Last Island Day

Departure day had arrived. My brother and Amanda left the island early in the morning and we were due to leave early evening.
Here is a picture of my brother that I stole from Amanda. He and Amanda put this lego together before we even arrived. Just like my kids, my brother used to be a HUGE lego fan. I think my mom bought him this lego a few years back for Christmas, and Amanda said it was taking up space in their closet (and I guess in New York while they have a nicer apartment than many it is still very very tiny). She decided the island would be the perfect place to put it together and then....leave it there:) I will say it was a very cool Lego.

 Here was Adam with the last puzzle that my sister and I put together.

 The kids out for one last swim even though the weather was less than perfect this last day.

 Alexis jumping over the little waves

 My mom looking at the sky and the very choppy water and saying she did not think we would be able to cross the water this day b/c it was too dangerous. When I am done with a trip, I am just done, and I informed her that there was NO chance I was not leaving that island by 5pm. I did not care what the weather was doing.... I was out of there. Clark had work and a call weekend to start on Friday and I was not waiting until Thursday to leave and have to drive straight through. No....wasn't happening. I was getting so mad b/c I had suggested we leave earlier in the morning before weather got worse.

 Clark was just relaxing and letting me do all the stressing about when we were leaving the island. He was trying to finish a book.

 Nick and I loving on each other for a little b/c he was not coming home with us. He was staying on the island for another week with my mom and Caleb. There was so much family drama about who got to stay. I won't even start to get into it, but I will say thousands of dollars were wasted on getting a plane ticket then changing the plan. Clark and I would NEVER be so wasteful with money. We are more of the stick with a plan and if you have paid for something.....that is what you are going to do..end of story!

 Nick and Cody. My sister's family was not leaving this day. They still had 3 more days on the island. We of course had to come home for work...story of our lives.

 Caleb, Adam, Landon

 Finally there came a point when my mom said,  "okay I think you could try and leave now before the next storm clouds arrived." I moved into action and was frantically trying to get everyone and everything in the boat and get the heck out of there. I could see the sky was not looking so great and we had a 40 minute boat ride. My sister kept wanting to get a picture with everyone, but I was screaming and freaking out and just trying to leave so we gave up on the picture. So we said very fast good-byes to those staying and took off. My mom made my step-dad promise that if it was lightening he would stop...didn't matter where but we would get off the water. The ride started a little bumpy. The water was not smooth by any means. Alexis and I just kept looking at the sky and then each other with a slightly worried look. I was afraid out luggage was going to fly off the boat b/c we were packed in there and basically holding onto the bags. Finally the thunder came. Then the lightening came but seemed a little farther off. Finally the a very very loud boom was heard and felt from lightening/thunder and that was it.....we needed to get out of that boat ASAP. As it turns out we were right by my step-dad's family island where all his sisters were staying at the time. Island 672 which is where he grew up going and owned part of until they bought their own. We pulled in and his sister's came rushing out frantic that something bad had already happened to us. We informed them that we just need a place to stop to wait out the storm. We went in while our luggage stayed on the boat getting very wet from the rain. Oh well....most of it was dirty clothes anyhow. We only had to wait about 30 minutes or so before the weather seemed safe enough to try again. This time we made it. Not sure how the ride back to the island was for Dave, but I was glad to be starting our journey home.

 

Our plan for the rest of this particular day was to make it to Toronto where we stayed all night in a hotel. Of course what should have been a 4-5 hour drive took more like 6 b/c of stops but we did make it around 11pm to our hotel. The next day was more driving. It also took longer. We got lost in Detroit after crossing the border and I was again freaking out b/c we were driving in what appeared to be the worst part of town and I was not feeling too safe. We should have made it all the way home very early in the evening but with traffic, detours, stops for meals, we did not get home until about 8pm. The trip was officially over and the laundry could begin. I think it was  good trip. I would not want to do it again if we didn't have longer time off (meaning be off for a week with weekends in between so that we did not use more days driving than actually at the island).  The kids always have a great time!! Until next time.............

 

2013 Island Vacation: Day5

Almost done. This was our second to last day! We decided to go on an adventure this day. We went to a small island called High Rock where you could go on a very short hike to the top and have a wonderful view of the lake from above. Here are all the kids with Robbie and Amanda. We ended up having to divide them up in both boats to even out the weight.

 Here is Cody...chillin out!

 Here I am with Adam.

 Once we got to High Rock, the kids were running around before we started.

 Here is my entire crew. Alexis loves her very boyish gymnastics hat even if she looks very silly in it.

 Here's my crew with the addition our their cousins. You can see Ryan was not too happy to be taking any more photos.

 On our way up.

 We made it to the top. I have to say that my mom kind of freaked about us taking the kids to do this. Once you get to the top you are on rocks that could be dangerous if you fall off. Basically you fall down a steep side and die. She was so worried the kids would be pushing and shoving each other and someone would die. She did not go up b/c of her back and neck. My sister also waited at the bottom for us to return. I might be deathly afraid I am going to die in a car (a plane is not much better) but hiking does not concern me. I was fine with my kids going but did tell them to get away from the edge a time or two or three....

 Here we are. This is what my family looks like after days in water and really not much in the way of showering. There are showers, but I don't think the kids ever took one and while I did, there was no styling of anything.

 Here is Kim with Cody and Caleb

 My brother with my trio

 Amanda and Robbie

 Closer up! I am just know noticing Amanda's shirt. It has the word RUN so obviously I love it. How did I miss that while we were there. Robbie and Amanda live in New York so I look forward to visiting them some day when I do the NYC marathon.

 Amanda and Robbie with Cody and Caleb

 While the big people were up there taking all kinds of pictures those not being posed were searching for blueberries. There were tons to pick!

 Grandpa with all his grandkids. I know this picture is going to annoy my mom b/c she is not in it.

 Yep that is my daughter. So lady like...

 Caleb with his serious pose.

 After our very little hike we went to Loon Lodge for lunch. It took forever, and I was getting anxious to get back and get the kids in the water since it was finally a beautiful day, and we were leaving the next day. We also had all this food back on our island to eat that now was likely going to go to waste. My brother is at the kids table. My mom is in the background. See....mom there is another picture I took with you in it.

 

 The kids were playing with bugs while we waited.

Finally we got back on our island and the kids went tubing. I went out while the trio were going so I could get some photos since I already had pictures of the big kids from the previous day. I actually thought Clark broke Landon's arm when he got on the tube b/c he had Landon get on first, and then he jumped on landing right on his arm. Landon cried and was in pain, and I was like great...what are we going to do with a broken arm here. In the end he was fine and he was using his arm again even before his turn was up. Clark did feel pretty bad though.

 Here is Clark with Ryan. If you ask Ryan his favorite part of the trip he would say tubing.

 I went out with Adam. He was a little nervous and didn't want grandpa to get so crazy. It was a pretty mild ride. This is drastically different than the trip out with the big kids from what I hear. I guess each of them flew off the tube several times. Probably glad I wasn't there to witness this myself. Glad they had fun.

 We let the trio ride together as we were bringing the boat back in.

 Once back they got back in the water and played on the mat!!

 My sister and I did another puzzle. This might have been the 5th? I was going thru some weird puzzle obsession on this trip!

 Here the kids are chillin watching a movie on a little portable DVD player. My sister simply can't go a week without a TV. You would think it was going to kill her. I didn't care one bit.

 Here Alexis is beating up on her older brother. This girl is one tough cookie, and with 4 brothers she knows how to hold her own. I am confident she is my strongest child.

 Here my brother is giving my mom lessons in driving the Lund. Ummmm...I found this odd since it is my mom's island, and she drives the boats all the time. The real reason they are out together is b/c my brother refused to ride in any boats with my mom b/c she will only get in a boat she can drive due to her neck instability (she has all kinds of neck issues and has had major surgeries, etc after a boating incident several years ago) and he wouldn't have that.  Anyhow this was annoying my mom, and I think it was her way of getting him on a boat with her.  Let him think he was teaching her something. Made my sister and I chuckle.

 Here is Nick trying to escape his sister.

 Adam decides to hitch a ride while Cody is kayaking.

 Nick sporting his life vest. I should have mentioned this earlier but all the kids know how to swim, but my mom has a rule that nobody can break. Anytime you are on the island and not in one of the houses you have to be in a life vest. Doesn't matter if there is no plan to go in the water or not. The kids know the rule and nobody tries to break it. Once you are a good enough swimmer that you can swim all the way from her island around this other little island and back without a vest you are old enough to go without. Thank goodness this rule does not apply to adults b/c I am not sure I could even do that.

 Now after I just typed all about how they would be strung up by their toes if caught without a life vest you see two of my kids near the water without one. In this case they had just come in and taken them off, and I sent them back out to clean off their feet. I gave them permission to break the rule just for a minute.

 We had yet another family meal and the kids played games. I went back and read. Here are all the kids with Robbie and Amanda. Amanda sent me these photos b/c I was already back in my cabin by this time.

 Here you go mom. Amanda got a picture with you in it. Grandma and grandpa with all their grandkids. I just kept thinking all week that we have such a small family. My sister and I always joke that when we say we are getting together with family this is always who we are talking about (with addition of my brother and Amanda this time).  I have a feeling I will know what it feels like to be a part of a much much bigger family when I am the grandparent considering I have 5 kids. I will probably have grandchildren galore. Who knows....Nick insists he is staying single forever and I have Alexis convinced that two kids is more than enough and just when you think 3 is the perfect number you end up with 5....hahaha..just kidding!