Living on Lake Time

Audrey asked me this morning what day it was, and after almost a week at the lake, I had to really think about it.  We were fortunate to take an extended holiday weekend at Lake of the Ozarks to kick off the summer.  The water was cold, but that didn't stop the kids from swimming and playing in the water with their friends.

 

 

Lana also got the kids a new swing that hangs from a tree limb in the yard.  The kids couldn't get enough of it, and it was great when we wanted to get them out of the water and dried off.

 

This trip to the lake also marked a major milestone for Fletcher.  It was his first trip to the lake.  Prior to the trip, I was extremely nervous about the drive.  The past couple of weeks, he has not tolerated being in the car very well.  I have made a lot of trips to drop off or pick up the older kids while Fletcher was screaming in the back seat.  Fortunately, he slept the entire drive down to the lake.  That made for a pretty sleepless night, but after that, he slept well for the rest of the weekend.  I think the fresh air really wore him out.

Fletcher also took his first voyage on a boat at the Lake of the Ozarks, which also meant his first time in a life jacket.  At first, he didn't seem to like it, but after a bit, he fell asleep and didn't wake up until we got home.  By the end of the weekend, I think he'd gotten pretty used to the life jacket and even went on a kayak ride with his daddy.

Fletcher also got spoiled with a lot of attention from his family.  He loves being held, and it was a huge relief for me to have some extra hands to help hold him over the weekend.

 

 

Another tradition that we have is to "baptize" each of our children in the Lake.  The water was really cold, so Fletcher didn't really like it when his foot was dipped into the water.  He recovered quickly though.  At just 6.5 weeks old, Fletcher was very young at the time of this event, but he wasn't the youngest. 

Barrett was one day shy of 3 weeks old when he first felt the Lake Ozark water on his skin.  I still can't believe Billy talked me into going to the lake that soon after his birth. 

 

Audrey was the oldest when she had her "baptism."  She was exactly 7 weeks old when her foot first touched the Lake Ozark water. 

 



It is so exciting to share the lake with our children, and I am glad that we got to welcome Fletcher to that tradition.  Here's to many more fun lake weekends this summer and for years to come.