Kayaks!

My parents and two brothers (with their families) came over this weekend.  And since we haven't been enjoying summer like we normally like to (trips, moving, etc. take a lot of energy! And I'm embarrassed that I haven't blogged more than once a month for the last four months!), we thought we'd go enjoy the lake.

Mom and dad have a new kayak.  And a great friend of ours loaned us three of theirs.  Since mom and dad hadn't used theirs yet, they actually debated breaking a bottle of beer across the bow to christen it.  But they decided not to waste the beer and saved it for after we got home.

Brent and I went on a date.

Actually, it was something like 30 minutes paddling around the lake. 

But hey, that's about as close to a date as we've had since all the kids were in Sunday School or sitting with grandma at church for 15 minutes two years ago or something.

We take up a lot of shore line.  So nice to go enjoy the sun!

Daddy took Calla out in the kayak.  She was pretty scared at first, but decided it was fun. 

At least until daddy lost his hat and tried to reach it and almost tipped over.

Grace took every chance she could to get in and on the water.  She was all over it and had a great time.

Speaking of kayaks.  How about a YAK? 

What?

Doesn't everyone bring their YAK to the lake with them? 

No? 

Oh, well this guy must think pretty highly of his yak.

It's name is McCloud.  And it apparently likes to get in the house too.  I only know that because I asked, sarcastically of course, if it slept in his bed. 

Oh, and he has something like four dozen yaks.

And if you google "yak" you get a lot of "kayak." 

I'm thinking that kaYAKing is a once in a lifetime experience.

And a date with your husband after four kids is a once in a blue moon or so experience.

 I love this guy.  He even let me go shopping with my mom and sister-in-law while he stayed home with everyone else and started dinner.  I found a great sweater and a new purse to replace my awesome red one that Carsten broke the zipper on. 

KaYAKing.  HA!  I'm going to laugh about this for a LONG time. 

She's the most beautiful 9-year-old I know

As of today, my first born is NINE!  And she is super excited about it. 

 

 

Of course, she's graceful about it. We had a little impomtu birthday party for her with two presents. One from Calla and one from us.

 

Calla gave her the cutest present.  She glued a plastic heart back onto a crown that was part of a Halloween costume a couple years ago and gave it to her all fixed.  She gave her a card that she wrote "I love you 100" in.  She's been saying things like, "I like it 100 percent!" lately and the card was so cute.  And she drew a little picture of Grace on the horse, folded it up, folded it into another piece of paper and stuck it to a giant bow.  And then she smiled and beamed the whole time Grace went through the package. 

 

We gave her what she wanted.  She's been asking for a stereo since her last one broke.  She also asked for a couple CDs.  "The relaxing ones like we have in the car." 

 

At this moment my beautiful nine-year-old is sitting in the livingroom reading while listening to a CD of classical piano music.  She mused, "They must have four hands to play like that, mom." 

 

"It's just a lot of practice, I said. "And speaking of, you need to do that today."

 

But she's just sitting there reading still.  And I'm going to leave her there so I can see her sitting there while I make her birthday dinner--spagetti. 

 

Happy Birthday, Grace.  You get more beautiful by the day!