Cottage Country : Kahshe Lake

Our time at Kahshe Lake had me feeling all warm and fuzzy from beginning to end. It is one of the most special places to me on the planet, so rich with memories from childhood to parenthood, and everything in between. I must have learned how to swim in this lake, and I played a million games of gin here with Grandpa, and dried Fiesta Ware dishes while Grandma washed. There were the boat rides to the other side of the lake with Dad, to get ice cream- usually a Drumstick, singing along to the sound of the motor. The cry of loons on the lake, the smell of pine trees, and the perfect sand of the little beach, where Bryan, Andy and I once built a magnificent "Mayan Civilization" sandcastle. We listened to Nat King Cole, and ate oatmeal cookies. There always seemed to be tomato sandwiches. Sometimes there would be aunts, uncles, and cousins at the cottage, and we could all run around together. At the end of a day of swimming, waterskiing, canoeing, clambering over rocks and through the woods, happy exhaustion would set in. Nights here would be over in an instant. I always felt, when I awoke in the morning, as though Kahshe Lake nights had some magic to them.

I've been aching to share some of the magic with Clara and Trevor. And magic it was. Sigh. Almost the whole family was there, and the kids got to hang with folks they'd never met, and others they haven't seen in way too long. I took eight million pictures, because I want to remember every lovely minute of it. Here are a few:

Best swimming lake ever:

Awesome dock time with the fam:

Aunt Jan's amazing goody bags, and her adoring fans:

Aunt Shelley, Clara's wonderful nail technician:

Cousin Ashley (I'm so grateful that technology allows us to hang out, Ash!) with Isabelle, who is sporting some Sens water wings. Come to think of it, I can't believe Ashley let her be photographed wearing those things! :) :)

The insanely adorable cousins who would not sit still for a photo. We're just missing Irena and Tristan, and we'd have the whole gang:

The cousins with Laird, who fits in well: :)

More tubing:

Aunt Jan's famous cheese ball (okay, my mouth is seriously watering just from typing those words. I'm not kidding. And there was tons of other incredible food around, too.):

An attempted photo of all six kids sitting in inflatable boats:

A Kahshe Lake sunset:

And little girls for Clara to love. Heather was by Clara's side almost all day, and Isabelle warmed up later on. Heaven for a 9-year-old:

The path down to the lake. This view instantly takes me back:

All of us (minus the bottom third of Uncle Bill's face, and Cindy and Jay, who were taking the picture):

It was wonderful. Plain and simple.