Portraits of Faith 2: The Cottage

Saturday morning saw us packing up our camping gear, hugging the leftover family that was sticking it out at Sandbanks for a little longer, giving Uncle Ron extra big hugs since we wouldn't be seeing him again this vacation, and heading over to Rock Lake Lodge. Our hurry had reason - we were meeting Rich and Ang and their family for a coffee and a chat before they left the cottage! What a treat to see them - and so nice to catch up, even if it was short. We forged a strong friendship with them during our seminary days in South Carolina, so it's good to reconnect when we can!

Kate and Caleb. These 2 are very similar in personality - full of vim and vigor - lots of imagination, lots of mischief, a love for all things goofy. They've kept up their cousin-friendship through the year by e-mail and they took up right where they'd left off. I like this friendship - it's very entertaining, to them and to us :)

Yvetta got a sunburn on her legs, making her eczema very painful - so we fed her some Tylenol, creamed up her legs, and let all the kids watch a bit of Backyardigans on our laptopl. The distraction worked it's magice (along with the painkiller....) and she was all smiles.

Now, here's the real story of the week..........and it's all about MICE!!!!! The bane of Jo's existence. The terrors of Rock Lake Lodge. It starts with a little scurrying sound and the sight of a long, thin tail disappearing around a beam. And it always ends in screams. Always.

One night was particularily bad. Steve (Rich's bro) and his wife Jo (and their 6 kids) were staying in the big lodge with us (everyone else was in the 2 smaller cabins) but Steve had to go back to work for a coupla days, so Jo was on her own with us. The evening in question saw us chatting with mom and dad and then wishing them a good-night as they went off to bed in their cabin next door. We talked with Jo for a bit longer, planning to also call it a night and get some sleep. But, the mice had other plans.

I'm not sure if I'm remember this all right, but I'll try to recount what happened next. Prior to our evening chat, we'd set some traps in hopes of ridding our "home" of the pesky creatures. One was up above us on a large beam - one of the favourite mice highways, which took them directly over our heads and towards the fireplace, where they would tend to disappear. Scurrying sounds alerted us to their presence. It took mere milliseconds for Jo and I to find higher ground - atop a chair and the couch. Promptly, the trap snapped and then began to move around - signifying that the mouse was not in fact dead, but way more alive than we wanted him to be. Our screams got louder as the trap fell off the beam, mouse attached, and made it's way across the floor. In our terror, Jo and I both jumped onto the same chair and clung there to each other while yelling at Rich to "do something! - get the broom! - finish him off! - kill him!" Rich sprang into action, but it was too late. By the time the broom came down, the mouse had escaped and made its way to safety.

That mouse then haunted us the rest of our trip......dreams of 3-legged mice filled our nights........actually, I think it was only Jo who had nightmares :)

However, Grandpa successfully caught a mouse, held it up as if it were a trophy, laid it on the counter for some unknown reason and wiped up the blood on the floor with our dish rag! All of which had us screaming in a rising crescendo.......

On to nicer things......

During our week at the cottage we took a little detour and visited my grandpa and my aunt Pat and her sons Matt and Neil. Aunt Pat, a famous cook, treated us to her delicious raspberry pie - mmmmm!

We enjoyed our visit - had a bbq and talked until we felt somewhat caught up with each other. Grandpa and Caleb are pen-pals. Caleb started writing to his great-grandpa when he wanted another writing assignment besides doing his daily journal and I told him to write to someone. It's since become a regular thing and we've all enjoyed his letters.

And then, back to the cottage........

Yvetta and Isaac were good friends, often found in the sandbox playing, or "fishing" on the dock or by the water's edge. Yvetta knew our strict rule about life jackets if she was on the dock and by the middle of the week she was actually obeying that rule....... Here she is in a life jacket of her own choosing and putting on, assuring me that "Now I'm safe, Mom!"

Isaac made sure she wasn't using his dad's fishing rod. He let her know that, "My dad will be very upset if you use his fishing rod." Not sure if that was true - we didn't dare test the theory ;)

We drank lots of coffee. At any and every hour of the day.

The kids made up an awesome treasure hunt for us all! Mom remarked on the passing of time and the growing up of the kids - in years past it's always been the adults (usually me!) making the hunt and now the kids are taking it over. Much fun was had!

This little guy is just a sweetie. So nice to have a wee one toddling around. Even though it punctuated the fact that we're past that stage and it's sometimes a little bitter-sweet.

Lazing around. Talking. Reading. Aaaaaah.

This year we enjoyed a lot of soccer and volleyball! It's nice to have our older kids able to participate in a really fun game - we no longer have to "play down" to them - we can play competitively and they can hold their own! Either that, or our idea of "competitive" just isn't what it used to be........

High five, grandpa!

And after many of our games we'd all run down to the lake and swim - so fun to have us all swimming at the same time!

And our evenings were full of fun - and food! Games and good conversation, lots of teasing and the best game of speed-scrabble I've EVER played - thanks to Dad (and his low blood sugar......) ;)

Caleb and Kate had a sleepover of sorts in the upper "living room" under the ping-pong table. Lots of laughter :)

Poor sleepy Luke, accosted by a big bunch of children when he barely had his eyes open. But he makes a good big brother and older cousin.

We brought along 2 packs of sparklers - 20 in each pack, so even the adults got to try. Well, actually, the adults got 1 and they had to share it. By the time it got to Steve it had burned out and he was ready to cry........(centre pic)

And our last night. Shana thought she was being so generous offering to put a pizza in the oven for us to share while we played games. But then, in the speed and excitement of Dutch Blitz she forgot all about it until smoke started billowing out of the oven and I had to fan around the smoke detector with a book.