Cottage 2013

Between our annual cottage trip with Jason's family, my parents renting a cottage by the lake in our town, Grant not napping anymore (leaving me no computer time) and house building stuff, my blog has seriously become neglected.  I apologize to all the family out there waiting for their weekly update!  I just need more time or at least for the family that is complaining to come babysit :)

A couple weeks ago we went on our annual trip to the cottage with Jason's family.  It was hard to believe that it was five years ago that I dreaded this trip.  We had just lost the girls and I was in a really bad place.  Being there for that week with family and all the kids was so so hard. As I reflected back on that week, I was just so thankful to be in a good place mentally where I can go enjoy all of the kids and not have all those envious feelings anymore.

The weather was less than cooperative.  It was chilly, windy and rainy so most days were spent wrapped up in a blanket watching the kids play in the yard.  I was bummed that Grant didn't get a lot of time in the lake because I really wanted him to work on his confidence with swimming.  Ashton on the other hand was very comfortable.  He is already trying to put his head under water and blow bubbles like the big kids.  I have a feeling he might just pass Grant in swimming lessons next year!

Here are a few a lot snapshots of our week...

Grant and his cousin loved these kid kayaks.  They spent hours on a rainy day paddling around.  They could have cared less that they weren't sitting on them correctly!

Seriously, this kid is so darn cute that I just want to pinch him sometimes:)

That must have been a crazy ride on the wave runner with grandpa! 

 My boys fishing....

And then there is this little guy that melts my heart all over again with those blue eyes and white hair!
He insists on wearing his goggles even though he never actually puts them on his eyes.

Family tube ride minus Grant who was deathly afraid of anything that moved.  We had to bribe him just to sit on the tube for a picture.  Ashton however cried to get off the tube he loved it so much!

This is what happens every time I ask Jason to take a pic of me and the kids.  He complains about it and then the kids cry.  All I want is to look back on the pics in 20 years and know that I was actually on the vacation with them.  Is that too much to ask???

Grant has been bugging me for a super hero cape for a while now.  When his cousin asked for one for his birthday, I knew I couldn't get away with not getting one for G.  So, we did a sticker chart and worked on his whining and his listening and at the end of the week at the cottage, he was rewarded with his cape.  Of course, I had to get Ashton one too because I didn't want to deal with the arguments over one cape!

My annual cottage pics... my how they have grown!

 To another year at the cottage.....