chasing flip flops...

It was just that kind of week. 

We needed to get away.

All of us.

So that's what we did.  And for three days, being surrounded by water, seeing breathtaking sunsets and enjoying conversation by the fire was just what we needed. 

Oh, how I wish I could have photo-documented the hilarious and even monumental moments of the weekend, but for now my words will have to suffice....

First, and perhaps foremost, ladies and gentleman I have conquered my fears of giant Ursala-like beings at the bottom of the lake, and will now willingly submerge my body into the lake water.  The fact that it was 90+ degrees this weekend did help put my butt into gear...but I wish to share with you all the good news that I am no longer a wimp.  I swim in our lake. 

Well....it just so happens that after willingly sumberging my body into said lake water my sister and I decide it would be a great idea to relax on two floaties (with freshly iced bloody marys from my fantastic boyfriend in hand), and just drift down the lake.  As we are going through that painfully embarassing process of slinging your body into a floatie without looking like a beached whale, Eric reminds Mel that it would probably be a good idea to take her flip flops off, since they are surely to come off in the water, and it would be a pain to have to hold them.  My sister, Absolut Peppar induced clearly, announces that its "no big deal." 

It was a BIG deal.

Here I am, enjoying the delicious heat of the sun while being partially submerged in what feels the temperature of bathwater without a care in the world, when I hear my sister calling out to her flip flops....AS IF THEY COULD HEAR HER!  Come back, come back, I need to get you....  I look back to see my sister half heartedly rowing herself with her fingers, of course one handed since the other hand is holding the Bloody Mary, towards her flip flops, which were in indeed NOT on her feet, nor in her hands. 

Oh, for the love. 

So, I begin some equally half-hearted attempt to row my way towards the floating flip flops which appear to be moving at a much faster pace than necessary.  Like just all of a sudden the wind picks up and I'm thinking that I'm going to have to get off the raft and actually swim to these flip flops.  And I'm NOT actually cool with that idea, because I didn't want to swim...but of course Mel can't because she's LAUGHING and HOLDING A BLOODY MARY.  Of course, indeed. 

This story does not end well.

I abandon my beloved Bloody Mary and let it float towards my laughing sister while I kick and row my way towards the flip flops.  Except now, the wind has shifted, and so they are going towards the shore.  This is a bad thing. A REALLY REALLY bad thing, so bad I don't even know its badness yet.  You see, because even though I so seriously stated the overcoming of my fear of swimming in the lake, truth is, I kinda am still A LOT scared of what's down there.  I know it's stupid, I know I'm almost 30...whatever.  As I am rowing myself toward the flip flops I find myself being swallowed my a horribly, scratchy, weed like monster in the lake who is getting all tangled up in my legs and arms and I'm just sure it's the arms of Ursala to drag me underneath the sea lake and torture me, so I get the hell out of there.  I mean, as fast as humanly possible, I don't care about your flip flops AT ALL, I want off this floatie, out of this lake, away from the horriblness of whatever that was.  Did I mention I was screaming like a little girl 94 percent of this entire time? 

After some recovery time on the pier, and my sisters sucessful recovery of her flip flops, Eric informed me that I had just simply swum into a patch of weeds up by the shore.  I realize this is a simple explanation.  It does not, however, make me feel the slightest bit better.  That was really freaking creepy.

So....besides my brief encounter with a sea monster we had a really beautiful weekend.  I exercised muscles I forgot I had, just for laughing. 

Here's a few of the moments I did capture...

oh, this is so beautiful.

i know the string bikini throws you off, but she's actually quite the fisherwoman :)

my favorite guy doing his favorite thing...

I caught a catfish (rare in this lake)!!!  It was just a baby one, but he was MAD!  Eric didn't know how to get the hook out of his mouth without getting mauled...luckily, this little guy made his way back into the water.  I'm the kind of fisher-woman who fishes for the sheer pleasure of actually catching something, not ever worrying or gauging whether it's big enough to keep.  I don't eat fish, and I especially don't eat fish from a lake that I have ALLOWED my children to pee in.  Insanity.

I'm proud of my little catfish :)

(isn't he so creepy?  ***shudder****)

and the place where we gathered each evening, sun weary and exhausted and talked
about life and love and a lot of stuff in between. 

but best of all, we laughed.