Trucking along with the catch-up posts!
When last (last!) we left off...
We'd completed our Canadian trip (complete with bday and illness)...
We'd returned home to maximize friend hang-time/project fun while schedules synced...
And then when quickly reached the day when it was time to decide if we were going to stick to the spur-of-the-moment, crazy, lake plans we made a few weeks ago when we had the delayed epiphany: Oh, hey, it's America's 250th; maybe we should do something to mark the occasion???
Best laid plans, amirght?
I remember the discussion when the hubby and I were like: I mean, we could do something for the 250th, but should we, after returning from Canada a few days prior???
Of course, we made the wise-unwise decision to just go for it. That's what summer is for, right???
But in reality, when the suitcases still hadn't been unpacked from Canada, the heinous possible-flu, very serious respiratory complications were still dragging a few of us down, and we were kind of dealing with household emotional upheaval (tweens/teens...need I say more???), things felt a bit different.
In the end, we absolutely could not pull it together to leave town for the first night of our three-night lake stay, and just had to delay, then throw caution to the wind--and quite literally throw random crap in yet another suitcase--and just go for it..
But, do you know what happened????
We, quite possibly, had a lighter and slightly happier last-minute, spur-of-the-moment, unplanned few days away than we did during the ultra-planned, highly thought-out Canadian trip.
Equal parts frustrating and miraculous--and most definitely a topic for that Bigger Picture Travel Right Now post...for a later date.
Anywho.
We did the lake.
We were hellishly hot and in the water and on the floating obstacle course (!) and in the boat and on the tubes, and playing putt-putt and eating food, and on the dock watching fireworks, and...we needed it.
Badly.
And, now. A picture explosion!
Oh, wait! The most important thing to note: CODA GIRL CAME ALONG!
Yup, Our plans included a pet-friendly condo on property and our fur baby quite literally lived her best life over the holiday weekend.
She was high as a kite, a frantic explorer, the charmer in every venue and the cranky-pants overstimulated toddler at times, and it was the best.
After 637 Barre classes, I thought I was in okay-ish shape, but a giant, floating obstacle course is always there in a lake in South Texas, ready to humble you. ;)
The second full day (the official holiday) involved much more of the same: sun, swimming, obstacle coursing, Coda girl's first boat ride, and all the patriotic flair!
Oh! And in the most coincidental, It's A Small World occurrence...we'd just unloaded from our boating/tubing and were inside at the marina when all of the sudden, Chica started shrieking. One of her closest friends was there, too (as she has a lake house just down the road from where we were) and the odds of them seeing one another--there, of all places--was just wild! And so fun. :)
After all the fun in the sun, we got a teeny-tiny bit cleaned up for a much-needed meal.
As a side note: I can't say enough happy things about seeing about a thousand guests across a giant lakeside resort, all clad in red, white and blue--loud, proud and obnoxious! SO happy and festive.
If my panning and packing had been even better, I would have gone even bolder.
As it was, I was glad we'd managed to bring anything patriotic in the slightest, ha.
You better bet I was super excited when we took a small TV break before fireworks and watched a special episode of one of our favorite streaming shows and I realized I had the same headband as a beloved character, ha.
Fireworks on the water (the reflection doubles the awe-factor!) without the pesky grass??? 10/10.
I'm so grateful we threw caution to the wind and went for this last-minute lake excursion.
Especially since life has returned to extra-hectic now that we're home.
But...more on all of that, later!
Happy Hump Day, peeps!
Over and out.
