One of the things that the kids were the most excited to do on vacation was to go swimming in the lake. Baby E was particularly excited about the prospect even though he doesn’t know how to swim.

The first day we went swimming he clung to me the entire time, even though he was wearing his life jacket. By the end of the day, however, he was letting me release him as long as I was within reach.

The next day he got a little braver and insisted I didn’t need to be constantly by his side.

By the third day of swimming he was a pro. As long as there was a cousin to swim around with, he was happy!

The kids were excited to learn that today was an archery day and they were even more happy when we told them that their cousins would be joining them. The kids have really taken to archery and are getting more and more accurate with their shots. Even Baby E got in on the shooting today. At one point he just started squealing, “I’m so happy! I’m so happy! I get to use a bow and arrow” as he danced around. It really was quite adorable.

As I have mentioned here before, when my sister and I were kids we spent a lot of time at the shop. A LOT. And for the most part we entertained ourselves. We read books, fought with the tv antennae for precious clear reception on our 6 channels, and used our imaginations to turn the shop and its contents into countless swashbuckling adventures.

But on some occasions, our parents had us help out. It wasn’t anything critical. We might tape off a panel, or do some light sanding, or help check a color. As we got a little older, maybe 9-10, we started using razor blades to cut tape. My parents got us each a little razor blade holder so that our fingers wouldn’t be near the blade. Mine was neon green and my sister’s was bright pink. (To be honest, I was a little jealous of hers cause it was prettier, but I digress.) We had those plastic razor blade holders for years, well into my late teens.

Flash forward to a couple of weeks ago when I took a trip to Home Depot. I was looking for something we could use as a sharp edge to create a straight line while we were hand painting something. I decided that a razor blade would work well, but we would need our fingers out of the way. Then I remembered my neon green razor blade holder. Surely they would have something like that. I scoured the aisle, but I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. I found something similar, but it was metal and somewhat bulky. I wanted something less clumsy.

After a few minutes of examining a display of razor blades, an employee walked up to me and asked me if I needed help. I started to explain to her what I was looking for (something to hold razor blades.) As she stared at me quizzically, I opened my mouth to say,

“You know, the kind you give kids so they don’t hurt themselves!”

But thankfully I closed my mouth right before that came out because the more I thought about it the more I realized that giving razor blades to young children might not be the best move. I mean we grew up around them. We understood their dangers. But most children don’t grow up in wood finishing shops and most parents don’t give their children razor blades to play with!

My parents weren’t giving us child-safe razor blades… There’s no such thing! The gave us window scrapers that just happened to be brightly colored! The fact they were safer for us to use was a plus.

As that revelation sunk in, I wondered how close I had just gotten to totally freaking out that poor lady!! She must have came to her own conclusion that I was looking for window scrapers and hurried off to retrieve some. When she returned I sheepishly took them and walked away, thankful I hadn’t made a complete fool of myself.

My greatest disappointment was that my new window scrapers are made of metal. They aren’t plastic. They aren’t brightly colored green or pink- just boring silver. But in the end that’s ok because they are completely functional and I won’t have to fight my kids for them!

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I was walking through Walmart the morning we left for vacation and I made my way to the sporting goods aisle. (Trust me, I’m way out of my element in that department, but I remembered that I had seen some bows and arrows there in the past.) Much to my surprise I noticed that the youth bow and arrow sets were on clearance! It seemed like too great of an opportunity to pass by, so I picked up a set for C and a set for Big E, along with a few additional arrows.

Vacation seemed like a wonderful time to practice! The grandparents have a large backyard so we lined the kids up and taught them how to shoot. One of our nieces also has a bow, arrows, and a target so we were able to have three kids shooting at a time. (Since Tim and I have attended exactly one archery lesson, and that is one more than any other adult there, we instructed the best we could.) The adults took some turns at it as well. It was a little clumsy for us because the bows are for younger kids, but it was still fun.

I was very proud of how well all of the kids did and how seriously they took it. No one goofed around or did anything dangerous. They all followed directions perfectly and they seemed to enjoy the experience.

It definitely made me want to get myself a bow and arrow in the future!

On the first day of our vacation, we met my sister in law and her family at a local restaurant named Grinders. We try to make it a habit to visit every time we are in the area. We met for an early lunch and the server pushed together some tables to fit all 11 of us (four adults and seven kids.) Since we had beat the lunch crowd there weren’t many people in the restaurant, but our long table was right next to a booth that had a Mennonite couple sitting there.

As we skimmed the menu, the kids were starting to make a little noise. We apologized to the couple and asked the kids to be quiet. The woman smiled and said it didn’t bother them because they have seven kids of their own. They were having a kid-free weekend, and we joked that was even more reason for our kids to be quiet.

They had nearly finished their meal when we arrived, and as they left they leaned over and told us we had beautiful families. We thanked them and they went on their way.

We enjoyed our time together at lunch and when it was time for the check, the server came up to us and told us that our meal had been paid for already. It was anonymous, but the only logical explanation was that that sweet couple, on vacation from their own kids, had paid for the meals of 11 strangers! I’ll admit I teared up at their kindness and generosity. I wish I knew their names so that I could thank them, but whoever they were, I hope they know how much that blessed us.

Why do you need a recovery day after vacation? We didn’t get home that late and I was sleeping in my own bed, but I have been dragging all day long. Tim went to work, I did some editing, and the kids just hung around the house.

Now that I have internet again I think I’ll spend the next few posts on our vacation. Stay tuned!

But not tonight… cause I’m too tired!

I love that my children not only know and love their grandparents, but their great-grandparents as well. It was pretty hard to say goodbye this afternoon. The ride home was pretty uneventful and the kids are already asleep. I’m so thankful for the time away from every day life and the chance to be with so much of our family. We can’t wait to do it again.

I married into a large family and when each of Tim’s siblings got married and had kids, the family grew even larger. Between the five couples we have a grand total of 18 kids. 17 of them are ten and under. There’s no such thing as a small family gathering.

Every summer we make our annual pilgrimage to visit Tim’s grandparents for a family reunion. We take all the time we can to spend with each other, visiting, swimming in the lake, sitting by the fire, and watching the kids play.

Life doesn’t get much better than this particular week of the year. The kids run themselves ragged with their cousins each day, and sleep soundly at night. They push themselves out of their comfort zones and they build the friendships that will carry them through life.

This is my happy place.

It’s the place I can float in the lake and watch the puffy clouds drift across a perfect blue sky.

Where I can listen to the laughter of my children as they conquer the world with their cousins.

Where I can warm myself by the campfire, eating smores, and watching the embers from the fire dance and drift through the air.

The world bustles on, and soon we will return to it, but for now we will linger in the only place where time stands still.

By the time we got back to the cabin this evening the kids were exhausted and hungry. We sat at the table eating sandwiches and talking about our day.

It was a wonderfully full day, complete with swimming in the lake, rides on the Gator, and archery lessons in the backyard. As the kids chewed on their food, their eyes hit heavier.

No one complained about crawling into bed!