I am here, really I am!

I've been here, reading everyone else's blogs as I get a chance, just things have been excessively chaotic around here.

Labor Day w-end we were invited to a friends cottage on Devils Lake in Michigan (OMG!! That was so much fun!!) So we loaded up ourselves and all 4 kids and took off Saturday afternoon. Now even though this was supposed to be a 3 1/2 hour drive, it was more like a 6 hour drive of stopping to eat, stopping at each rest area for everyone to stretch their legs and smoke. I think the main reason for the length of the trip was due to using someone else's (for which I am very grateful) SUV, not ideal traveling room for 6. So the drive was great, not a lot of traffic, nighttime and cool out.

Sunday we got up and the first thing we did was let the kids unwind and play in the water. It was awesome, the water was clear and not much more than waist high, even at the end of the dock. Then there is sweet, sweet Amber. She is the most precious and spoiled (I might add) Golden Retriever I have ever met. I keep telling her daddy I'm going to switch her out for one of my kids. I get the idea from Big Papa T this isn't happening, so I'll settle with home visits, the occasional over night and all of the tail wiggles in between.

After a while of the kids playing, playing fetch with Amber (she's completely obsessed with her tennis ball) and waiting for Mrs. T to awake from her slumber, we loaded up on Big Papa T's pontoon boat and headed out to sea... Okay lake, but it was just as fun!! Big Papa T took us on a tour around the lake and showed all of the beautiful homes...

My future home after the kids move out

The local hang outs...

And the family of swans that return year of year...

There's a sandbar across an area of this lake where the boats drop anchor and you get out and swim and play, it was pretty cool. We let the kids play for a bit and threw Amber's ball for her until the kids started complaining they were hungry, then we went back to port. After getting back and filling the aching bellies, we were offered the keys to the most amazing thing in the world!! I will forever be addicted for life. Once I got it from Daddy S, I was gone! If there had been a way to escape the lake, I would have! The sun, the wind in your hair, the no fear of laying it down and risking asphalt burns, made it so much more amazing. Daddy S got it up close to 60 mph (no kids on it), but alas I was stuck at 30-35. I was skeered!! So that's what we did until it started getting to dark to have them out on the water. The kids enjoyed riding along too, at least 2 of them did.

We did pretty much the same thing on Monday until Daddy S said it was time to head home and with much trepidation we left this wonderful place.

The view from the end of the dock

So once back at home, school started (finally). 2 headed off to middle school this year, 1 to 2nd and 1 to 3rd. It seems like just the other day they were born. Unfortunately I don't have 'First Day of School' pics, the camera was buried in the SUV still. I'll fake them soon, I need them for scrapbooking. I was astonished at how peaceful the day was, no arguments, no boxing, no laughter... So it was a little sad for me, but I'm sure I'll get over it soon. The week went well for all, no incidents to note. Well there was 1 little tiff between my oldest and stalker girl from the last 2 years (I'll tell that story later).

Then we have this weekend, Daddy S's boss's dad used to work for GE until he retired. So the last 4 years we've gone to Kings Island for GE day and it's not as crowded and you actually have a chance at riding the rides and not being knocked down by people walking by. AND the tickets are half price, gotta love that. There's no way this family is going otherwise General admin is around $40 per person now and with 6... Yeah, no. Although they have a Halloween fest that I might, I said MIGHT, let the 2 oldest earn and take them.

So here we finally are, balls of my feet blistered, legs hurting from walking around all day in shoes I thought would be comfortable. No, they weren't, next year I'll go barefoot.

See you in a day or 2 to discuss the stalker... *Insert eye roll here*