This was the fourth year the Layers all headed to the lake, and it may have been our best yet. We had incredible weather all week (!!!), and I felt like we had a nice mix of group fun and individual downtime. The house is perfect for us, everything felt familiar, and I finally finished a seven-day book (I knew it would be a mistake when I borrowed it.) I’d been renewing for more than a month.
Other than a bit of a rocky start with an unexplained rash that necessitated a trip to urgent care the morning after we arrived in Maryland (turns out it was a heat rash), we enjoyed a week of sun and water. The kids swam in the hot tub every day, and Maelle enjoyed jumping off the dock and swimming a bit in the lake.
Speaking of swimming…I enjoyed some swimming, too! I swam across the lake on two different days for some exercise. I really enjoy swimming, and I have so few opportunities to do so. The weather was so nice, and the lake is so calm in the morning.
Maelle joined Andrew in the kayak beside me each time I went out! I love that she’s watching me enjoy swimming and exercising. Andrew and I got out on a couple runs together as well, including an eight-miler. My longest in about a year, and his longest in perhaps ten years! We have the Army 10-Miler coming up in October this fall, so we’ve been upping our miles lately.
We all spent a few hours together at the beach at the state park. It’s walkable from the house, which is great. It’s a nice place for the kids to play in the sand and wade into the water, since the water entrance at the house is basically a dock.
Maelle’s souvenirs included binoculars, a magnifying glass and a flashlight!
After dinner one evening, Marv led the kids in a deck dance party and it might have been the best thing I’ve seen all year. So thankful we have it on video!
Our family photo turned out so well! I’d just finished swimming across the lake, so I felt amazing, and my face really says it all: in my happy place–near water–with my loved ones. (It doesn’t hurt that I’ve also made a real effort in the last three months or so to eat better and be more consistent/intense with my exercise, so I probably look and FEEL better than I have in years. #thisis40 )
All good things must come to an end, but we made sure to have a fire and do s’mores on our last night at the lake. Gram brought color-changing marshmallows, which the kids enjoyed watching and eating. I’ve actually had quite a few s’mores this summer! We’ve had a handful of fires at home with our new Solo Stove (Andrew’s Christmas present), and I’ve probably had more s’mores this summer than in my entire life!
What a beautiful view.
Not pictured: kids running wild in the basement, giant sloth and unicorn floats, paddleboarding, evening trips for ice cream, Barbie movie night, Honi-Honi night and all the chaotic dinners eaten between the dining table and deck table. Too much fun to fit into one blog post.
We’re all already looking forward to returning next summer!
thehealthypineapple 