L-O-N-G summer weekends are THE BEST. Am I right or what?!
Kase has been having fun with friends as usual. Days at the pool, nights watching baseball movies together while sitting in the hot tub, sleepovers...all the fun things.
Also, sunset fishing! You know the landscape is stunning when Kase says, "Mom you have to take a picture of this."
Now for the reallllly fun parts of our weekend. We have been trying for a very long time to get our good friends up to the pond for a whole night and it finally happened!
Although we were all sad to see the big willow tree gone, Kase loved this new fishing spot and was the first one to catch a fish there!
It was pretty warm so the boys fished while they floated.
At Grandpa Dean's lucky spot.
We had been there for a few hours then our friends arrived and we all just had the best time. These kids have all grown up together and we definitely missed having Kael with us, but it was just a really fun night.
We played yard games, fished, swam, jumped off the floating dock, ate way too many snacks, and chatted around the picnic table.
Then we got super patriotic for a ride into town for pizza!
The girls caught some fish! And we had a big Northern on that had been chasing a bass and we to see it all happen- seriously like something out of National Geographic. The bass had huge bite marks on it.
We have so much fun together.
Back to the pond for sunset swimming.
Then we loaded up again to head to the Hampton fireworks.
What fun! They were really good! Only bummer was getting stuck by a train on the way back to the pond.
We woke up the next morning and got donuts and breakfast pizza then started packing up. They headed home and we headed to Clear Lake! Kael and Emma beat us there and met up with my family at the parade.
Kylee had a friend meet us up there too and some more family joined and in the end we had the whole fam plus two for a total of 17 of us there at some point over the weekend!
The weather looked like it would be dicey later so after lunch we scooted the kids out the door to get some lake time before it rained. They had a blast!
So patriotic! Love seeing these two so happy together.
The whole squad. Hope we can spend many more July 4th weekends up here!
These three buddies had the best time together all weekend. They got along really well and certainly entertained each other!
Joining in the family fun! We were glad to celebrate Huston while we were all together!
Hairbraiding was a huge hit and Kylee was awesome doing everyone's hair!
Berkely helped me make a red, white and blue charcuterie!
This guy. He's just the best. And my mom too (behind the camera, of course!). They are just so welcoming and just have thought of every detail to make it the perfect weekend for everyone.
I took Kase up to the carnival- he was dying to do the trampoline! Kael, Emma, Kylee and Madisyn went too and Kael was such a gentleman driving us there and offering to drop the girls off so they didn't have to walk as far!
Couple sunset pictures on the dock. I didn't get pictures of it but later that night a bunch of us went out on the boat to watch the fireworks- they were SO good and it was such a beautiful night. Fun memory!
This guy sure utilizes the green space by the condo!
More tubing even though it was a little rough- they didn't let a minute go to waste! If it wasn't raining, they were going to be out!
Love these moments with the fam. We played Nuke 'Em on the sand volleyball court and that turned out to be super fun!
Kylee and her friend did a little photo shoot in their matching suits one night and they looked so cute!
And Kent took the big kids for a late night boat ride- love this picture and LOVE how much of a help Kent is when we are at the lake. He drives the boat, carries the tube, untangles fishing lines, helps grill- I am just so proud of him and so appreciative. Later that night Kael and Emma went uptown to do some rides and listen to the band. Later my mom and Mandy joined them which I just love!
The next morning was nice and calm so Kase wanted to ski- we weren't sure how it would go with his cast but he did so great!
Love seeing Grandpa give him advice here.
He's getting to be pretty good and a little bit of a daredevil!
One more big group boat ride before Kael and Emma and Simms and Vogels had to go home (Madisyn had left earlier that day- also forgot to mention that she and Kylee went for a couple runs while they were there and I just love their dedication and love that Kylee had someone to run with!)
A couple times throughout the weekend some of the gang went shopping and I love that Kael got Emma a Clear Lake sweatshirt and she also got herself a Lake Girl hat! Too cute.
So happy Brooklyn was feeling better by the last day and got to tube!
Cool dude. This buddy LOVES Lake Life. He said, "I could move here!"
After everyone left it was just my parents, Kent, Kylee, Kase and me. Kylee and my mom and I went to the Farmer's Market- it was so cute!
Then back to the lake to tube a little!
We cruised around Party Cove- Kylee loves people watching! (Another favorite thing for all of us is to cruise around the lake looking at houses. )Then Kase and I tubed back to the condo.
That evening we went out for dinner at the Muskie Lounge- we had been wanting to try it and it was so fun! When we got back from dinner a storm was rolling in and Kase was thrilled to sit out on the deck and watch it. Notice his new Legend of My Own Pond shirt that my parents got all the boys in the fam- too cute!
When the weather cleared we went for a boat ride and Kase begged to ski. It was chilly but so hard to say no when he was so excited about it so we let him!
I love, love, LOVE this picture of Kent cheering him on! Kent had been giving him some hand signals to try some things like jumping the wake and Kase was pretty brave and did all of it. Kent was so happy for him.
This is another favorite picture! Seriously, that sunset! And Kase just skiing his little heart out.
We headed to bed pretty early that night and the kids were up at a decent time the next morning. Kylee wasn't about to miss out on the skiing fun so she gave it a go! Took a couple tries because she was sore from running and hadn't skied for awhile but she didn't give up and she got up and did great!
Then Grandpa Terry gave her a little boat driving lesson! There's no better teacher as Kent says.
She even pulled it into the slip!
After breakfast we went on one last fishing outing and Kylee caught a really nice one.
I can't say enough about what a special weekend it was. I just love spending time with my immediate family and their extras and also my extended family. Everyone just gets along so well and is so fun. Time spent at the lake with family- there's nothing better! Thanks, Mom and Dad for all you do from planning the meals and buying the groceries, driving the boat and filling it up with gas, playing games, making sure we have clean towels, teaching us to fish, driving skiers and tubers....and doing it all with the biggest smiles on your faces. We love you!
They even let Kylee and Kase stay up with them at the lake for a few extra hours. Kent and I got home and unpacked, mowed, got to see Kael for a bit before he headed to work. Sounds like Kase and Kylee helped vaccum the boat and then got to have lunch out with Grandma and Grandpa before heading back to Ankeny. Kent golfed with some friends and I just had a lovely night getting the house back in order.
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