My Lake

Our cabin is a magical place.

I remember being a little kid, coming up to the north woods with my dad and older sister to scope out a lake home all our own.

Up until then my cabin experiences had all been in northern wisconsin at my grandparents' cabin. Together with aunts, uncles, cousins, golden retrievers and grandparents we'd swim and eat and nap and romp and pick wild raspberries and ski and tube for a week over the fourth of July every summer. It was grand and traditional.

But then we had out own place. Our own home away from home. While some crave snow capped mountains or vast sandy beaches, I will always feel at home so long as there is a cool blue lake, lined with robust pines and birches, loud with loon calls and lapping waves close at hand.

What used to be a 4 hour jaunt from my childhood home is now a 10+ hour drive. We decided to do it in one fell swoop for the first time this year. While we're glad we did it, BOY it was long.

We broke up the drive with a sit down dinner of Norweigan faire and pie. Well worth the 1 hour pitspot both for our sanity and stomachs.

I always feel like a kid again when heading north. As we pass Grand Rapids I fondly remember looking for our names in the yellow brick road in front of the Judy Garland Museum with my sisters. I recall the care with which we all made out guesses for our arrival time at the lake. "10:47. I think 10:43. 10:54 if Jenny barfs like last time!"

The last 45 minutes of the drive is rightfully names the roller coaster road. If you have a penchant for car sickness watch out!

Even as you take deep breaths, stomach surging with each curve you can't help but be overwhelmed by the beauty of the north woods. Lakes at every curve, hilariously long road names, gravel roads and miles and miles of untouched wild woods and shoreline.

It gets me every time.

Now that I'm grown I'll always look back fondly on those carefree summer days as a family of 6; devouring books, s'mores and lake fun equally.

::Ian's new birthday boots::

Last summer my parents built a second cabin on their property to accommodate our every growing family. (4 sons in law and 5 grandchildren by this fall!)

I love that I am at this time of life when I can still vividly recall the magic of this place and at the same time watch my girls share in the joy of the freedom, growth and renewal that a lakeside cabin brings.

::Ainsley LOVED fishing::

::Louise wanted to crawl off the dock, over and over again::

::enjoying the new swing grammy and pop put up::

::walking the wooded path from the new cabin to the original cabin, one of my favorite places on the property::

::teeny tiny wild strawberries::

::sunporch at the original cabin::

:ingredients for my favorite dessert::

::Uncle Joey's big fish::

::canoeing with my girl::

::we even figured out how to kayak together::

::pontoon lunch::

I am so thankful for our cabin. For this place that I so love. I hope that it's magic speaks to my girls like it always has for me.