And Then There Were Nine

Beth And Jill, Sisters and Best Friends

6:14

6:24

8:03

It's just past 7:30 and three of us, the guys, of course, are up drinking coffee, occasionally talking but mostly we are tied to our devices.  I was up at 6:15, had my half hour of solitude, took some photos, and then the guys started to get up.  The girls have set their alarms for 8:00, so that Marisa and Marlena can go kayaking before Tommy and his family leave for the airport around 10:00.  It's hard to believe they have been here for a week, as the days seem to have vanished like a magicians trick.

Jill And The Girls

Yesterday, despite the overcast sky, was a busy day filled with the usual, workouts, docking it, swimming, shopping, lots of bean bag, followed by a good dinner.  We were slow getting started but by 10:30, a group went over to Bemus to walk or run, Mitch to work out, Nick stayed behind to study for his exam at noon, and Evie, having received another recipe from me this morning, made a lemon blueberry cake which was outstanding.

Making Crepes

When the girls got up, Evie made them crepes before they got going.  Afterward, they helped Evie by vacuuming and picking up the house before the adults returned to wreak havoc.  I was helpful, too, organized, washing and drying the dishes, and so on and on.  By the time the group came back from their workout, both Evie and I felt like we had been working out.  And I was ready for a nap.

Kayak Girl #1

Kayak Girl #2

We Did It

For lunch, I grilled some hot dogs for everyone and heated up a can of Bush's Baked beans, and everyone dug in, hungry from their exercise.  We then headed to the dock, the occasional sun, the water and tubing for the girls.

Cousin Power

I was going to go to the store with Beth after a nap but when I got up, she had gone without me, knowing I was not crazy about shopping.  And she wanted to take her time and that doesn't happen when I am along.  I want to buy what's on the list and go home, no browsing or uncertainty.

The Kayak Twins

 Midafternoon, Evie put together, with Mitch and Tommy's help, the koftes we were having for our Turkish dinner of Iskender kebabs, basically meatballs on pita bread with a tomato sauce and a dollop of yogurt.

Hayden Kayaking With Her Baba

While they were prepping, Hayden and I took a nice kayak paddle down to Sandy Bottom and back, on a choppy but fun lake. And once dinner was prepped, we all sat out in the yard for a couple of pounds of shrimp with cocktail sauce.  It did not last long as we all congregated around the appetizer table and devoured it.

Halle, A Good Winner

Enjoying Appetizers And Bean Bag

Mitch Relaxing Back

We played more bean bag, a couple of the games seemed never ending as you have to go out exactly on 15 or 21.  We did not start putting together dinner until about 6:45 when Mitch and I went out to the barbecue and grilled about forty koftes.  We decided to eat inside so we stuffed 13 people around a table best for ten because the girls wanted to sit with the adults, understandably.

Dinner For Thirteen

Dinner was great, nothing left by the end and little clean up because of paper plates and plastic utensils, a great invention for a large group.  After dinner, Marisa and Marlena went for their second paddle of the day, as the day waned.  It's fun to see them get into kayaking.

Nick And Mary, Son and Mom

A Lake Of The Ozarks Couple

Finished With His On Line Accounting Test

Around 8:30, we had the lemon blueberry cake.  Evie wasn't sure how good it would be but the fact there is a small slice left this morning attests to its tastiness.  I loved it, like a rich pound cake with blueberries.  We ended the night playing a wild game of spoons which ended with Jill grabbing a spoon out of Marisa's hand and knocking her out of her chair on to the floor.  And we have a video tape of it for proof.  Jill's a fairly aggressive player!  We all went to bed about 11:00 and Evie and I had to quiet the girls down at 11:20, so we could get some sleep.  Another full day.