Memorial Day Memories

We were finally able to get that long-awaited, first boat ride of the season on Memorial Day!

And it was well worth the wait.

We spent the whole day boating, swimming and soaking in the sun...

One of my most favorite things to do in the whole world.

I think it's quite obvious that I've passed this trait on to my son.  He can't get enough of the boat.  He loves the water and he just loves to sit and relax and enjoy a nice boat ride!  Like his mama!

I could literally live on the boat.  I never want it to end.  I'm like a kid at the park or swimming pool...when the fun time has come to an end I refuse to give it up.  I even ask for "one more time!" or a "few more minutes!"  I guess I'm still a kid at heart.

Like this one!

So many days were spent boating during my summers growing up at the lake.  We would literally spend all day, from sun up to sun down, on the boat (and there is nothing quite like watching the sunset reflecting on the water!).  We brought snacks.  Inner tubes.  Sunscreen.  A good book.  You just can't beat it.  We used to line up all of the boats at the beach with all our lake friends and grill hot dogs on our neighbor's pontoon while swimming, suntanning and just basking in the glow.  Those are some of my very best memories of growing up.

Nothing warms my heart more than to share this life with my son.  Sure, it's different now.  Minus a few other boats and friends and family who have left us.  Minus our lake home across the street (we do the hotel thing now, but it's fun too!)  Just different.  Things change.  Life changes.  

 When this little boy came into our lives everything changed for the better.

The summer I got pregnant with him was the same summer we had made the life-changing decision to sell our place at the lake.

"Life-changing" may sound a little dramatic.  But it was.  For me anyway.  I didn't know how to spend a summer not at the lake.  Since we all had the summer off growing up, we literally up and moved to the lake.  All summer long.  And never looked back.

I met one of my lifelong best friends at the lake.  We had two sets of dishes, furniture, bedding.  We just made it work.  And it was the best thing in the world.  And I miss it.   I miss that life.  But you know what they say...

When God closes a door...he opens a window.

He gave us Andrew that summer.  Something to heal the pain of selling the summer home we had come to know and love for over 30 years...

God's timing is simply amazing.

So I still cling to those memories.  But now we make new ones.  Different ones.  And Andrew is a part of them now, and it truly doesn't get any better than that!

I love watching my boys drive the boat.  It makes me smile thinking of me driving with my dad so many years ago.

And there's always time for naps on the boat.  Because there is no laundry to be folded, or dishes to unload.  That is the other thing about spending time on the boat.  It is the one place I can actually let myself relax and not think about all the things I have to get done.

Because, quite frankly...I just don't care.

For some reason at the lake, my mind can just focus on the lake.

And the memories.

And the fun.

And the fact that this kid has the cutest toes of any kid I've ever seen.  I love how they overlap on his right foot.  I could just eat them up they are so cute!  Ha!

It's the simple things.

 On our way home from the lake we stopped at my dad's gravesite.

It was Memorial Day, after all.  And we can't enjoy a day like that on the lake without thinking of dad, and how much he loved those days too.

I think he'd be proud of us for continuing to make those memories with Andrew.  And I know he'd be proud of my mother for the kind of grandmother she is to Andrew.  And proud of me, too.  Because he never let a day go by without telling me he loved me, and that he was proud of me.  I never doubted that.

And this little guy?  Well, words can't describe how proud he would be of him.

I don't even think he'd mind that Andrew was jumping off his headstone!

I think he was smiling down on all of us...

Shrek-Tastic!

That describes our Memorial Day weekend pretty well!  After leaving all the parties on Sunday, we headed further north to the lake to put the boat in the water.  Seems like a simple task, but turned out not to be so.  The boat needed a few new parts so it spent most of the day at the "Boat doctor."  Once it was in the water it wasn't running the best so it went back to the "doctor."  Finally once on the lift, it got windy, and putting the cover on the lift became far from easy.  I tried entertaining Andrew while Daddy, Papa and Ga Ga worked on it...but we all grew tired and frustrated.  Then it started to rain.  We called it quits and decided on a new plan.

It was time for this little ogre's first movie theater experience!

I had originally planned to take him to Toy Story 3 for his first movie.  But he loves Shrek, too.  And it seemed like a perfect Memorial Day opportunity on a rainy evening at the lake.

Did you know they have "Shrek chicken" at McDonalds?? (That is what Andrew calls it).

Complete with Shrek milk and Shrek apples.  And a Shrek happy meal toy.  It doesn't get much better than that!  (Yeah, we could own stock in this place!  But we have all 8 toys to show for it!  Ha!)

So we felt like the movie was a must see.

And it did not disappoint.

He was completely mesmerized the entire time.  There was no need for me to worry about him not sitting still, or getting up and down out of his seat.  Or being too noisy.  Or wasting money on tickets.

We had a SHREK-tastic time!

This is him looking up at the huge screen.  We let him walk down and explore after everyone else had left the theater.  Perfect time for photo ops, too!  (because, no, as much as I wanted to, I did not let myself take pictures of him while the movie was going on!  I know, you're all disappointed.  Ha!)

He just had a blast, and he wasn't scared at all.  I thought a couple parts of the movie would be scary for him, but he loved it all.

He loved walking down to the front when the credits were rolling, and watching the huge screen.  I can't imagine what was going through his head.  It's like a giant TV screen!

It was so fun taking him to this theater, too.  A place where daddy and I went on many dates before he was born!  Ha!

I just kept thinking I was so glad we took him because now he is super excited to see Woody and Buzz on the big screen too!

He found this poster on the way out and hasn't stopped asking for "Woody and Buzz big movie!"  He is going to love it.

More to come on the rest of the Memorial Day weekend...the boat and lake redeemed itself...you'll see!

Memorial Day-Part 1

Happy Birthday Aunt Joan!

We had a busy but fun Memorial Day weekend!  We went to Craig's Aunt Joan's 50th birthday party!  We just love Joan.  She came to watch Andrew for us several times last year after I went back to work and Andrew grew to love her so much.  She is so fun and always plays with all the kids and entertains them!

After several attempts at this, daddy finally taught Andrew how to work this thing!

This cracks me up.  Jack and Brooke were sitting here so their mom could take a picture and Andrew climbs right up in the chair and plops down right in front of Brooke! Ha!

She didn't mind too much!

We stayed at Craig's parents house and it was the first time all of us were home together since baby Abigail was born.  Good thing Craig's parents built a bigger house!  Ha!  There are five kids and now six grandkids.

My sister in law, Lori Anne and baby Abby with Andrew and me.  We couldn't believe how much she had grown since our trip to Chicago!

We had to get a picture with "Uncle Jepp!" (Jeff)

 I love this picture of Grandma with Abby and Andrew.  Andrew just adores Abby.  He is so gentle with her, I am really surprised by that!  Ha!

Precious.

Craig's mom is so proud of all her grandkids.  We all got married within a few years of each other and all had babies together.  It is so much fun!  I love big families!

Here is an attempt to get a group photo with all the grandkids together.  Brooke didn't want to leave her mommy's side at the moment!  And good luck getting them all to look at the camera all at the same time!

One of the kids' favorite things to do at grandma and grandpa's house is jump on the beds!  They just get so crazy and chase each other around and laugh!

So far, no injuries! Ha!

Grandpa and Grandma have a huge basement, perfect for running around!

Is it any wonder why Andrew cries every time we have to leave??  He can't get enough of his cousins.  He just loves them all!

A little down time!  Ha!

This is Andrew with Auntie Karen (Craig's sister).  Andrew also loves all of his aunties and uncles a bunch!

On Sunday we went to Craig's cousin's graduation party (yes, we do party all the time!)  Ha!

I could barely get these two to stop for a picture!

Andrew and Grandma Huegel

I have lots more to share about the second part of our weekend but I'll save it for another time!  I want to put out a reminder if you'd like to donate for the Heartwalk you can click here to donate online and/or join our team.  If you prefer to donate to congenital heart defects specifically, you can email me (jenandcraig@q.com) for my address and write a check made out to the American Heart Association with "Legacy of Life" in the subject line.  Thanks to those who have donated so far!  We are quite a ways behind where we were last year... remember, every dollar makes a difference! :)  Thank you!