Tate Trip 2012

I'll start out by saying - believe it or not - that I whittled down my total amount of pictures for a while before I chose the ones to post.  The result was still a ton of pictures of a sweet annual week with family.  We go to the Tate lake house every summer for a week with Parks' mom, his siblings, and their families.  Not everyone can come for the whole time, but this year we got one great day where we all overlapped. When we go to Tate we spend almost all of our time at the dock.  There is a little "beach" for the kids, a picnic area, and a swing set.  Here are some of my favorite shots from the week of our time at the dock, in no particular order. 

Hadley loved the water.  Every time we let her she just crawled right in to the water until she was submerged.  Her eyes would widen under water in surprise and then we would grab her up.  Taking the kids to the lake is so different than taking them to the beach because there are no waves to drag them under and so the watching parent's job is far more relaxing then what I'm used to.  

Charlotte off on her own, building a castle, as usual. 

Lily Kate lying in the sun (with some kind of snack in her mouth?)

Love this shot of Parks' sisters,  Sarah & Becca.

Laura & Myers.  I think this is a framer.  

This is precious Connor.  He is just 3 months older than Hadley.  He was walking in the sand and loving life all week.  He and Hadley played near each other most of the week and every once in a while one of them would wander over to the other and touch their nose and or pat their face just to check each other out.  In a couple years they will be running off together, playing. 

Henry and Hadley

Parks and Patrick facilitating some cousin bonding time.  

Myers and Henry turned Lily Kate, Charlotte, and Lillian into sand mermaids.  (This is becoming an annual favorite of theirs).  

Hadley & Will.  Will is a camp counselor this summer so he was only able to come for part of his weekly 24hr break.  We love having him around.  

Handsome Henry.  This picture makes it look like he got some rest.  He was actually playing with the little girls almost the whole time.  They adore him and don't often let him out of their site.  He is SO helpful and thoughtful and offered to take them so we could cook or eat or take care of Hadley.  Love him!

Here Hadley is climbing up the little hill out of the water.  I would repeatedly put her at the bottom to give her something to do that would keep her busy and keep her out of trouble (eating rocks and crawling under water).

Sani and Hadley (Parks' mom)

Parks was on a quest to catch a fish.  It began with him lying on the dock, trying to lure them with bread and grab them with his hand...... didn't work.  

......so it progressed to him crafting a spear from an oar and our watermelon knife. .....also didn't work. (he stayed with this one a couple days though)

finally he and Lily Kate grabbed a good old fashioned fishing pole and here is their little catch.  LK reeled him in and boy was she proud.  I don't even have to tell you that she had absolutely no interest in getting close to it.  

Parks did.  

This wasn't a great quality picture but it shows how high these girls would swing when Henry pushed them. Seriously flying. 

Connor & Patrick

Me with my biggest and my littlest

Parks and me with Connor.

Here's our middlest (she has begun referring to herself this way for about a month now)

Aunt Becca and the babies.

Happy Hadley