Weekend Away

Our neighbors have invited us to their family's cabin a couple times the last few years.  However, we've always had something come up (sometimes at the last minute!) that made a visit impossible.  They were nice enough to try again this summer and we were able to make it!  Because I had to play for church that Sunday we couldn't stay the whole weekend.  But, the time we did have up there was amazingly fun!

We got a late start on Friday and as a result hit rush hour traffic as everyone headed north to their cabins.  Add to it "construction season" and it was a bona fide mess.  We finally arrived and all the kids immediately started running around letting off steam!

We headed out on a boat ride around the lake and back for dinner and a nice bonfire.  The kids bundled up against the bugs and I managed to catch them in a moment of "sitting"...

That is quite possibly my favorite picture from the whole weekend.  But, I did catch them with a more natural grin (and out of focus...darn swing!)

Matt made a huge fire and we were able to just sit an talk and talk and drink and drink.  It was so peaceful and quiet and the fire felt great!

It's a beautiful setting!

When it got dark, Jake came running for my camera (despite the fact that he'd brought his own...) and after we got home, I found this...

We ended up keeping everyone up WAY beyond their bedtimes.  The Murphy's are a gabby crew, I guess.  

Saturday we were treated to a DELICIOUS breakfast of omelettes and cinammon rolls.  So good (and my kids have since been inspired to create their own omelettes now!)  Afterward it was time for a FULL DAY of fun!

Our kids are pretty spoiled with a pool that their mother doesn't like below 85 degrees.  I wasn't sure how they'd handle the temps of the lake.

Matt and Kristy's boys pretty much walked right in...

Our kids did too...then they sucked in a huge breath when the water actually hit their skin.

It started with getting out this huge flotation device and the boys showed Maddie and Jake how it worked.  There's a nice seating area...or you can jump into the middle which actually has a netting so you can't fall into the water, but you can get nice and wet!

Matt took our kids and their youngest out on the boat.  Mike and I were riders and our kids were in a tube being pulled at a very fast speed.  Their youngest looked at me and said, matter-of-factly, "I don't really like to go fast."  Then he proceeded to handle it quite well as the two of us teased each other on who was taller each time the boat took a turn.

They have a great "play" area right at their dock.  Super clear water and a nice sandy bottom!

Then Matt pulled out his Jet-ski and let us loose on that thing.  I got back and realized that is possibly one of the most fun contraptions I have ever been on!

Then Kristy got on and took off and I realized I wasn't even scratching the surface on how much fun you could have riding it!  She was out there spinning and going crazy fast.

Matt got out too and he took things even further standing up and getting the ski-doo vertical and doing spins all over the place.  I had been thrilled to go fast in a straight line.  

I told Mike he could ride with me, but I was driving.  Really, between the two of us, I'm the one who would like to be a race car driver.  (But not the racepark kind in an oval...I want the races along beautiful European roads that twist and turn.)  We practically tipped the darn thing over as he got on, despite Matt warning us how to get two people on safely.  We are nothing, if not excellent listeners.

Mike and I each got a chance to take a solo spin after Matt and Kristy told us how different it was to ride alone.  By the time we got back Maddie was trying to talk us into buying one of these things.

To obtain coolest neighbor status, Matt took each kid out with him (because we were too chicken to teach them ourselves) and let them drive with him giving instructions.  I don't think our kids have ever been so excited over something in a very long time.  (And for the record...their oldest, who is going into kindergarten, can drive this thing on his own too!)

Well, after that, you can imagine how hard Maddie was pressing for us to commit to going home and immediately start shopping for this new toy!

Not only was there all of this, but we had tons of swimming, lots of good food, and plenty of adult beverages to keep us hydrated (but still safe!).  Toward the end of the afternoon Matt took everyone on another spin in the boat where the kids trailed behind in a tube.  It was a great ending to an extremely fun day.

Thanks to our awesome neighbors!  You are great to live across from on a normal day, but we are especially grateful for all the hospitality you showed us during the weekend getaway!  Thank you!!!