Weekend at Nana's house by Mom

I can't believe how infrequently the family gets up to my parent's beautiful Lake Conroe home these days.  We used to go all the time, but during the school year we almost never get up there.  So, when the whole family is free for a weekend this summer, we're going to try our best to get up there!!

There is almost nothing better than waking up to a beautiful lake view, a quiet house, and the smell of bacon frying downstairs...and that is how my Saturday began this weekend.  Immediately, of course, I wondered about the quiet--there were six kids somewhere around, after all--my three, and three of my brother's kids--Caroline, who had spent Thursday night with my family, and Kate & Ben, who had been at Nana's all week attending Kamp Bentwater with Melanie.

Turns out my brother, Jim, had the absoultely brilliant idea of sending them all outside to find their own bait for fishing later on...they were in Bobpa's garden digging for worms. I took my coffee out to the side porch for a minute to watch the spectacle...SO FUNNY!!  There's Jack in his pajamas, with a shovel & pail digging for worms with Caroline, Kate, Maddie & Melanie--most of which were also still in PJs.  (Ben was more interested in trying out his new golf clubs than joining in the worm expedition.)  The commentary was hysterical!!  "I got another one...that's THREE WORMS!"  And, "Ooooh, mine is a REALLY LONG ONE!!"  "We've got FIVE WORMS!"  "This one is REALLY SKINNY!"  After they found about eight worms, Uncle Jim finally let them back inside, deeming their worm count to be enough to go fishing.

First, however, they wanted to try the canoe that Uncle Jim brought a few weeks ago.  Nothing better than rowing around the lake!  Maddie was a lazy bones all day & after the worm expedition stayed in her pjs, not wanting to put on sunscreen or get hot.  Jack, however, LOVED the canoe & even went out fishing with Uncle Jim & Caroline for a little while.  He caught a pretty nice one.

After Jim & his kids went home, I persuaded Aunt Ree to come up & we had a lovely time out on the side porch with our wine. 

I am so glad that Mike was able to come up, too, as he was in his element fixing things and going to the store for my mom & dad.  He gets up there even less often than the rest of us.  Melanie didn't want to come home, even though she had been up there since the previous Saturday!

Look for Maddie to write about her experiences at piano camp this week...and Jack is doing another week at Camp Nottingham.  We went to the library again yesterday so all of them have lots to say.  Keep reading, & keep the comments coming--the kids LOVE to read them!!