...just at the lake...on vacation...

 

Paul brought his bike, Sonja wanted to try it...seat way too high.

This!  Emily Anne and Camille Anaya, my oldest and my youngest, 23 years apart, the firstborn and #16. 

The view here is astounding, we are right on Lake Ontario.  There is a scary hard path down to the water's edge, which is rocky and treacherous, to this old lady.  

Charlotte Claire, Sonja K., Emily, and Evelyn with Paul....the cold water feels good, he says.

Me this morning with the view from our window...

Down near the water, yes I braved the path down...and no, I didn't have a fretting worry running through the background of my mind the entire time I was down there about how in the whole dang world was I going to get back up to the house.  oops, I lied.  I totally did.  I tried to get into the water, but I just couldn't scale those big rocks like Paul and the young limber girls of mine.

Miss Camille got to Sid down near the water, Paul piggy-backed her down, and then back up.  He also brought us down chairs.  :)

This was the nice sign the owners left here for us, which we could see through the window while we tried over and over again to get the door code to work, turned out there is a little sign thing you have to press after the number, who knew?

So yes...vacation, just for three days, but ahhhh.

I had marinated chicken breast in lime juice and Jamaican jerk seasoning, then dried them off and tossed them in olive oil, and onto the grill last evening.  We had a fantastic salad: spring mix, romaine, freshly picked strawberries all sliced up, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, pecans (roasted and seasoned with salt and cayenne, and a dash of sugar, by Char), croutons, and red onion slices.  We set it up salad bar style, and ate it with the chicken sliced on top.  It was warm and muggy, and we ate outside with the lake breeze, the perfect summer meal.

Dessert:  someone has pics of it, I had bought an angel food cake...I sliced it into nine pieces, plated them, scooped the sliced strawberries on top, and squirt-y whipped cream, with one strawberry on top of each...we carried the little plates outside in a big cake pan, it was fancy and fun and special, and best of all, yummy.

This fine morning is breezy and gorgeous, and I'm sitting outside in an Adirondack chair, drinking my coffee.  I won't say everything is easy peasy perfect though:  I've been waking up with what I think is carpal tunnel pain in my hands, mostly the right one, shooting right up my arm.  Well, last night it woke me up, fourth night in a row of crappy sleep, I tossed and turned, stretched out, and LEG CRAMP.  oh dear.  It was strange though, because it was painful from the thigh to the ankle, mostly the thigh, ouch.  I stood up to walk it off, felt hot and cold and nauseous, but it finally went away.  I crept back to bed every so carefully, didn't want to accidentally stretch out again.  

While it was happening though, I had a firm resolve, like this revelation:  I want to be found faithful, I want God's good pleasure over me, I want nothing to do with lies, backbiting, evil.  I can't explain it, but it was like I needed a little lightening bolt of encouragement. 

So I'm tired today, again, but other than that, very very thankful...and quite happy.