Ehlana and Ethan:
Happy 2nd Birthday, Luke Norton!
Happy 6th Anniversary, Mitch and Lynn Bassett!
This has been a busy, awesome weekend; so let’s get straight to the full, triple update!
Friday’s family-and-friends’ dinner and play night kicked off our weekend with what felt like non-stop fun – even when we were setting up our tents; working to set up or clean up before and after the meal; and dealing with annoying younger cousins and their buddies. Yes, Zack and Eli led the way for that last one and they were proud of their successes that included my need for a clothes change that has already been mentioned in my solo Friday placeholder update. The minor prank issues didn’t really get in the way of an amazing night.
The pot-luck, barbeque dinner was the food highlight from Friday, but we also enjoyed back yard games, canoe rides, and a cool-off swim or two in the river – though the water is still a bit on the chilly side. Our campfire included lots of snacks and drinks; we helped out with the music – as did Cassie and Michael; and we kept that fun going until after midnight for the teens and kids that also stayed for the camping. The next-gen parents took their kids home by ten o’clock and the rest of the adults escaped to the comfort of their homes by eleven o’clock or so; and then the rest of our evening included hanging out by the river with our friends; dealing with some pranks and practical jokes; and some late-night games and exploring. Some couples may have disappeared for some alone time too, but we pretended not to notice – and not just because Ethan and Naomi may have been one of those couples! There were some co-ed campers when we did eventually get some sleep, and we were definitely part of that group of teens, but cuddling for a few hours just shouldn’t be a big deal for anyone and we’re used to getting teased about it by our family and friends.
Saturday morning began quietly-enough with our Tai Chi workout – even with a large gang of exercise buddies. Breakfast was a major event, so Mom and Dad appreciated the help from other parents; and then it was time for most of our cousins and friends to split up so that we could all get busy with the usual weekend chores. Now that Cassie, Michael, Grandma, and Grandpa are all home, we actually have less to do, but we also needed to get ready for the holiday weekend; so that didn’t make a huge difference this weekend. We were motivated to get our chores done, though, so we worked hard; and then we had the afternoon free for the afternoon. Once together with the available friends and cousins; we decided on a canoe ride upriver and were soon on our way with cameo visits with some favorite people as we passed their homes and yards. We didn’t try to go all the way to the whirlpool, since we had a time limit, but we got about half-way there before taking a break for a cool-down swim and then paddling home again.
Our second camping night of the weekend didn’t include as many adults, but Mom and Dad still had some help; drafted more teens too; and the food options were easier with burgers, hot dogs, and lots of side salads and snacks. The rest of our evening rhymed with Friday night, but the adults mostly did their own thing while the kids and teens played; enjoyed another, shorter campfire that ended at eleven o’clock; and then wound down toward naptime with more hours of late-night adventures on, in, or hear the river. We didn’t get any more sleep, but the pranksters in our midst got bored with their games earlier and opted for gaming in their tents on portable systems.
While we weren’t really involved, let’s also report that there was a fairly-major party for Garrett and Jen, so we didn’t see Cassie and Michael very much while they were busy both at the party and helping out with the work. They also spent some time at the Pizzeria while Jen had a rare Saturday off, but that was mostly because Rebecca isn’t really ready for that kind of workload yet so soon after having her baby. Rebecca, by the way, is supposed to be taking maternity leave and isn’t working very much, but she is still helping out a bit here and there already; since the Pizzeria is very busy heading into the summer and tourist season and they still need to wait a few more weeks before high school teens will be available for day shift work.
Ethan and I are so-glad that we are not going to be store owners with all of the downsides that goes with those choices! ;^)
Since we were already mentioning Rebecca, let’s also add that Cassie and Michael were busy again today with helping out at Luke’s birthday party. In addition to the afternoon party and early dinner out on the farm, Cassie and Michael also have Luke with them for the night; and that is as much to help Rebecca and Lucas as it is for a bit of bonus fun for their nephew. We took care of our best wishes and giving Luke a gift while at church this morning, but Mom and Dad made a cameo appearance on the farm between lunch and when Dad needed to get to work with his usual post-travel wrap up from his week in the city.
We’ve had a good day too. Tai Chi by the river with another big gang was great; breakfast and getting ready for church was a crazy adventure; and then the rest of our morning was filled with praise and worship during the service and Sunday school. Packing up our campground was next on our agenda once home again; Ethan and I were on our own for lunch with Mom and Dad; and then we were set free to meet up with a small gang of friends and cousins for a bike ride out to Quarry Lake. We had a time limit for that, so we made good time on the ride to our favorite campground. Quarry Lake won’t be fully-open until next weekend, but we were able to go for a swim and use some of the slides into the lake before we packed up and biked home again; so that fun was well-worth the effort of faster rides each way.
Dinner at the Inn for the late buffet was next on our schedule. Ethan and I were home in time to get cleaned up and changed; and then we met up with Naomi, Aiden, Sophia, and Aaron again when we got to the Inn. That was only ‘again’ for Sophia and Aaron from this morning, since they’d spent their afternoon at Luke’s party, but then they chose the buffet for dinner to celebrate Mitch and Lynn’s anniversary. That’s also why all six of us ended up helping with the next-gen kids while their parents helped with roasting the couple of honor. Mom and Dad weren’t there for that dinner party, but we were happy to help out after they’d decided that they didn’t want to do more work after having a yard full of kids and teens for two nights.
The rest of our evening after that amazing meal and fun with our families and friends doesn’t exactly back up that comment about enough work, since we spent time-phased hours in the office on work and a Magi lesson, but we had fun with that too; and Ethan and I were glad that we could do some extra work on the charities to help out with some new problems in a half-dozen places around the world. We don’t want to get into that tonight, but there are always new problems to go along with the ongoing crises that we do mention regularly, and while most of those stories don’t even make the news cycles; we do actually know that every life and person is important and we want to help as many people as possible whether that is making a difference for one person at a time or changing the lives of thousands with our efforts.
Mom let us work until ten-thirty – and we were only done that early because of the time phasing; and then it was bath or Jacuzzi time. Ethan opted for a shower and I kept my soaking time to a minimum tonight; so we’ll still be sleeping before midnight. We really need the down time after two very late nights, so that’s all we have for this catch-up report. Finally, before we go there, we also want to mention that our coming week is going to be busy. In addition to getting ready for the holiday weekend, baseball practices, and the rest of our usual normal; Rowen and Tim will be moving into their new home and we will try to help out when we can with the work or with kid control for other adults that will be helping them. They are going to love being neighbors with Cassie and Michael; and we’ll expect to see even more of them from now on whenever we’re hanging out with our favorite sister and brother-in-law!
Don’t take that the wrong way, Aiden – you’ll think that Michael is your favorite brother-in-law someday too! ;^)
We really need to get some sleep; so that’s all for tonight and we are out of here and off to dreamland right now!
Until next time, live with love, fellow Magi of the Light!
