What a difference a year makes!

At first, I was thinking that the kids still looked just like they did last summer. Then I found these pictures...

Wow! They were babies! I miss my two-year-olds! They were so little and so sweet and so innocent and I am pretty sure they never said, "NO! I'll do whatever I want to doooooooooo!" Don't get me wrong, they are still sweet (most of the time) and very cute and I can hardly believe they are getting ready to start school in less than three weeks! How did that happen?!? I have loved being home this summer and although I am somewhat excited about not being interrogated all day long I am a little sad to be heading back to work.

In other "Look How Far We've Come" news, can you believe that at this time last year we were living with Robbie's parents and our house looked like this?

We have been settled into the finished product for 8 months now (hardly seems like it) but I often find myself looking back at the pictures of the house as it was being built. I loved coming by to check on the house almost daily, to see what had been done. I loved the smell of the wood, brand new and warmed by the sun. I loved how the house seemed to change shape and size with every nail. I loved the anticipation of the home that it would become.

When I think about it, life last summer was a little bit CRAZY! Robbie was working insane hours, we were living in my mother in laws basement with our 2 two-year-olds, and constantly having to make decisions about the house. The weather was 100 degrees (I miss that) and the kids spent most of their days sliding down the slide into the kiddie pool. What a difference a year makes! This summer the cool weather is not the only change. The kids are now 3 and enjoying all of the space that came with the new house and yard. Robbie has a job with a lot more free time (but a lot less vacation) and the only decision we have had to make about the house is whether or not to open the doors to let the evening breeze in.

After spending two weeks at the lake, we returned home last Friday to a hot (but clean-thanks Babe!) house and when I walked in the door I was greeted with the same new wood smells that I hope I never forget. I stood in the kitchen and thought about just how much has changed in 12 months. Some things, like finishing the house, we knew (at least hoped) would happen but there are other things that we couldn't have imagined. Kind of makes me wonder, where will we be next August?

Success!

Our mission this week at the lake has been to get the kids to jump off the dock. They are great swimmers (they swam across the lake for the first time last summer...they were 2) and have been jumping into water since before they could walk. When they were not yet a year and a half old, people at the YMCA would gather around to watch Abby fly off the edge of the pool, bob up saying, "Again" and climb back up for another jump. Some of Ben's first steps were on the floaty mat at swimming lessons into the water. These kids have been jumping into water for most of their lives but for whatever reason this summer they decided that they were not jumping off the dock. Hence our mission. Here's how it went:

We tried stranding them on the dock with no other option...

that didn't work so well.

We tried jumping in with them. They liked it, but still refused to jump on their own.

There were a lot of tears

but eventually, they were ready....

to jump!

Even off the big dock!

***I do know that all the jumping pictures are of Ben and the only picture of Abby is one of her screaming. You should know that Abby jumps too, she just likes to jump to me (aren't I lucky?) so I haven't been able to get any pictures.

I love this place!

I mean how could you not? Just look at it!

This just may be my favorite place on earth. I could sit on the dock for hours on end (I have...I used to. The new me gets a couple hours at nap time, if I'm lucky). I love that the sun (when it decides to come out) shines on the dock from about 10 in the morning until it goes down in the evening. Perfect. No need for sun before 10. Who gets up that early? (That was the old me again...I get up that early, just not going outside.) I love how the whole family is there at the same time and we cook together and eat together and play together. I love that the cabin was built by Robbie's grandpa and although it isn't glamorous, it is cozy. I love the there is a tradition of swimming across the lake each summer. All of us. Even the kids. I love that there is an open door policy. If we're here, stop by. I love that I have been coming here every summer since I was 15...half my life. First with Carrie, then with Robbie, now as a family. I am so thankful to have a place like this. No need to take fancy vacations every year (although I'm starting to think we're due for one) when you can pack up and head to the lake for a couple weeks (this time we are staying for almost two weeks! Never done that before...I'll let you know how it goes), a couple days or even a couple hours. When we're here there's no time, no schedule, no worries. I bring a lot of magazines (and a couple of books so people think I read something other than the latest celebrity gossip) whatever happens, happens.



In addition to reading, the lake is perfect for swimming...

boating...


wake boarding...

tubing...

and fishing.

And it just plain makes us happy!

Oh, and we're here, so stop by!