! Declan also loved the water so much and had the best time swimming around with Ot or the big kids. We all miss the lake and are hoping to get back there one more time this summer.

Hmmmm ... as I recap the events of our vacation, I can maybe understand why the kids protested the return.