Addie and the Magic Water Carpet

We had a quiet 4th of July at the lake.  When my 3 sons and daughter were younger, it was not unusual to have a couple dozen extra kids around on most summer weekends.  The lure of the lake is not to be denied, especially when lots of water toys and good food go along with it.  30 years ago, I would spend Thursday grocery shopping, Friday cooking, and Saturday and Sunday feeding the crowds.  Monday and Tuesday would be spent cleaning up the house and catching up on laundry.  If I was lucky, Wednesday might be open to a few moments of quiet reflection.  Then on Thursday it started all over again.  Looking back on it, I remember it as being great fun along with a lot of work.  In retrospect, I know it really pleased me to see my kids and their friends having such a good time.

My children are all grown now, and one son and daughter have families of their own.  Most often our weekend gatherings include some of the grandkids.  We celebrated our 4th of July weekend on Sunday the 6th.  I still do most of the food preparation for the family gatherings here.  Three huge pans of Chicken Divan were ready to pop in the oven when the gang arrived and other contributions were brought along to add to the feast.

No day at the lake is complete without an afternoon of shenanigans out in the water.  Whenever my 3 sons or my son-in-law are around, the grandkids know that much mischief will ensue.  In other words, if you don't like being flung around in the water, you better not even think of putting on your bathing suit.

This year we were sure that little 1 1/2 year old Addie, our newest granddaughter would not be ready to join in the usual water mayhem that the 6-8 year olds love.  Seems that we were mistaken.  She couldn't wait to join in.  No worries....there was a "responsible" adult standing near her at all times.  She especially liked the big blue magic water carpet.

Even after a tumble off of it into the lake, she kept begging for more.   She also likes being flung high into the air which helps a lot if you are going to swim with your dad or your uncles.  In other words, she fits right in!

They all worked up quite an appetite for the feast which was followed by ice cream sundaes.  As the sun set over the lake, little Addie and her two big brothers were tucked into the car for the 30 minute ride home.  I was told that she was asleep 5 minutes into the trip.  Looks like we are still making happy memories at Golden Lake, even after all these years.  I am a very lucky woman!