Though Michael, Ethan, Ehlana, and I were continuing our Tai
Chi lessons this morning, it was still really great to have Dad with us again
this morning. The full country breakfast
was a nice bonus too that Michael helped out with and then joined us for.
That was fun, but then I didn’t see Michael again until he
and his family came over for the campfire tonight after closing the Inn for the night.
He went home after breakfast, and I was on the yard work crew for the
rest of the morning. I finished up at
eleven-thirty; jumped in the river to cool off; and then got ready for my
baseball game. Rowen collected me on her
way to the park; and we biked there to be on-time for our team warm-ups.
We had lots of extra cheerleading support today thanks to my
cousins and friends, and it was fun watching them play with Aunt Leanne; but we
– the Leopards – didn’t leave it up to them to win the game for us. The Tigers were the home team for this game,
so we were up to bat first. Carolyn
batted me home for the first run of the game; and we didn’t look back from
there – or give up our early lead. We
had to play the bottom of the last inning, but the game was never really in
doubt; and we won by a score of fourteen to eight.
Rowen and I had to skip the ice cream celebration with our
team, because we went straight home from the park; hopped into vehicles with
the rest of the riding enthusiasts in our family; and headed out to the Ridge
River Ranch for a late afternoon trail ride.
That was another blast of fun, and I especially liked getting to have
some time to talk with Mom and Dad while Rowen and I rode just ahead of them on
the trails. We were out there for an
hour and a half, and then we needed to hurry home again so that the adults in
the group could join in on the work in progress for our final ‘cousins’
vacation’ barbeque dinner.
Violet and Chrissy dropped Emma off at home on their way
back, and had Dawn and Jillian with them too so they could say goodbye to their
best Witch Falls friend. That took a while because Emma showed them
around her farm while they were there; and that’s the main reason why Rowen and
I were put in charge of Ethan and Ehlana when we got home instead of being on
the work crew. Okay, being in need of a
dunk in the river or a shower may have had something to do with it too after a
hot afternoon of baseball and trail riding; but nobody specifically told us
that we were too dirty and smelly to help out with the food.
Whatever the reason, we definitely had more fun going
swimming and playing with Ethan and Ehlana until dinnertime. We had more guests tonight, but this barbeque
had more ‘real’ food. In addition to the
steak, chicken, and shish-kabob options, there was also corn on the cob and
baked potatoes from the grill masters.
The kitchen cooks had also put together several hot side dishes as well
as the usual cold salads and veggies; and there were quite a few Olde Bakery
dessert contributions to choose from for anyone who still had room for more
food by the time those boxes and platters were set out on the back porch patio
table.
Rowen and I were relieved of toddler duty during dinner, and
sat at a table with Dawn, Jillian, Jessica and Ryan Bassett, Patrick, and
Scott. Without having Michael there, and
almost-six-year old Ryan to impress, Patrick was pretty much his normal self
during dinner – though that wasn’t really a good thing from the perspective of
the girls at the table. He and Scott
were doing their best to imitate the older boys’ usual food and drink games;
and Ryan was happy to help them in their attempts to gross us out.
Jessica had wanted to sit next to me, and had a lot to talk
about; including some family and cousin perspective about Michael and me. That was a bit strange while giving me a few
warm and fuzzy feelings too. It is nice
to know that most of Michael’s extended family think that we make a cute
couple, but he hasn’t exactly had a long line of girlfriends, so I’m not sure
how I should take the ‘best girlfriend so far’ comments – as a comparison on a
short list or because they think our couple status is temporary.
Even with the gross-out attempts by the boys, we had a
fairly entertaining hour or so while we had dinner, and then Rowen and I were
on the clean-up crew while all of the younger kids were set free to play. There was a trip to the park playground that
had adult supervision; games in the back yard; and there was almost always at
least a few people swimming in the river and going for short canoe rides. We didn’t go out in the canoes at all, but
Rowen and I did go swimming a couple of times, and played volleyball for a
while too between the time we’d finished with the work and when the campfire
started.
I’m sure you can guess that my favorite part of the campfire
was the hour and a half or so that I got to spend with Michael. Rowen and I had fun with the younger kids
too, and sat on the other side of the fire from most of the teens and tweens;
with a parent buffer on one side and the older teens on the other. We didn’t want to be in on the random acts of
goofiness or watch any more of the tweeird than necessary. Even with so many adults around, it’s
sometimes amazing how much tweens and teens will try to get away with; thinking
that they won’t be seen or called out on what they’re doing while they’re part
of such a big group. Maybe they’re right
about that, but for those of you reading this in the future; try to remember
from now on that my brother, sister, and I see and remember everything around
us all of the time. If you’re blushing
or feeling embarrassed right now, don’t worry about it – your secret’s safe
with us!
Moving along, the campfire included the usual activities –
toasting food, music, and campfire stories that were appropriately rated for
the audience; with the scarier tales being told after the youngest kids were
either put to bed or taken home for the night.
Michael and Rebecca joined us a bit ahead of their parents, Jake,
Stephanie, and Dillon; and they both sat with us. Rebecca did that because she didn’t want to
be a third wheel for Jenny and Joel – or be any closer to the more
demonstrative teen and tween couples than Rowen or I wanted to be.
Michael and I were cuddling too, but not with each other –
he had Ethan in his lap about a minute after he sat down; and I’d had Ehlana
with me off and on since we’d sat down around the fire. We did hold hands and sit close together,
though, and earned some giggles from my brother and sister while sharing a kiss
now and then. Mom and Dad put the twins
to bed at ten-thirty when Naomi, Aiden, and pretty much all of the
five-and-under kids were taken home for the night – or tucked into spare rooms
until their parents and older siblings were ready to go home too.
The campfire is still going on now as I write this, but
Michael and I hopped into the river for a swim at eleven-thirty when his
parents, the Emersons, and a few other families decided to call it a
night. We floated downriver to his house
and swam there for a while before getting out and sitting on the dock together
for a little wind down alone time. There
were whistles and comments called out to us after the only kiss we shared while
on the dock; and that was enough to convince us to move over to the comparative
protection of his back porch for our goodnight kisses to avoid any more razzing
from the teens that were still hanging out around the campfire. We’d both had a really long day, so I was in
my room, changed, and sitting in my window alcove with my computer by twelve-thirty.
I’ve done a little family business work and my usual nightly
computing since then while enjoying the view of the campfire. Jake, Stephanie, and Dillon were probably as
tired as Michael and Rebecca, but they stayed around the campfire with Chrissy
and Josiah until a little after one o’clock; and Violet and Dillon are still
downstairs – probably so that they can make sure the fire is out when the
younger teens are finished having their fun.
Jake and Stephanie went home then; and Chrissy and Josiah left with
them. I’ll guess that they’re busy
saying goodnight and a private goodbye at his house; since they won’t be able
to do that tomorrow.
Everyone around the fire would be able to see me, but other
than getting a couple of half-waves from Violet and Stephanie; Vanessa was the
only other person to even look up at me.
I don’t know if seeing me had anything to do with it; or if it was just
the absence of adults around; but she was definitely more demonstrative with
Martin. I suppose that could have been
her way of saying goodbye to him too, or even keeping up with Tim and Nora,
Jenny and Joel, or some of the other teen and tween couples; but the timing for
those glances up at me weren’t random.
If she’s trying to send a message to me; I have no idea what it is. Martin, on the other hand, looked like he was
really enjoying his last vacation campfire a lot.
I don’t want to watch them when they say goodbye any more
than I wanted to watch him with Jenny last summer; and I’m ready to get some
sleep anyway, so...
...until next time, this is Magi Master Cassie Proctor;
logging out!
