Labor Day Weekend 2015: Summer's Last Hurrah

Memorial Day weekend brings the promise of warm weather days at the lake while Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer fun. Superficially speaking, of course. It's not like we won't have more happy memories at the cabin this year, but nothing compares to the absolute joy of summer. It's our family's favorite time of the year.

Fortunately, we were able to sneak in one last summer hurrah over Labor Day weekend when my parents, my sister and my brother traveled from Nebraska for a visit. It was their best trip to our Wisconsin cabin to date. I've been trying to pin-point exactly what made their visit so wonderful, and I think it might've been because there were no other celebrations happening that weekend to steal our focus. Together we ate, drank, relaxed and socialized for three days. It was lovely.

My sister Ashley, her husband Jason, and their daughters Brooke and Neeley were first to arrive to the cabin on Friday afternoon. The weather was warm and sunny, so we spent the evening outdoors where the kiddos ran wild. There really is something special about family, isn't there? Even when these cousins don't see each other for months at a time, they all pick up right where they left off.

 
My brother and his girlfriend Carley arrived a bit later Friday evening. We realized it was the first time in our adult lives the three of us - Ashley, Adam and I - had spent time together without our parents. We had to laugh because it felt like we were getting away with something!

That night, we all ate dinner together and the boys may have had a few too more cocktails. Ha! We let the girls stay up way past their bedtimes and then Andi decided to take them "froggin'" in the backyard of the cabin. They caught four frogs and toads using nets and flashlights, and the rest of us listened as Brooke, Neeley and Tory squealed with glee. They were having the time of their lives.

One of the tree frogs clung to the sliding glass door, and then Andi brought it into the cabin so the girls could each hold it in the light. Of course, the creature jumped away from one of them and all the guys proceeded to chase it around the living room. Finally, Jason lifted up the sofa and Andi snagged it with a net - phew!

Early Saturday morning, Ashley and I woke up before the rest of the crew and decided to take our coffee to-go on a paddle boat ride around the bay. It was so nice to spend quality un-interrupted time with my sister. We're used to talking on the phone, FaceTime-ing or sending text messages, so having the opportunity to sit next to one another and chat was priceless.

After breakfast, everyone piled into the pontoon for a trip around the lake. Boat rides are old hat for Tory and Aden, so it was fun to see Brooke and Neeley's faces light up with excitement. Like most kids, they loved having the chance to drive the boat and eat unlimited snacks.

My parents arrived to the cabin early Saturday afternoon, and together we all spent the afternoon soaking up the (partly cloudy) sunshine. The lake water temperature is already pretty cold -- too chilly for me to swim any longer! -- but the kids didn't seem to mind.

Fishing was a big hit with the adults and kids alike. My sister spent most of the afternoon in the paddle boat with one or more kids in tow, fishing around the bay.

My brother's girlfriend, Carley, brought her hammock to the cabin, and Andi hung his in the trees next to hers. Both Brooke and Tory were enamored with hammocking all weekend and could often be found lounging in one or both of them. It was too cute!

Sunday morning, we woke up to rainy weather so everyone lounged around indoors. Adam and Ashley brought their birthday gifts for Tory, so she opened those and then the kids played with the new toys. Ashley gave Tory two new Barbies and a Barbie car, and Adam gave Tory a Connect Four game and a make-your-own-puppet set. I turned one of the dining room table benches on its side and the kids used it as a stage for their puppet show.

To kill time and appease my sister, we all ventured to the Cheese Factory down the road from the cabin to shop around. When we returned to the cabin, the rain had stopped. The air temperature was actually really warm and humid despite it being cloudy outdoors. We played in the lake for the rest of the afternoon.

Tory and her best buddy, Adam.

Lisa and Morgan (our cabin neighbors) dropped by on their jet ski and Lisa offered to take Tory and Brookie for a ride around the lake. The girls were so excited!

We ordered broasted chicken to-go from The County Line Tavern for dinner, and Andi and my dad went to pick it up at dinnertime. While we waited for the food to arrive, Carley and Aden started dancing around the living room to music playing in the background. Soon, all the kids started dancing with them and eventually the rest of us joined too. My family is not a group of dancers AT ALL, so it was all very strange but also really fun.

After dinner, we put the kids to bed and then my sister and her husband, my brother and his girlfriend, and Andi and I scooted out to The County Line for their annual Labor Day weekend party. The bar hired a band for the evening and we continued the dance party there. It was SO MUCH FUN. One of the highlights of my summer, for sure.

Bright and early Monday morning, my family packed up their cars and headed back to Nebraska. Andi and I were each nursing a pair of hangovers or suffering from weekend exhaustion, if nothing else. We stayed up too late the night before! So, Andi and I did what we always do at the lake -- we loaded Tory and Aden onto the pontoon boat with snacks and juice boxes and took a long, leisurely boat ride around the lake. There had to be one hundred seagulls on the lake that Labor Day Monday. I'd never seen so many on the water. The four of us had a fun time watching them all fly around. 

More hammock-lounging later that day ...

And, Tory and I snuck in a few dozen rounds of Connect Four lake-side that afternoon.

My heart felt heavy saying good-bye to summer, but it sure when out with a bang. What a wonderful Labor Day holiday weekend at the lake. 

Weekend Recap: Parents Visit the Cabin

My parents traveled to Wisconsin last weekend for a short visit to our lake cabin. They drove 18 hours round-trip to spend roughly 36 hours with us, so I was very appreciative of their efforts. I love living in Minnesota (and having a lake cabin in Wisconsin), but I really wish there weren't so many miles between us. And while I'm dreaming, I also wish my parents weren't bound so tightly by their days off work (or lack there-of). But, that's life! We try to make the best of the time we do have together.

Shortly after my parents arrived on Friday afternoon, we hopped in the pontoon boat for a trip around the lake. Nothing melts stress away like sunshine and the open water. Oh, and cocktails... those help, too.

I put the kids to bed early because they were both exhausted, and Andi grilled us some nice steaks for dinner. Then, the four of us dined al fresco with gorgeous views of the lake behind us. It sounds crazy, but having a relaxed conversation with my parents rarely happens as there's usually the chaos of kids or holidays surrounding our time together. So, I very much enjoyed having their undivided attention that evening.  

We spent the entire day on Saturday relaxing at the lake. We went for boat rides, swam in the water with the kids, fished for sunfish off the dock, and talked about anything and everything. At one point Tory asked Nana, "Why do you want to talk to my mom so much?" I'm pretty sure she thought my parent's visit to the cabin was strictly to see her.     

I like going home to Nebraska to visit my family, but there's also something special about having my parents visit us here in our own environment. It's more stress on my parents to drive here, of course, but the kids are much more at ease and I love showing them where and how we live. 

My mom loves fish fries, so Andi saved fish from our trip to Nelson Lake especially for this occasion. He made us a feast for dinner on Saturday night, including breaded fish with homemade tartar sauce, green salad, bread and corn on the cob. My parents, Andi, and I ate and ate until we couldn't consume another bite. It was delicious.

It sounds like my parents might be coming back to our lake cabin again over Labor Day weekend when my brother and his girlfriend, and my sister and her family come to visit. Two visits in one summer! We'd love to have them, and are thankful for every opportunity we get to share one of our favorite places on Earth with my Nebraska family.  

Nana and Papa's Visit

One of the things stressing me out before Aden's birth was a week-long visit from my parents. I was beyond excited to have my parents here, don't get me wrong, but I was way too focused on maximizing their assistance after the baby. I remember the second week of post-partum being a highly emotional time for me after Tory was born, and I wanted to do everything in my power to avoid feeling like that again. With Aden, Andi planned to take the week of Aden's birth off work and I'd asked my parents to visit the following week (week two), so I'd have assistance with both kids for two solid weeks. Unfortunately, life never turns out exactly as you plan and the combination of Aden's late arrival and the Thanksgiving holiday forced my parent's visit to overlap with Andi's paternity leave.

Everything worked out in the end and my parents were able to visit Aden just hours after his birth. This was something very important to them, so I'm happy things worked out like they did. My parents stuck around for six days afterwards to help us at home.

I think I'm always a little anxious before my parents visit because I want my house and our life here to be just perfect for them. They could probably care less if my floors are swept or the pantry's organized, but since they don't have a chance to see our life in Minnesota all that often, it's important to me that I put my best foot forward. (I'm nuts, I know).

Rarely do we get to spend uninterrupted days together without a lot of other family members around. I cherish all the holidays and family get-togethers but for once, it was a nice treat to have my parents stay with us here in Minnesota with no big activities planned. We spent most of Aden's first week at home playing with Tory, snuggling the new babe, lounging around, talking and eating. My dad was a serious laundry terminator and did countless loads of wash for us. My mom cooked meals, kept the house in order and snuggled my baby boy so I could treat myself to much-needed showers in peace. It was such a luxury to hand Aden over to my mom and lay down for a few minutes knowing he was in perfectly capable hands.

It was awesome to see Tory interact with my parents during their stay as well. It's always taken her a few days to warm up when she sees them, mostly because our time together is usually in Nebraska and she's outside her comfort zone and regular routine. Tory was so excited to have my parents here, to show them all her toys, and to have their undivided attention. They played with her new doctor kit, ate pretend food from Tory's kitchen, dressed up baby dolls, and colored on Tory's chalkboard. The morning my parents left, Tory crawled into my dad's lap with a puppy-dog face and snuggled against him for 20 minutes because she was so sad they were leaving. I'm always so envious of the relationship my sister's girls have with my parents. My parents see Brooke and Neeley near-daily and are like second parents to them. Distance puts my kids at a disadvantage so it warmed my heart to see Nana and Papa with their Minnesota babies.

I'm always sad to see my parents pull out of my drive-way on their return home, but their departure wasn't nearly as tramatic as I feared. I've felt 100 times more sane this post-partum round and I'm not sure if it's to do with being a second-time parent, a different mix of hormones, or all the great help I've been blessed with. It also helps my family and I will be reunited again in three short weeks for Christmas, and a month later for Aden's baptism. There's plenty of family quality time ahead.

I'm thankful for both sets of our parents who've been so good to Andi and I. I can't forget Andi's mom who's clocked numerous hours of playtime with Tory so I could have some time to myself or bond with Aden. Counting my many blessings this year. 

Labor Day Weekend Wrap-Up

My emotions are crashing today after spending an awesome Labor Day holiday weekend with my family. In the seven years I've lived in Minnesota, it never seems to get easier having my parents and siblings visit me here, then depart home for Nebraska a few days later. I practically begged my parents to stay an extra day this trip - which they did, visiting from Thursday to Tuesday this time - and it still wasn't long enough. Never enough time to show them all the facets of our lives here; the "see you soon's" still as difficult to muster as if they'd been here only a day.

Besides, the sights and smells of September tug at my heart strings more than any other month. The way our three-season porch smells on a cool fall morning or the sound of kids unloading from school buses near my house reminds me of being home with Tory in the days after she was born. I felt so vulnerable then, so alone as I watched my parents pull away from my drive-way and I couldn't help but feel those same emotions yesterday as they left for Nebraska again.

Yesterday I tried to focus my mind on the great memories we made at the lake cabin this past weekend. We had a really fabulous time. The entire weekend was just perfect. My parents arrived Thursday afternoon, along with my Grandpa George (my dad's dad) who's never been to Minnesota before or seen our life here. Andi was coming off his three-day juice cleanse so he made a fabulous dinner for all of us on Thursday night (my favorite Caprese Chicken recipe, salad and grilled potatoes) and we all played with Tory and her new kitchen set which was a birthday present from Nana and Papa (my parents). Tory was in seventh heaven having my parents here in her own house. She was literally bouncing off the walls, dragging every single toy she owns out of the play room to show them. My dad and grandpa played hide and seek with her for at least 45 minutes before dinner. She just couldn't get enough of them being at "Tory's house."

My sister and her family arrived at our house late Thursday evening and we all caravaned to our Wisconsin lake cabin early Friday morning. We stopped along the way at Eichen's Bistro for cheese and snacks, then spent the rest of Friday lounging in the lake. Friday was Tory's actual birthday (though we celebrated her birthday party on Saturday) and while she's two and doesn't have a preference, I can't think of a better way to spend a birthday.

We grilled delicious Nebraska steaks my mom brought up with her for Tory's birthday dinner and sang happy birthday to Tory over strawberry shortcake for dessert. Tory wasn't sure what to make of the birthday candles at first ("hot!" she exclaimed) until she realized all the singing and candle-blowing was in her honor. Then Tory repeated "more!" again and again, asking us to keep singing "hap birday" to her. It was the cutest thing.

I decided to be a nice mommy and let Tory stay up past her bedtime for her first ever bonfire. It was her birthday, after all. (Note: THIS WAS NOT A SMART MOVE.) Andi built a bonfire in the yard and we all gathered 'round after dinner for s'mores. Tory a bit scared of the fire ("hot!" she said over again and again) but she was a big fan of her first s'more. #justlikeherdad

The "not smart" part came afterwards when Neeley went to bed and Brooke and Tory cozied up in our bed watching an episode of Super Why. Brookie quickly fell asleep, but Tory was wide awake and super over-tired. I tried to lay down with her to read books and initiate our regular bedtime routine, but Tory was having none of it. She screamed and SCREAMED for two hours. So, lesson learned. Don't be a "nice mama" and let the birthday girl stay up way past her bedtime. Girlfriend needs to keep to her scheduled routine. Even later that night, my brother Adam and his girlfriend arrived at the cabin from Nebraska. 

Andi's parents joined us at the cabin on Saturday for Tory's ladybug birthday party. The weather was fabulous that day as we celebrated the birthday girl and relaxed by the lake. 

Sunday, the weather turned a bit cooler so Andi took the men shooting somewhere nearby the cabin while the ladies stayed back at the cabin with the kids. Sounds like the guys had a really fun time together. My dad couldn't stop talking about how much fun he had which made Andi and I really happy. It was neat to find something all the guys enjoying doing together -- my grandpa, dad and brother, Andi and my brother-in-law, Jason.

Everyone but my parents left for home on Monday. Since the weather was cloudy and cooler on Monday as well, my parents, Andi and I took our time closing up the cabin and then came back to our house in the Cities for the night. My parents have only been to my house a handful of times, so every time they're here feels special. We ordered in Chinese food and put together my new bookshelf for the kid's playroom. We don't get to spend much alone time with my parents, especially on our turf, so it was a nice end to a fun-filled weekend.

Sigh. And now our fun Labor Day weekend has come and gone. The next big event on the docket is Baby Boy's birth which means the return of my family to Minnesota once again. That visit will be much more chaotic with the arrival of our new baby, so I'm really glad we had this time over Labor Day to relax with my family here. A great weekend of memories, for sure.