The Lakecation, 5.0

Where to start? 1 week, 5 kids, 9 adults, and 11 cameras. This could get lengthy if I’m not careful. Let’s be honest, it will probably be long even if I am careful. This week was lake-cation 5.0 because this was the 5th year in a row we have laked it up since I “grew up.” We did the lakey thing every summer throughout my childhood, took a few years off during the college years, and then re-started the tradition in 2009 with the grandkids. Boat, lake, house, food, games, fun, and family define the Lakecation. This year was the inaugural family gathering in the Big Beautiful New Lake House on Lake Tapps in Lake Tapps, WA.

The Lake
A few observations:
Kids and water are a good combo.
Spray on sunscreen: the best invention!

Mt. Rainier hovered on the horizon hugely.

R&R

In a pinch, a kayak can pull a stranded boat to the dock.

Mom and I took the kids on a long kayak ride to watch Grampa Charley practice wakeboarding.

This trampoline was on stilts in the middle of the cove next door. Sweet! Brad, Dani, and Mel loaded the kayaks to bursting and took the kids over. Jeff swam over with Jay to join the fun.

Gorgeous, peaceful sunsets filled the lake house’s windows every night.

[random sunset skier]

The Kids
In order of age: Steve—5, Jay—4, Dan—3, Rose—2, Chase—6 months. These cousins love playing together. It’s sweet what good friends they are even though they only see each other once or twice each year. They went tubing fearlessly behind the boat. They played endlessly together in the basement with Grama Meri’s Tinker Toys, Jay’s ninja turtles and Star Wars guys, and Rose’s ponies.

This kid-friendly tube has a handle attached to it so the kids can stand up and pretend to water ski on it.

Such a nonchalant dude.

Rose was so tiny out on that big lake! I watched her with my binoculars from the shore. She perched on that tube and rode all over the place.

3-in-1

Nose dive! Look at those faces. Ahhh!

Grama Meri has a kids only table on the porch. Their meals were always eventful.

I dare you to find two cuter nephs.

We all took turns squeezing Chase. He’s such a patient little darling.

The Speedsters
This was the first year that I did not partake in the high-speed water skimming activities. I did not even get into the boat! In the past I have always water skied and ridden tubes more out of habit than real enjoyment, so I decided to take a leaf out of my Mom’s book this year and try a low-speed lakecation. The fact that there was only one ski made that decision easier (I’m no slalom-er). I have to say, while I enjoyed the easy-paced water-wedgie-less week, I did miss the camaraderie that comes with the boating activities and breakneck speeds. What is it about adrenaline rushes and risky maneuvers that BOND my family members? I’m still working that one out. I’m kind of conflicted about it all. I don’t want to be selfish and only do things I like to do and miss out on quality family time, but speeding boats clench my stomach! One of these years I’ll find that elusive middle ground.

Sometimes I feel so different from the rest of my siblings—I don’t play basketball, I don’t like motorboat sports, I actually enjoy running long distances, and I read Jane Austen for fun. I’m ok with being different, but I do find it interesting that out of the 5 of us, I’m the ONLY one who didn’t get the adrenaline-action-extreme gene. Thank goodness I married someone like me (although I don’t think Jeff has read any Jane Austen, ha). And thank goodness for my dear Mom and Grama.

All of that being said, I do enjoy good pictures and glory stories of the stunts and feats over and on the water. Here are the star pictures of the week:

Em

Brad

Mel

Dad worked so long and hard getting up on that blasted wakeboard. And he did it!

Dani of the mountain

Jesse

Told ya they were intense.

The Flowers
Last summer, Mom, Mel, Jeff and I were going to meet at Mt. Rainier’s Paradise in August to see the famous wildflowers. But I got sick, so we never went. We were determined to take a day trip to Paradise on Thursday while everyone else was water-wedging it up. The drive took an hour longer than we expected. The views were glorious, but Jeff and I decided we had already seen better wildflowers on our other excursions this summer. So all in all we thought the trip was not quite worth the effort. But at least we got to enjoy fresh mountain air and giant sweeping vistas in exchange for our 2.5 hour drive. We “hiked” the hilly paved Alta Vista trail (less than 2 miles), and Jay and Rose turned out to be quite the reluctant companions. They kept moaning and sitting down at random along the hilly trail. In spite of it all, we still managed to enjoy ourselves and take some juicy pictures.

Rainier makes Adams look like a midget (and us too, for that matter).

Texture and light all mixed together. The effect was mesmerizing.

Jay was pretty uninterested.

There were plenty of wildflowers, but I think they were not all out yet or maybe I just read too many raves about them that made me expect more? Those twisting trails were calling to us, but the children weren’t quite up for the challenge.

This about sums up the kids’ moods.

I copied this one from the Mt. Rainier visitor’s website. I know it has probably been enhanced with Photoshop, but we didn’t see nearly this many flowers all mixed together in one place. Oh well! Maybe they’ll be this intense another time.

The House
On Friday, Grama and Grampa Gwynn (my Mom’s parents, who live near Sacramento) came for an over night visit. It was a treat to see them again because we don’t get to see them very often. Here we go around the lake house…

Sesame Street on the Kindle

We spent an afternoon doing some archery in the front yard. Everyone gave it a try!

We had some wild, haphazard techniques going on. It was a very amateur activity. I managed to hit the target once, even with my shaky-quaky form.

  

 

Brad patiently helped all the kids shoot a few arrows.

Pizza night! Dani favored us with two of her steakhouse pizzas (steak, caramelized onions, etc.), Mom and Em made the classic peppers-onions-sausage, and I made two BBQ chicken-cilantro zas and a Savoyarde (bacon potato rosemary crème). We also devoured 2 butterscotch peach pies and two tender Dani-special apple pies. Pizza pies plus fruit pies = PIE HEAVEN.

The AC on the main floor of the large lake house was not working, so this kitchen got smoking sweaty-hot each afternoon around cookin’ time.

We Browns love a chaotic, aromatic kitchen. And food in general.

Grama and Grampa Gwynn with all their great grandkids.

Blurry Brown sisters.

The Family
The traditional end of the week pictures, with all of the Browns minus Elder Kyle Brown, plus Grama and Grampa Gwynn. Right before picture time, Jay and Rose came in covered from head to toe in dirt—it was ground into their hair and all over their faces! So I had to do a quick scrub-down bath and clothes change while everyone waited outside for the picture. I felt all discombobulated when we finally rushed out for the picture. But the kids were clean!

 

 

 

 

FAMILY.

HAPPY.