July Fourth at the Lake

Over the past year (or more??) my in-laws have been in the process of building a lake house on a beautiful piece of property they've had since Chris and his siblings were little. There used to be a tiny cabin sitting on the property and now in its place there is a beautiful home big enough to house the whole family. This past weekend was the first time we've been able to stay there and it was pretty incredible! It is such a blessing to have this place to visit and make memories as a family. 

Colin and his cousin Gabe did a lot of turtle hunting. Actually, this is a baby turtle that Uncle Carl caught, which immediately gave him superhero status with the boys! Yes, they let them all go :)

Carter proves that on vacation, you can nap whenever and where ever you want!

Finley caught a lightning bug! He was so proud of himself!

Colin fished with his cousins all day, every day. Well, except for when they were busy catching turtles, bugs and fireflies. When we got home, he asked me, "Can we built a pond in our front yard, pleeeeaaassse???" Ummm, no. 

My favorite line from the weekend came from Finley when he fished for the first time. He reeled in the line, took one look at the hook and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! I caught a worm! Guys! I caught a worm!!" He is so cute, that kid. 

Everett did not let his cast slow him down!

And speaking of fishing, it's all fun and games until someone lets go of their fishing pole and then is devastated. 

My favorite part about this picture, is that not only is Chris dredging up the bottom of the lake to find Everett's fishing pole, but there's a random dog in the picture! No clue who he is or where he came from. But after the pole fell in the water, he suddenly appeared and was very interested! 

Daddy to the rescue!

Colin, Chris and Owen on July Fourth. Thanks to having four older brothers, Owen was not lacking for July fourth attire. 

On the night of the fireworks, it was really fun to watch all the boat gather around. And to see my brother and sister in law and their kids, still out there fishing! 

Never far from my mind these days are my Aunt Pat and cousin's Julie, Joe and Tracy. You see, their son and brother, my sweet, funny cousin Brian, died almost three weeks ago. He was only 32 years old. Life is hard to make sense of sometimes, and this feels especially unfair. Next week we'll gather in the town I grew up to celebrate his life and I look forward that. He will be greatly missed.