Lake Life

There's a lot of prep work involved: Packing the bags.  Loading the car.  Planning out the meals & snacks.  Making sure the car has a full tank of gas.  Driving every bit of two & a half hours on a hilly, winding adventure.  And last, but not least, leaving worries & cares {along with cell phones, computers, & television shows} behind.

Yes, it takes a lot of prep & planning to have a successful trip down to the lake, but as we roll into that tiny little town, our car packed to the brim, it's as if the weight of the world gently lifts off my shoulders.  All of that prepping & planning is paid off in friendly waves from the locals, coolers full of soda pop, the smell of bbq chicken grilling over a hickory fire, & flip flops showcasing pink toenails!

I love life down at the lake.  It's slow paced.  Easy.  I can leave my makeup at home, & let my naturally curly hair  fly.  It's smack dab in the middle of nowhere, where cell phone service is a nightmare {or a dream if you ask me}, & there is no option but to just set all the busy-ness aside & breathe.  I find myself listening to the birds tweet & chirp, watching fluffy clouds roll through the sky above me, feeling the hot sun warm up my skin, & watching the countless trees we are surrounded by, sway & dance as the wind breezes through their branches.  The grown ups sip coffee out on the deck & the babies take their morning naps on the shoulders of grandmas.  It is serene.  It is peaceful.  It is a place I always look forward to getting back to.

And even though this past trip to the lake was a work weekend, & didn't include any boating, skiing, tubing, or endless hours of sunbathing, it was still a picture of perfection.  It still held it's reputation of being a place of retreat--where we came home from feeling refreshed & refueled, & mostly--ready for more!

You may remember me writing about the CABIN we are building at the lake.  Jared's parents have some land, & my dad is quite the builder, so we decided to put the two together, & VOILA--our very own place at the lake!  We started building our cabin almost three years ago, & because all of the work is being done on our own {meaning nothing is being hired out}, it has been a slow go.  With the lake being so far away, & all of our lives being so busy, our little lake cabin has been "a work in progress".  But after this past work weekend, & thanks to my dad & Jared working their fingers to the bone, we are finally starting to see glimmers of the light at the end of the tunnel!  It should just be a matter of time before we can actually spend summers in our cabin at the lake & I am beyond excited!

Daddy & Papa had a little helper!

Jared & Dad worked hard all weekend, stopping only for some grub & a good nights sleep.  And Jett worked his momma & his grandma equally hard, making us walk him all over the property, checking out the trees, flowers, rocks, bugs, leaves, & of course the yappy doggies across the street!  We literally spent all day both Saturday & Sunday outside in the fresh air, only going inside for quick diaper changes, bath times, & night time.  Our little Jett proved to us over the weekend that he is ALL BOY!  He ate stuff off the ground, had filthy dirty hands & feet, skinned up elbows & knees, & at the end of the day, his bathwater was a murky muddy color.  One part of me was left a tad grossed out while the other part of me was left a tad proud--that I could now honestly say I am truly the mother of a little boy.

As I watched Jett toddle all over the place, breathing in the great outdoors, jibbering & jabbering with a wide smile stretched across his face, I realized that he too, is a lover of the lake life!  The kid spent eight hours straight outdoors, & cried alligator tears when it was time to go inside for the evening!  It was amazing for Jared & I to get to watch our little boy love the place that we have come to love so very much!  While Jett cruised all over the grassy fields, Jared said to me, "Just imagine, Holly...Just imagine all of the fun he is going to have."   And my mind started reeling...

I can't wait for the many summers that are stretched out before us.  I can't wait for Jett to drive 4 wheelers & mules {haha...inside joke that I'll save for another day} all over the property like a wild man!  I can't wait for those little legs to stand up on skis for the first time.  I can't wait to see his excited expression when he goes for a wild tube ride from one of his crazy aunts!  I can't wait to watch him roast marshmallows over an open fire.  I can't wait for his eyes to be full of awe as he experiences his first fireworks display over the glassy lake.  There is so much in store for us--so much that the lake is going to bring to my little boy's life!  And somewhere along the lines, all the memories made, all the fun that is had, will nestle inside Jett's little heart & he too, will have a great big soft spot for the lake life.  I'm excited that I'll be right along side him watching it all unfold!

If you ask us, lake life is the best life!  And we're chompin' at the bit to get back to it!

So bring on SUMMERTIME!