Way Overpaid!!

Back in October I substituted for one of the teachers at our co-op. Instead of paying me for standing in she asked if we just wanted to use their lake house for the weekend. Well, this was the weekend we were finally able to go (they had had long term renters through the winter months.)

As we passed through the gates we were instantly amazed at the beautiful "park" that was nestled just around the bend.

There was a great playground, but our "nature girls" were much more interested in the streams, bridges and flowers.

After a nice dinner overlooking the breath-taking golf coarse we headed toward our "fun house" as Mackenzie titled it.
It was amazing!!
After we spent a lot of time exploring and the girls finally stopped calling, "You have got to see this!" We decided to start unwinding and getting settled in.
What better way to do that than with smores?!

I'm not sure which one was more excited to watch the marshmallows melt in the microwave. The play-by-play between the two was a riot.

Everyone was finally (and then many more times after this) tucked in the "fancy" bed. (Not everyone made it all night here. Mackenzie joined us downstairs in the middle of the night. This was after she yelled, I sprang out of bed to get to her before she tried to make her way down the spiral stairs, forgetting there was one step down as you exited the master bedroom. That will jolt you awake enough to make it up the next flight of steps :)

Saturday morning was very rainy, but it was a sweet rain. We just stayed in our PJs and enjoyed making and eating breakfast at a very relaxed pace all together.

Around 1:00 we checked into renting a boat to go out on the lake the next day. Then our destination was the long awaited stables.

Once we got there however, we were told they needed a day's notice before you could arrange a trail ride. We juggled plans and headed back to the marina for an impromptu trip out on the lake.


After a windy exploration of the lake (and gawking at many massive houses) we headed to the playground (as if we hadn't had enough fun for one day :)

Sophie and Haleigh were still stuck on bridge building after the big "bridge competition" during last Monday's co-op. They wanted to put their new found skills to the test in the "real world." They met a new friend at the playground and recruited him to the building crew. They were as pleased as they could be that their "bridge" held them as they crossed the stream.

That was enough for one day, so we headed back to the "fun house" for dinner (and complete scrub down.)

The next morning was beautiful. We spent hours on the balconies just being and drinking coffee.

(You can take the girl out of the city...)

Eventually we had to explore the little pond in the back yard. It was all Haleigh could do to not move every rock to a new location. (I think we got most of them back close to where they started.)

To Sophie's delight it was finally time to head back to the stables. All the girls were excited with the thought of riding the horses. Sophie was the only one old enough for a trail ride, oh yeah I was old enough too ;)

Haleigh and Mackenzie each got to ride "Lady" the pony. Then they fed horses, played in dirt, and had a blast with Daddy until Sophie and I returned from our trail ride.
(Once we were back Mackenzie tried to feed the donkey some rocks. She would probably not list this as a suggested activity at the stables for any future visitors. Apparently Cliff the donkey prefers fingers to rocks. She is ok, all fingers still attached, and chalked it up to a lesson learned.)

We decided this weekend ranked up there among the best ever. The beautiful surroundings; the "together experiences" of boating, riding horses, building bridges..; sitting on balconies for hours; hearing the girls laugh with fun and amazement; cooking, eating, and cleaning up together for 5 straight meals; no schedules to keep...
All this very undeserved, for a few hours of teaching, which I would have done for nothing, yet we received a weekend packed full of treasured time and memories that will last for ever!!
What sweet sweet blessings!