Memorial weekend May 2019. Wisconsin daughter is home for a Tough Mudder event. The weather is cold, but the love is warm. I'm guessing behind every story is food for thought... The girls and I went on a kayak adventure. Only two kayaks and three girls - so we give princess the paddle board and put her in the middle as she is not a paddle fan. The wind is ever in our favor on the way to the destination (hidden lake) where it's so peaceful-beautiful. Our connection of kayak/paddle board practically blow us all the way. As always its a great place to just enjoy some quiet. The sky is turning dark and it's time to get going. The way home is nothing if not the hardest paddle of my life so far. Yikes. The wind is storm quality. We laugh, paddle hard and try not to blow backwards all the way home. Maybe a couple of miles. Life is hard sometimes, better with a friend or two!

Side note - It's 10pm and I think - why not volunteer for the TM so I can be at the event while my daughters are running the competitive wave event. Signed up. TM volunteers are treated so VIP well. Start time is 6am though - so wake up is 4:30 am. Yikes. I arrive with my fellow volunteer partner (because lets face it, events are always fun with others), to donuts and coffee.  See volunteering is worth it. We are put in charge of beer tickets - does it get any better? I end up at the ... well end of the event (electric shock therapy - that's a whole other conversation) and get to see my daughters who finish tied for 4th!! Epic! Volunteers are treated to lunch from Panera! again Epic!

July 2019 Lake Fenton
The hot has arrived. Spring was sooo cold - then solstice hit and the 80's came on. Loving the hot!
Happiness comes when the kids are home. Wisconsin daughter and grandsons are here for a week. My other daughter lives 7 house away. How did I get so lucky? The weather is beautiful. The laughter is plentiful.

Today while out on the paddle boat with the girls, the grandson calls out from the dock "grandma, come here" So of course I call back "swim out" But he calls again "grandma - come in" so we start to paddle in and pretty soon it's clear Popa is laying prone on the back of the speed boat on the lift.  Well it is almost 90 degrees out... So we paddle in quickly. Popa isn't feeling so good, stomach issues that have gone too long...Long story short, the girls got him off the boat and onto the couch with a fan, some meds and eventually all better. Popa doesn't take care of himself well. Mostly his eating is unhealthy. This is not a change he is willing to make. Most people I find are not willing to change habits that are causing suffering. It's their choice.

Neighbors - I always knew that I'd have good neighbors. When both sides sold I was excited to see who would be coming. Now, lots of people said to me how they would hate new neighbors as you wouldn't know them and you already knew who was there.  I just never think that way. I know change is always a thing - we are always evolving, I know this. And now I have this surround of boys the same ages as my grandsons. They are constantly swimming (which makes my beach sandy in lieu of mucky - bonus!). They way boys figure out the balance of friendship is an exact science I can only marvel at. I need to take life lessons from a gang of pre-teen boys. We all should take a closer look at how they work out their friendship :). Boys !!