The 4th at the Lake!

For Luke's 29th year, my 9th, and Henry's 2nd, we all headed to Nebraska for some good, old-fashioned 4th of July fun. This year required a little more effort, being that we had a longer way to travel. It took us 2 buses, a train, a plane, a family minivan pick-up, and a rental car, but we made it!

Here we are, the Lemmers family. This is (by far) not all of us. When it all begins with a family who has 10 children, there are bound to be a lot in subsequent generations... I think this represents 6 out of the 10 children and only about 1/4 of all grandchildren...

Henry watches the choo-choo and the parade that loops around the lake on the morning of the 4th. He was mostly excited by all of the ba-ooooooos that he saw. (Balloons.)

Henry and Daddy take a golf cart ride. GCRs (as we like to call them) are by far my favorite part of going to the lake. I admit that I enjoy the quiet 1:1 or 1:2 ratio of the rides, amidst the 40 or so people who hang out at the cabin. Henry also enjoys them! I think he's a bigger fan of the wind in his face rather than the quiet.

Henry and Great Grandad play a game of pinball. Unfortunately for Grandad, this was the only way Henry would hang out with him. I think it's the beard. Maybe daddy needs to grow one in order to condition Henry to think beards are okay.

Henry loved being on the water. So precious!

We summered in Connecticut this weekend...

You know you've "arrived" when you begin to use the word "summer" as a verb. No, we have not won the lottery or come into a large sum of money, but we certainly felt like we had! Our friends, Hillary and Rob, have a wonderful place that they call home in southern Connecticut. Their neighbors are mostly the uber-rich, people who have second homes in this gorgeous corner of New England. We were hosted by truly expert regional guides to geography, cuisine, and local pastimes. It was a wonderful weekend - kudos to our hosts!

The view from the backyard. Serene!

Luke relaxes in the hammock. See how peaceful it was?

Our hosts, Rob and Hillary. Even they seem relaxed, while showing us a good time!

Henry doesn't desire relaxation or respite. Here he is "working" hard, pushing the stroller around the farmers' market. It is very serious, important work.

One of the local sights is the Gillette Castle. Built by the actor who played Sherlock Holmes on Broadway in the early 1900s, this castle was his retirement home. As the architect and designer, Gillette paid attention to every detail. The woodworking alone is amazing. I love finding regional gems like this! Who knew it was even there?!? So neat.

The Gillette Castle view of the Connecticut River. A "must-take" photo. :-)

Henry explores the grounds with his high-stepping march.

After Henry's nap (our guides were incredibly attentive to the needs of a one-year old!) we went to local swimming hole. Author's Note: I fully realize that most people who post pictures of themselves in their swimsuit on the internet have a much better body than I... For the sake of this blog and its archive of Henry's adventures, I am sacrificing my own cyber-image. Please don't judge, and be sure to wear your sunglasses while looking at this photo.

Post-swimming, Henry lays back in the hammock with some of daddy's discs. This picture makes him melt.

Our family, about to depart from our weekend of fun.

Here she is, our quintessential hostess. Many thanks, and keep enjoying the scenery for us!