Family on the Lake

Maliana ~

What can I say? What a fabulous weekend away at Lake Michigan. I seriously don't know how to begin expressing how touching it is for me to watch you on weekends like this.

On Friday, we headed up north, through South Bend, IN and into New Buffalo, MI to the cottage that Daddy and his family from South Bend and Chicago have been going to for more than 2 decades now. Memaw and Papaw came up and spent the weekend with us as well. It was wonderful for you to get some unadulterated "Memaw and Papaw time" too, an 'oh so' precious commodity.

It's always nice to get away, but what makes trips like this one all the more special and amazing is being able to watch you basking in the love of family. Some of this family you may not get to see more than a couple times a year, but they are family nonetheless. Family, in the complete unconditional sense of the word...one that welcomes us in year after year, and since you have begun coming with us, loves you and adores spending time with you just the same, no matter the distance or time between visits. Family where you too adore each and every one of its members just as much. It's amazing to see how well you fit right in, being shy and then comfortable and ornery with the grown ups, making your cousins laugh (and definitely vice versa), pitching in at family dinners and then joining in the conversation and festivities in that special three year old way, running here and there to do the "ever important, top secret, kid stuff", and frolicking on the beach doing what kids do best, being forever in the moment.

Lots of things you said and did this weekend made me (and many others chuckle)...but a few of the memorable right now include your catch phrase lately of, "Let's rock and roll!" when you're ready to go somewhere. Upon hearing me fart at one point (I can't believe I just wrote that), you asked, "Mom, you need to get gas?" (I think you're a little confused about gasoline and bodily functions at this point, but it was pretty darn funny nonetheless). The water was fairly cold this weekend, especially our first day at the beach, so in spite of shivering uncontrollably and your lips being near purple, it was pretty difficult to convince you to get out of the lake ~ you are one hard core water bug! And then of course there were the very sweet comments all weekend about how neat your personality is, how much fun you are, and how adorable you are. Daddy and I said thank you and told them how much we appreciated their compliments, (and obviously we couldn't agree more). You are the best, kiddo.

Really, at this point, there's not much more to say. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. There are so many more great moments that I wasn't able to capture...they just happened so darn fast. But I think I did a pretty good job of conveying the basic feel of our weekend at the lake.

what's a good road trip without snacks?

we made it!

first picture on the beach

Mali and new favorite teddy from Papaw

Tootsie Pops ~ a lake house staple

Swashbuckler Mali

one of your favorite toys all weekend

heading back up the TONS of stairs to the lake house (someone will sleep good tonight!)

Mali and Papaw

showing off your big muscles after a good breakfast

belly is full after the annual breakfast at Rosie's

Mama and Mali, with the local Barney's grocery in the background

protecting Daddy from the sun

ecstatic happiness

stand back! I've got a shovel full of sand and I'm not afraid to use it!

not only did you like making sand castles more this year...but also loved hunting for smooth round stones on the beach

 

Bailey helping you squirt Daddy

army crawling with Reilly

exploring the sand dunes with Reilly and Bailey

shooting "bad guys" (I think you look like the 4th Charlie's Angel)

listening to Justin Bieber with Abby

a common sight this weekend...Mali getting tickled

fun of the evening, going to get hotel ice with Memaw!

laying out with Mama

here you're telling me that you're going to play baseball with your friend (Braden)

Daddy pitching to you both, simultaneously

sizing up your pitcher (notice the Tootsie Pop, I told you it's a lake house staple)

a swing (and a miss), but good effort!

another familiar sight this weekend...laughter

getting some rest after a big couple days on the beach

Mali, Jacqueline, and Brewster



kids' table...Dawson, Reilly, Braden, Abby, and Mali

ok, so it's a staged 'sleeping' picture ~ super cute anyway

Mali, Abby, and Reilly

the obligatory sunset family picture on our last night at the lake

So, I just keep reflecting on this weekend as I have been waiting on the pictures here to upload. I am overwhelmed thinking about how great it is to have family, both the family that we celebrated at the lake this weekend, and the multiple members of our family that stayed home. It also got me thinking, once again, about family in the general sense. The word family can be defined differently by all kinds of people. Families can look so different and be brought together by so many different circumstances. It's fascinating to me to look at all the unique people with varied life experiences, that can end up in the same place, sharing special bonds, and calling each other family. If nothing else, you have shown us that family, by no means, has to be biological. I can acknowledge the importance of having and knowing biological family, and by no means do I want to diminish that need. But at the same time, I also want to express the beauty that family can gain its origins in such unique ways and in all sorts of places. I also believe that families built in these ways are no less deeply connected than any other. I suspect considering yourself as being part of a family, biological or not, probably FEELS the same to nearly everyone. That feeling is hard to describe, but I know it's as real as you and me. Kind of like love. Try describing or conveying a clear definition of love to someone else. It's near impossible, undefinable, but it's real. Maybe the two are interchangeable...love and family. Yeah, that makes sense to me. Because until Daddy and I brought you home, and became a family of three...while I understood what love was, I had no idea the depths to which it could take me or the appreciation and reverence I could have for it in my life. Loving your child, loving someone more than yourself, is the most powerful and vulnerable feeling in the world. Then watching as your child is embraced by those you love in such an unconditional way, in a family...well, that's just the icing on the cake.

I'll love you forever and always Maliana.

Love,
Mama