A weekend with Dad and the VJ's

Look at these happy faces :)  This was after an entire day on the lake. . .little Susan there fell asleep soon after this picture was taken. . .that's my sis on the left and BVJ (a.k.a. the Quirkle King) on the right.

Yep, you heard that right.  Had a few Quirkle games going on this weekend. . .

BVJ and I stayed up until after midnight on Friday night playing. . .crazy!  (I love this about visiting with my sister's family. . .my brother-in-law is a night owl too.)  I was able to keep up but in the end he edged me out by a couple of points.  BUT during the game in the above picture on Saturday night, the King was de-throned by none other than my Marie (in yellow) -- yea for her!!!

This game has quickly become a favorite in our house. . .compliments of Aunt Jenniey.

This is a picture of all the kids with Aunt Jenniey when we were in OH a couple of weeks ago.  She is "famous" for always thinking of the kids and giving generously to them.  Another of her gifts was that umbrella that Susan is holding. . .she and Frederick spent about an hour coloring it together.

Anyway, back to this weekend.  My dad was able to come with the VJ family which was really great!!  Most years my sister comes down with a girlfriend or two and a bunch of kids and we rent a pontoon boat for the day to go along with our runabout.  We changed things up this year and only did our families -- although we missed having friends, I think Tom enjoyed having some men around to "suffer" the ladies with him :)

Beautiful Dale Hollow Lake.  Oh, we are so, so lucky to live so close!!!!

(And always, THANKS, to my mom for the camera I used to take these photos.  This was the panoramic setting.)

This was the other side, looking back into the cove we were parked in.  (That is Marie & AVJ out on the tube with paddles exploring. . .)

Fun, fun day. . .Thomas chose to go to a soccer tournament with his UCUSC team so he is missing in all of these pictures :(

 Tom and I driving up to the pontoon. . .everyone else went out ahead of us while we dropped Thomas off for his day of soccer.

Grandpa and Margaret

 

 Grandpa picked up another paddler. . .AVJ

 These two, Susan and Frederick, were stuck together like glue all weekend. . .even sleeping together. . .

Isn't this the cutest thing EVER?!?  Looks like Margaret sneaked into bed with them too. . .(this air mattress was actually in the room Tom and I were sleeping in since the rule in our house is "no boys in girls' room and no girls in the boys' room")

 And here was the adult section :) - back on the boat, of course

 One of my favorites of the day -- Grandpa Foster, Marie and AVJ

 Uncle Brian went out in the water for some fun with the kiddos. . .

 And here's Aunt Jodi swimming up as Margaret gets dumped. . .

And Frederick gets thrown!

After all the jumping, sliding, and paddling, the guys took all the kids out tubing and my sister and I spent a quiet hour on the top of the pontoon boat in the silence (!!!) reading.  So nice. . .so incredibly relaxing.

When the kids and dads got back they were *starving*.  Marie and AVJ made a double-batch of salsa the night before to take out. . .

. . .to keep the hunger monsters at bay while we fired up the grill for our annual cook-out on the boat!  This is such a big deal. . .food always, ALWAYS, tastes better on the lake :)

 Table set-up pre-food

 Watching the cook (aka Tom) get the burgers and dogs going

 Dogs are done!!!

 I think I sent this picture to my stepmother (who is out of town caring for her sister) to let her know that Dad is eating and relaxing :)

 Sisters on the top deck with their lunches

Oh yea, and there's the Quirkle King. . .

I'm sorry. . .I meant to say CAPTAIN Quirkle King. . .

And, after all that hard work of piloting the boat, making his own sandwich, and throwing little kids off of the tube, the King needed a nap:

O.K., he wasn't the only one. . .

 But the kiddies sure didn't!!  Here are some fun shots jumping off the top, diving, sliding down the slide, and just having fun together in the water:

SPLASH!

AVJ

Great dive, Margaret!

The 100th climb for the day (or it felt like it)

Frederick jumping from the top

Susan heading down the slide!

And some perfect pointed toes from Margaret

Of course, a day at the lake wouldn't be complete without some tubing too!!!  (It was too crowded for skiing)

 Sisters on the tube together

 Look!  No hands!

 As always, Frederick right by Susan's side. . .

 A little knee boarding Marie?

Nah, not really. . .just pull me along behind the boat, Daddy.

This is what she and AVJ were doing:

Very, very slowly. . .

They finally decided the tube was much more fun. . .and the storm was rolling in so we only had a little time left on the lake. . .

The first one is a little fuzzy but this one cracks me up. . .AVJ will go on *any* roller coaster. . .stand up to any dare. . .but her face in this pic makes it look like she's terrified -- ha!  And then there's Marie. . .the cautious one, just having the time of her life :)

And after the rain started we found a table for 11. . .

With a single picture taken of me all day (with Margaret). . .proof that I really *was* there :)

These look like some happy, clean, sunburnt cousins, yes?

Thanks for making the 6-hour trip down here, VJs and Dad!!!  

Thomas had a *bit* of time before bed that night. . .playing Grandpa Foster's favorite Bible Quiz Game. . .that is only played here, when he comes. . .

And now, it's time to hit "publish".  I've been writing this post since Sunday night.  It's now 10 p.m. Thursday night.  What a week.  BACK TO SCHOOL is all I can say. . .we were ready. . .but weren't. . .and now expecting another houseful beginning tomorrow night.  I love visitors!!!  Lots of catching up to do. . .

 

And I'm not proof-reading before hitting "publish", Mom, so keep my mistakes to yourself :)  But someday, when I write a book, I want YOU to be my editor.

Love,

Jenni