Lake Norris Family Vacation

The first week of June, the day after the kids' last day of school, we took a mini-vacation.  After 4 years of not doing our family Dale Hollow/Lake trip, we ended up back in Tennessee at Lake Norris this year. What a beautiful place!

This was a picture as we were getting closer to the lake...blue blue skies and lots of rolling hills around.

This year, instead of house boats, we stayed in floating houses.  Just like houses but anchored on the lake (and just like houseboats in that they don't have real flushing toilets!).

 

One of the houses had a paddle boat which the kids used a lot to paddle around and back and forth between the 2 houses.  

  There was a lot of going down the slide and swimming in the lake.

 And zipping around on the wave runners (which have now been sold :(

And cruising on the boats

 And seeing some very beautiful sunsets on the lake.

The 4.5 days went very fast - but it was wonderful to get to spent that time with the family!!

Happy Birthday Mason!

Our first baby is 17 today!!! Old enough to see an R rated movie without an adult. Old enough to take the car to the midnight showing of Spiderman (which is what he did last night).

There is no doubt that I miss...

this baby face.  The thumb sucking that took until 7? to break (actually, probably longer...)

...the crazy mashed potato tousled haired kid.

...those chubby dimpled cheeks.

...his belief that he really WAS Batman!

...that huge goofy grin (thank God those teeth evened out!)

...pirate Mason and his pirate cousins.

I miss those days and wish I could flashback and remember them all in more detail.

But more than I miss the boy, I love this young man...

...this teenager who still loves to hang out with his pap-pa and cousins

...who is very often annoyed by his younger brother and sister (but also finds it difficult to not be amused by them and their silliness)

...this handsome, smart guy that is growing into his own.  Every, every day he makes us so proud.


In the blink of an eye - ever so true!

Happy Birthday Mason!  We love you!