Home again

Ah, the end of a great vacation brings mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is nice to settle back into the routine of the familiar. The other hand is the routine of the familiar, no exciting things to contemplate on this hot afternoon, no lake to go jump in. Always a blessing and a challenge, each experience.

It was a great week away with a lot of work and a lot of firsts. The boys' were great, the traveling a bit more challenging (gone are the days of falling asleep in the car seat at bedtime...Mace screamed for three hours on the way up....poor baby, poor parents). But there were the days of exploration, playing in the lake, discovering the life that resounds all around. Both boys seemed to take to that just fine.



Our family cabin is the greatest of blessings, but also requires some effort to maintain. There were a lot of pine needles to be cleared, which the boys tried to assist in by alternately eating and throwing.

The mounds of soft dirt under the pine needles were irresistible and i thank my insightful Mama for buying a load of used overalls for outdoor play. Really effective at keeping some of the dirt at bay.

Our first trip to the lake was quite surprising as Mason decided to walk right in, no hesitation, no fear. Just right in. I was almost prepared but did not quite catch him as he dove in. A little bit of a shock. We spent the rest of our lake side time playing referee as he tried to drown himself repeatedly. He loves the water. Loves it. Once we established that, we put him in his floating thing and he was in heaven.
(No water shots, just not a good idea to have babies and SLR camera together near water. Not a good idea at all.)

Owen loves the lakeside mud and granite rocks ringing the shoreline. he spent many an afternoon throwing said rocks into the water. Usually into the water, not at us, thankfully. He would pick up some huge ones, and Tim and I would marvel at his brute strength.

The kid is strong, determined and just about the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

We also discovered ducks and bull frogs,

climbing on new furniture and coffee tables (which we do not have at home), eating in booster seats (really messy). It was so wonderful to watch the boys truly discover the freedom of the world out there. I can still see Mason chasing ants on the ground, pointing with his little finger, trying to follow the little creatures in and out of the pine fall, looking up at me with true wonder at the ant's ability to scamper away. And the O, dipping rock in dirt and eagerly eating it off. Yum yum.


It was great to just let them go, not worry too much about what went into their mouths, and watch them discover. It was also exhausting. And when naps were a little too short, and the Cabin felt a little too small...well, that is vacation, huh?

We made it to the grove of giant Sequoias. I will always remember their first moments there. They walked up to this giant, this tree that has seen millenia, and just put their hands on him and stared up.

Fascinated, almost reverential. It lasted a few moments, then they were off. But it was like they knew. The last time we were there, the boys were about 8 weeks gestation and we had yet to find out there were two. Time...to those trees, it must have seemed an eye blink. It does to me.

The week away was restorative and exhausting. a lot less crafting than I expected, a total unplug from the blog world (as I now realize it should be) and waaay too much food and a wee bit too much Guinness (my waistline is in protest). We have a late summer trip planned to go back. It seems too far away already.


Now back to the mundane and comforting. I have a few projects to wrap up for a special event this weekend. A few fun knits/sewing to get together for a new little one. Wish me luck. Hope all is well where you are, whether a vacation in imminent or not. Missed ya'll. If you would like to see more pictures the set is here. Smiles.