Memorable Days

We went to Ryan's grandparents' house at the Lake of the Ozarks for Memorial Day. Ryan's grandparents are moving to San Diego this summer, so this was probably our last chance to be at the lake. Ryan feels such a connection to that house, that dock, and that lake, and we are sad that our girls will not grow up knowing those like he did. He spent most summer weekends at the lake, skiing, fishing, swimming, and having fun with his cousins, and so many great memories from his childhood have the lake as a backdrop.

Uh, we are not actually in the water in this picture. The boat had not been summerized, so we were not able to go boating. Not that the girls really noticed.

The drive there made me regret our decision to go. HOWEVER! The mood in the Bond car can change as quickly as the Kansas weather, so by the time we arrived, we were all happy to be on a trip together. The girls were cracking each other up during the last two miles while I tried not to vomit all over the steering wheel. (This Kansas girl is NOT USED to hills and turns, I guess.)

Aside from a massive diaper blowout on the trip home, this was a very smooth getaway for us. Madeline ate pears for the first time (I thought the jar said PEAS) and lapped them up. That's a nice image for you, no?

We went to Oak Street church, too. Coralie led singing from our pew (very exaggerated hand gestures horrified me at several points) and followed people around to shake their hands. She introduced Madeline and Papa to more than a few people.

We walked the loop with Madeline in the stroller and Coralie on her tricycle. For the life of me, I cannot believe I ever ran that loop. The hill is so steep I swear you end up walking upside down at points. 

The low point of the weekend involved Grandma's "doll collection". I use that term loosely, because it is more like Grandma's Doll House of Horrors. In all seriousness, she had some of the most disturbing dolls I have ever seen in my life. The one that made me shudder the most had three faces. THREE. Two were "hidden" by a bonnet when not in use, but the disguise was poor. The other dolls had various grimaces, electrocuted hairstyles, and dislocated arms and legs. Grandma tried to send them all home with us. Coralie was happy to oblige, but at the last minute, we did the ol' fake-out! and threw them back in the house without Coralie's knowledge. (Grandma was complicit.)

We spent some good time on the dock, too. The tsunamis spun off by passing boats made me feel like I was actually in a boat. Nice effect. I would like to blame the waves for my losing my lens cap into the swells, but I can't. I am just clumsy.

We also made sure to get pictures of all the generations. It's not every day you have four sets in one house!

We are so glad we packed up our entire house and drove the six hours to spend one last weekend at the lake. Ryan is very close to his grandparents, and while we are sad they won't live so close anymore, we are glad the other cousins can live near them now. They are special people and have created a legacy that has already impacted the third generation of their offspring.

Whenever I feel bad that I'm not doing "enough", I remember that God was well-pleased with Jesus before Jesus had even started his ministry. Being with family pleases God. Ryan and I are so grateful that we can give our children the gift of time with extended family, and we pray that these shared experiences mold them into women who please God in their relationships.

For now, we enjoy the heck out of these little girls (when they don't stress the heck out of us) and are glad for the memories we made this weekend.