A Weekend of “Firsts” …

HELLO SEPTEMBER!

Can you even believe we are almost three quarters of the way through the year?
We are coming into the fourth season, shortly, of 2023!

Time keeps on ticking on planet earth regardless of any other circumstances. Time clicks on, no matter what! We can either take part being present and aware, or we can let time escape us losing notable moments along the way.

I’ve done both, I’m sorry to say. At times, I wish I was more aware instead of rushing through and hurrying to complete the next task on my list. In life’s busyness, it happens. And dreadfully, time can never be recaptured.

So, I hope you took the calendar’s lead this weekend and celebrated the end of summer 2023!

Today, I’m sharing weekend “firsts” around my house!

We had guests at the lake who’ve never been before!

One family was our “niece” and her family of four. Her family is family to us. Her dad and my husband have been friends since they were six, in first grade! We’ve raised our families as cousins. We each had two boys and one girl in that order. Everyone had a playmate!! They live a state away, but we’ve visited back and forth over the years, even vacationing together. “Missa” (short for Melissa, she has many nicknames) hadn’t visited our new home, so she, her husband, son (3) and daughter (2) came to see Uncle Jim and Aunt Elaine. Missa’s parents came too.

ALSO, Missa’s counterpart in our family, my daughter Olivia, and her family came down for the weekend. Liv and Danny have our youngest granddaughter, Delaney.

It was Delaney’s first visit to the lake!!

YAYYYYY!!

Her first overnight at Papa and Zee Zee’s at 4 months old!!

Delaney’s proving to be a trooper traveler and handled all the changes with ease!! She was her happy, jovial self; a joy spreader. She loved being on the dock in nature and proved to be a “Stone” by loving the water. I often said my children are water babies. They’ve always loved the water. Delaney fit that description! She was super content in her floaty. We didn’t try the kayak on this first trip. It would help if she could sit up. We’ll wait for that.

Wyatt and Carly (Missa’s two) loved the kayaks. We heard from the adults that Wyatt fell overboard on the front of the kayak (of course, they had life jackets on). Wyatt told a different account. He said he “jumped off the kayak”. We are not sure where the truth lies, but I believe Wyatt😂.

They kayaked over to the beach around the corner, and both Wyatt and Carly jumped off the platform into the water. Brave littles!

Most of us floated at some point! Hammocks were utilized and Wyatt loved the wench to pull the kayaks out of the water. Who knew it would be so fascinating.

Not only was it Missa’s family’s first time at our lake house…

And Delaney’s first trip to the lake and overnight at Zee Zee and Papa’s …

Glen and Joan, Missa’s parents, had a “first” overnight out in the studio, which they gave glowing reviews, even with the camping toilet.

My husband, had another “first” that made him glow!!! …

Someone other than himself used his new outside shower!! In fact, most of us used it, including Delaney!!

Delaney’s “first Shower!”

Jim has wanted an outside shower for decades. We thought we’d build one at our former house, the River cottage, but didn’t live there long enough. He’s had it on his list since before we moved in and last week, we completed it!

He has not showered in the house once since it was installed. The shower was installed about two months ago, the sides completed last week. I mean, he has showered out there all summer! In his bathing suit, of course. When he’s done with his day’s work, he dives into the lake, swims out to the buoy and back. When he’s done, he showers outside before coming in for the night.

He was ecstatic everyone christened his shower!!

What wasn’t a first was all the good food and a plethora of it!! That’s normal fair for our gatherings. Lots of laughter, conversation, coffee and iced tea.

It was our “first” time to say goodbye when Delaney left Zee Zee and Papa’s. She left “her magic,” as my g-daughter Goldie would say. She gave us a heart full of joy and love.

We loved having all our visitors and sharing our lake and home with them!

I think Wyatt said it best … Missa texted her Mom and said when they were driving away, Wyatt said, “I’m gonna miss those people!!” A three-year-old expressing all our hearts.

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Welcome September! We have crossed the end of summer milestone with lots of “firsts”! Can’t wait to see what else you hold!!

Have you had any “firsts” recently?

How did you mark the end of Summer 2023?

Celebrating Firsts,