Lake 2012: Swimming

Our kids spent so much time in the water -- Thea Belle and Lincoln were like little fish. Atticus and Deke put on life jackets and went out as far as they could. One day another mom at camp caught the older boys off the end of the pier -- like 20 times. One day Atticus hit a low spot, without his jacket, and started to panic...he was kicking up off the bottom to gasp for air and then sinking down under again. Finally he got out a scream and Brad saw him and raced out into the lake with all his clothes on. Brad saved him. It all happened so fast. I am utterly thankful for the happy ending. And thankful for all the swimming Atticus did after that.

 

I didn't get many photos of these two in the water because they spent alot of time farther out from the shoreline and most of that time the were horsing around so photos would have looked like globs of arms and life jackets and backs of heads.

After Max's birthday party, Thea started the after party by wading out into the lake with all her clothes on. All the brothers and cousins who could walk soon followed (-:

Daddy-Propelled Kid Launching

Thea requested these two photos.

Grandma and Grandpa bought these rad inflatables.

The airplanes have water guns that are attached...cool!

One day Atticus wanted to see the camp across the lake, so he and I kayaked over to it. Then I took the other three kids on shorter rides. Dietrich wanted to float in the water in his life jacket way out in the middle, so we compromised and went a little way out from the pier. He did great and was so happy with himself.

Thea relaxing...

 

Grandma Nancy with my niece Ivy

 

Kara, Brad's sister, took this photo and the next two. Lincoln ran down the pier and full-on belly flopped into the lake like 42 times before we grabbed a camera and then he would only cannonball for us. Still, he is awesome-sauce.

   

Okay...let's see the birthday party...next post coming soon...

Shoot Me!

So, as I mentioned two posts ago, my friend Amy Majors bravely attempted to capture our family on film. Lesson #1: Make sure I have an outfit planned out (not just all the kids and Brad -- aargh!) Saturday morning, minutes before Amy was to arrive, I had tried on 14 outfits panicked that I had actually forgotten? irrationally ignored? pessimistically overlooked? the fact that I actually hadn't decided what I should wear. I had seen women (on fashion blogs) try the nineties button-down shirt waist tie thing. It looked cute on them. Hrmmph -- I will not be doing that again, though it is memorialized on film. Anyhoo. Lesson #2 Always do group shots of the kids FIRST, not last. They were in the foulest moods ever. Lesson #3 If possible, do not take family portraits in the summer in the midwest -- I was freakin' hot and that makes me miserable and even more awkward at looking carefree (ha! Sarah Johannsen carefree! -- again, I say, ha!) and sunny. Lesson #4 Always do a last minute check of your husband too (not just the children) -- Brad, the man who never forgets his belt...well, you can see how that went. Phooey. Despite all of these things, Amy did a great job and I so thankful to have some photos of us all together. Poor Thea Belle -- never really trusted this whole thing until we were back home on our front steps and she gave out a couple smiles at the very end, after the boys were officially through.

I asked both sets of our folks to come up to get photos with them and some with just them and the kids. My folks could not arrange it, but I was happy that Tom and Nancy made it up!

Dietrich giving it the college-go!

Note: Atticus really is good at this kind of look.

Thea -- a tiny, but real little smile!!

   

 

By this point, I ridiculously bribed the boys with action figures from Target if they would cooperate for just 15 more minutes. Thea Belle obviously did not understand the stakes.

 

Then I handed Thea her doll and her spirits lightened...