The Real Summer Begins, As Our Kids Start Arriving

Marlena, Nick, Mary and Tom, Here At Last

6:21

Dusk, at 9:31

Up at 6:20, to a quiet house, a mostly cloudy sky, 55º outside, a sunny afternoon forecast before the rains come tonight and tomorrow.  We are hoping for some good weather today.  Tom and his family arrived last night about 8:00 after a long day of flights from Kansas City, and a drive from Cleveland's airport.  And today, Beth and her family will drive to the lake from CT, arriving sometime this afternoon.

Yesterday was another full day, perhaps more so because we knew Tom' family was arriving.  We did another big shopping excursion at Wegman's and I picked up some things at Home Depot, so when we got home, our freezers, and two refrigerators were full, the cooler on the porch ready to be filled with pop/soda and beer.  I gassed up the boat, Evie cut the lawn, and about 5:00, Evie relaxed as everything was done, the house was ready for our kids, and she could kick back and wait for their arrival.

Marlena Arrives

Marlena, of course, was the first out of the car to give Evie a hug, followed by Nick, Tom and Mary. All were excited to get here, to end their long day of travel.  Everyone looks healthy and happy, ready for a week of fun.

Loving Granny's Photo Album, Summer, 2013

The first thing they wanted  to do was see the Family Album Evie put together on Shutterfly.  So they all sat on the front porch, on the couch, and slowly went through the album, loving the pictures of themselves and their cousins and siblings from last summer.  I have to admit Evie did a masterful job of capturing a week or two of our family gathering.  Everyone was featured, each grandchild had their own page, and no one felt left out.  Anyways, they all loved it, wanted a copy, of course. Because we were not sure when they would arrive, we had a light dinner, of Slovenian sausages, hot dogs, cole slaw and a choice of three kinds of homemade soup.   I would say Evie had things ready!  The Slovenian sausages are the best, from Asman's Meats, in Euclid, Ohio.

Two Crazy Girls

After dinner,  Marlena wanted to go jump in the lake, despite the time, the darkness, the coolness of the evening.  Always game, Evie put on her suit, and along with Nick, all three went for a swim at dusk, the water seemingly warmer than the air.  Nick got out quickly but Evie and Marlena played around  before getting out.  It was a lovely night, the western sky just losing its color.  We went in to relax in the living room, to talk and what else, hit our iPhones, iPads, or computers, conversing in between searches.

We threatened the kids with a moratorium on electronic devices during the day but I doubt it the adults would put up with it, so why force it on the kids.  And its never been a problem as they spend most of their time outside, coming in only to kick back a bit, which is fine.

We were all tired, the kids from the trip, Evie and I from our preps, so we were in bed by 10:30, sleepy but ready for a great week.  And we cannot wait to see Beth and family today, Jill and family on Thursday.