Summer beach babies

We have made a number of trips to the cottage this summer.  We had our longest trip (10 days) during the big heat wave in July and lived to tell the tale.  But man was it hot for a couple days.

My sister came with her little girl for a weekend visit there as well which Sophie loved. We spent alot of time at the beach, built some sandcastles, did some garage sales, ate fresh local corn and just basically relaxed.

Mr. Riley had a ball too.  We took him down to the beach each evening to cool off, he had so much fun plucking his stick-du-jour out of the lake over and over again.  This is the dog that was afraid of putting his toes in the water at the beginning of last summer.  He was a riot to watch as he dug to China every night and then he would roll on his stick with his legs kicking up in the air like a wild horse rolling in the mud.  He is c.r.a.z.y.

Lucas and Sophie both had a great time swimming in the lake.  The water was very warm in July and  we had alot of time to splash around while avoiding the hot cottage in the daytime.   We played soccer and ladder golf and monopoly in the evenings. 

As Lucas is getting older I see him developing a relationship with Sophie that is different than before.  I hear him talking to her sometimes when I am out of the room for a moment.  He says hi to her in this special way, the same way every time.  His voice goes all high and he says her name all drawn out, I just love it and Sophie laps it up.  She can't get enough of him, who can blame her.

This picture of my two makes my heart beat a little faster.  I just adore it.

We spent alot of time at the beach and even though everyone was slathered in number 60 sunscreen Lucas and Sophie managed to get quite the summer beach tans.  Lucas' hair also turned much blonder, I wish I had that problem ;) 
This was a summer that perhaps for the first time I felt like everything with Sophie came easier up there.  It isn't easy per se taking care of her but it didn't seem much different than at home.  We got our routines down and I didn't worry about being so far away from the hospital and all our regular backup  plans.  It was good.

Lucas going in for the noodle kill.

Going for ice cream each night, sand in the bed, watching movies, waiting for the sunset, mini adventures to new beaches and waterfalls, killing bugs that are so big they make you go ewwww when they squish, finding groundhogs in the shed (yup), that is what the cottage is about.  I am so thankful that Lucas and Sophie will have these kinds of memories from their childhood.  It doesn't get any better.

Can't wait for our next trip