Our Cabin Runneth Over

Emily, Omar, Sophia, and Omarcito came to the cabin for a week in August, and it was delightful. Sarah had flown out to Wisconsin the week before to visit and returned with them. The weather was beautiful, though it turned hot halfway through. But, you know, lake ... no better place to be, except perhaps a cabin with A/C.

We enjoyed lots of good food. Emily discovered the incredible goodies at two roadside bakeshops, which I may never forgive her for -- maple cheesecake, carrot cake sandwich cookies, 4X chocolate brownies, whoopie pies, and more. She also made amazing birria tacos with rice, pinto beans, pico de gallo, and guacamole for dinner one night. Sarah and Sophia made chocoflan for dessert. I made a lasagna ahead of time, which covered two dinners. And Don put on his famous fish fry.

There were board games and card games (Clue, Apples to Apples, cribbage, Skip-Bo), and the new jigsaw puzzle board was a hit. We finished the puzzle Karen and I had started and bought a new "fish of North America" one at Hero's Welcome. We all played Yahtzee one night, and I won, though Sophia gave me a run for my money.

Emily, the kids, and I went to the farmers' market on Saturday, and Sophia and I both got needle-felting kits from a local farm. I've wanted to try it forever, and I love supporting small farmers.

On Monday, we drove around South Hero Island to beat the heat, stopping at the state fish hatchery and Allenholm Farm for creemees and brain freezes. In the afternoon, Don took everyone but Emily to the underwater beach to swim. It was the perfect day for it with an ideal water level.

Sarah and Omarcito still share a special bond, and she and Sophia always pick up right where they left off.

I took the week off from work -- my first vacation since Christmas -- and it was lovely. I paddle boarded nearly every day and had the bright idea to use a small anchor to moor the board offshore as a swim platform. It was delightful to take a dip in the deep, weed-free, cool water. I will never tire of the treat that is lake swimming.

Of course, lots of the action takes place in the boat. Don has his hands full as captain and fishing guide, untangling lines and unhooking fish. 

Don also oversees the friendly competition for largest fish and largest toad. The lead on certain species changed hands a couple times during the week. But in the end, Omarcito won largest bass category, with an 18-inch small mouth, and the largest toad category, and Omar won the northern pike category with a 30-incher, which also took the largest overall fish category. No walleyes were caught, so Don got to pocket his donation for that category. There were no losers as everyone caught fish and smiles.

We are deeply blessed to have our little piece of heaven where friends and family can gather to eat, fish, and be merry. #CabinLove