What we did at summer camp.

This year we took our summer vacation, as always, at the lake.*

Sunshine, sand, water, games, boats, fishing, paddling, catching up on sleep, family dinners and playing from sun up till sun down. The most pressing questions of the day: is there such a thing as too many chips at the lake? Should I shave my legs today or tomorrow? Which bikini today? Swim and then read or read and then swim?


       

Each year the kids are, obviously, older. But this year it was noticeable. Kids could be in the lake without an adult having eyeballs on them every second. Kids were piloting boats, kayaking independently and even, if we were very lucky, applying their own sunscreen. (And if we were extremely lucky, not sustaining a sunburn as a result.) Ask any mom how much they love to sunscreen, and rescreen every 2 hours, their uncooperative children. It ranks up there with mammograms and cleaning the garage.

We have our own fleet!

One of my favorite things about this vacation is the amount of time the girls get to spend with the people they love. 

Tia, stepping up her Aunt duties with a tooth extraction.

Ella, Brady and Skyler

Maya and Makenna. The "Littles" as we call them. 

My family came to visit as well! Which for Maya meant someone else to beat at Uno.

And for me it meant some seaside fun in the nearby coastal town where they stayed and the utter fun of introducing my mother to the game of Balderdash. 

Michaela, Kathryn and Braeden

Kayak paddles aren't just for kayaks, right?

I love this picture. Ella outraged about who knows what, Maya making her goofy face and Piper taking it all in. 

Piper made sure to supervise the eating of all shellfish.

Tia, Mark and Miss Casey Boo

Kristi said she bought this t-shirt with me in mind, being that I am the most aggressive of her "sisters". I confess, I am immensely flattered.

"Hello?"
 "Yes, this is adolescence calling. We are coming for your child. No, no. Sorry. There is nothing you can do about it."

Beautiful girl. 

My annual birthday party, long ago dubbed Suzapalooza, was almost a no-go due to weather but the hardy stuck it out!

Reed, REALLY wanted to carry the cake out. And the whole while he said, "Oh! I really hope I don't drop this!"

I wouldn't dream of having a party without Ange. As usual, she blew our minds with an amazing homemade dessert, a giant peanut butter cup, and kept filling my glass with Sangria. 

Emilie, Sandi, me and Ange. My tribe.

It's either a cake for an 8-year-old or a very young 41-year-old. Then there are these kiddos...my heart overflows with love for them. 

Perhaps the culmination of our two weeks at the lake, and certainly a sign of the kids' newfound maturity and bravery, was conquering the rope swing across the lake. This pictures are more blurry than I wanted but you get the idea.

Maya

Ella

Sandi

Our nephew, Brevan (in the orange trunks) was like, "Hey! Why not go to the tippy top of the rickety, poorly constructed wooden platform and swing from way up high?"

Despite the adrenaline rush he was on for the remainder of the afternoon, the adults were not a big fan. Boring adults, always so focused on things like safety and preservation of the spinal cord.  Piper was also highly distressed by the situation. She stood by on rescue alert, crying and whining until finally, unable to stand it, I let her go after him.

Life at the lake is like nothing else. It calls us back. Always. 

*An enormous thank you to Sandi's parents, Dwight and Patti, who make this possible year after year.  For the place, for the boats, the gas to run them, the lobster and, most essentially, your endless supply of love and joy....we love and appreciate you immeasurably.

What we did on summer vacation...

This past summer had a bumpy start but finished with a bang with our usual 2 weeks at camp, some of our favorite days of the whole year. And because September hit hard and fast (each of the girls getting settled into new schools and into new sports), it is October before I am even posting these pictures. 

Suffice it to say that 2 weeks at the lake with your feet in the sand and lots of family time (on both sides) means tons of laughing and playing and the making of great memories.

It also means a lot of s'mores. To the point where you expect marshmallow with your breakfast.

There is no place like camp. As soon as you step onto the dock, your entire nervous system says, "YES."

If you were to ask the girls the best thing about Schoodic, hands down it would be family. To have playmates (in the form of cousins, grandparents, aunts and friends) at your disposal around the clock is no small thing when you are 8 and 11. 

 In other news, Maya perfected the swan dive.

Water skiers! Ella for the second year, me for the second time ever in my life (with a 22 year gap in between).

Sandi, of course, is a pro.  Little to report there.

 And, as usual, there was the I-hope-no-one-gets-a-spinal-cord-injury tubing Sandi and Kristi know and love (and I tolerate with intermittent calls to "SLOW DOWN!" to their father who captains the boat).

Me and Jaxie

The dramatic weather changes at the lake are amazing. 

For my 40th birthday this year, Sandi and company through me a very surprising surprise party a few weeks ahead of my actual birthday. It was wonderful and amazing and crazy fun. And, because I am this spoiled, we still held the annual Suzapalooza birthday party at the lake on my actual birthday. This year, in honor of the Olympics, Ange came up with the idea of doing Suzapalooza Olympics. Ange made medals, I bought chocolate and ribbon and fired up the glue gun.

There were many competitive events for the kids everyone. A huge thank you to our ever equal-minded judge, Kim, who competes in her own competitive event making it across the blueberry barrens to get to camp each year.

Three-legged race:

Tube jump:

My favorite picture from vacation

 And, of course, the dock jumping competition:

For obvious reason, Sandi took home a medal. Also known as a KitKat.

And a Can Jam tournament. If you haven't played this game, please put it on your summer list. It is SO freaking fun. 

There was some early bragging and trash talk as pairs one and prepared to play the other winners...

But in the end, this father/son pair took the trophy.

The coveted medals:

 Medal winners! (Everyone who participates is a winner. We are just that liberal with the chocolate.)

There is also a competitive class for the most relaxed.  Everyone is a winner in that class.

Ange made me not one, but TWO, cakes. (I REALLY love cake and she really loves me.)

 Wow, am I ever blessed to call these people my own. (Not pictured, but sorely missed: Emilie, Tim and kids who WILL be there next year!!)

'Till next year! (And a BIG thank you to Patti and Dwight who make all this fun possible each summer!)