Vacation by the Lake

(Also titled, For Some Reason It Didn't Feel Like a Vacation This Time.)

The last church retreat on the lake was right before I became pregnant with Zeke, and Luci was a fairly independent 18-month old.  This time around, with a curious and stubborn 2+ year old and a two-month old baby, the lake retreat experience was a leeetle bit different for John and I.

Really, this one picture about sums it up.

This one's not bad, either.  Zeke's broken-toe-on-my-lap is protesting the fact that I won't let it disrupt all the bigger children's games.  Sorry, Toe.

Lucky for you, I took a few more snapshots.  Zeke found cars in nooks and crannies.  He drove them by day.

He drove them in the setting sun.

Martha was eager and willing to spot John and I on baby-holding duties.  

Oh, this one's funny.  I briefly lost Zeke one day in the rec hall and suppressed the panic that could easily mount given the fact that the rec hall is mere yards from the lake's edge.  I didn't find him in the lake, but I did find him here. 

Way to go, Zeke!  It was like a Get Out of Jail Free card.

Here's Pip.  She had fun.

I'll post this picture of the girls racing outside the dining hall because I love Annika's triumphant leap.

I'll post this one because of Lydia's triumphant grin.

Luci was with us, too.  Contrary to appearances, she also had a lot of fun.

Neither John nor I jumped in the lake this time, due to storms one day and other stuff the next, which is a crying shame, but I was glad the girls got one solid afternoon of splashing and sun.  

I love how quickly children become fast friends.  It's a joy to see how easy and simple they make something that adults complicate.

Annika is the cannonball queen.

My two youngest daughters take no chances when it comes to water.  If I'd brought more flotation devices, they would have worn them.

One thing I did enjoy completely were the sunsets.

I also enjoyed food I did not make on dishes I did not clean in a large room I did not vacuum.  We came home for an overnight pit stop before leaving the next day for Long Island.  I put these little ones straight to work, too.  (Because there's not a shred of human kindness in my soul.)