On Friday I kicked off the weekend by telling Hailey and Kaitlyn how it was the unofficial kickoff to summer- Memorial Day weekend! I mentioned how it’s usually a celebratory, sun-filled weekend but asked if they knew why we observed it. Kaitlyn had a little help from her recent Taekwondo class where they spoke about it, but it warmed my heart to hear them be able to voice the sacrifices made by so many to protect the freedoms we enjoy each day. May we never take them for granted.

We lucked out with the most gorgeous weather for the three day stretch. Friday we reserved a pontoon boat and late afternoon we loaded up snacks and drinks and met friends to go cruising with.

Boat snack tip- foil baking dishes make great snack holders for the boat. Danielle stocks up on them at the dollar store and I usually buy the Costco pack at the beginning of summer. They are easy to stack, light to carry, and you can just stick the dip container in the corner then fill with your dip vessel of choice.

Saturday was the most gorgeous day of them all; the temperatures hit 82-ish but the humidity hadn’t arrived yet. We worked out in the morning and invited friends over for the afternoon. Backyard hangouts are my favorite because the kids can run amuck, the parents can hang, and the inside of the house stays fairly clean.

It felt like a legit kick-off to summer as the kids fished and kayaked, the parents snacked and chatted, and as the sun went down we grilled burgers, lit the fire, and roasted smores.

Sunday was a family day. After a leisurely morning where the kids slept into 10:00 (late nights and summer school vibes are turning them into teenagers), we grabbed Jimmy Johns and headed out on the lake. I had reserved a surf boat and David was super excited to drive it around. We usually reserve the tritoons for easy floating, hosting, and tubing, but with just the four of us we were eager to learn the features of the fancy surf boat.

The kids LOVED the way it hopped waves and they big bounces that resulted from a busy lake. We ventured to the slightly quieter north side of the lake and trying to be an adventurous example for the kids, I was the first to try wake surfing. I got up on my first try but never got to the point I could drop the rope. Maybe by the end of summer?

After several attempts, Hailey got up barely, but Kaitlyn took a nose dive on her third try and decided she was done for the day. Our goal is to get them surfing by the end of summer and for me to get comfortable enough driving the boat to give David a turn.

We got home midafternoon, grabbed the kayaks, and paddled to a nearby island. After arriving home as the sun was setting, we were all incredibly tuckered out from the day. I heated up leftover burgers and put out watermelon while everyone showered, then we popped corn in my new air popper (I’ve been wanting one forever and it lives up to the hype!), and crashed on the couch to watch Get Smart.

Monday itself was a productive day of laundry, working out, starting to pack for our upcoming trip to New Mexico, working on the properties (The Overlook is officially listed now even though the hot tub, rugs, and new pictures won’t be installed into July) and learning how to better have a picture/camera workflow.

And to wrap things up, a quick note on Finley! I don’t know if it’s the training, the age (8 1/2 months), the heat and activity helping to tire her out, or the fact we finally helped her heal from her reaction to the rabies vaccine, but she’s been a GREAT dog for the last 5 or 6 days. We finished our drop off training sessions and I’ve been working diligently with her at home. It’s so exciting to start seeing her become the dog we knew she could be. Goodness, those puppy days were tougher and more exhausting than I remembered.

Thanks for stopping by and checking in! We have the kids’ first swim meet of the season today and it’s supposed to hit 92- whew. I hope you have a great day!