Summers at the Lake

With this weekend marking the first of June and the weather {slowly} heating up, I can’t help but think about summertime and get excited by all the possibilites that the warm, hot summer days could possibly bring! While the heat may not always be my friend, the sunshine, the warmth on my skin, the smell of the flowers blooming around me ignites my passion for life, every year. Growing up, our family had a cabin at a lake 45 mins away from the city but felt as though it could’ve been half a world away. The minute you hit the park boundaries, you can roll down your windows and take in the woody scent of pine that hits you smack dab in the face. The birds sing for you while you meander thru streets and greet chipmunks, deer, red fox and even, on occasion, a cougar {I have never seen one myself} at every turn. My great grandparents built the cabin and although it was definitely far from fancy, it was our summer retreat..yet another warm place to call home! My dad grew up spending his summers in that place and luckily, so did I.

Of course things change, life happens and people move on. After my grandparents passed away, a rushed decision that turned in to a massive mistake was made and we sold our cabin to a happy family that couldn’t wait to take it off our hands. Its been a mistake that has haunted many of us for years. But, as I said, life happens..people move on. Of course, at the time – I had no idea how important those summers would become to me. They are a part of me. That lake defines a huge part of my childhood and I am so grateful for the memories they gave me.

Now that I am a little older, married and soon to be ready to start my own family – thoughts turn to the lake, the cabin and how badly I want those summers for my own children. I want my babies to put on their water wings and jump off a dock in to the fresh, icy cold lake water and swim all morning til its time to come out of the water and grab a hot dog, fresh from the barbeque. And then I want them to go exploring in the hills to see what “treasures” they can find & bring me before its time to come in for supper while we light a fire below the deck and roast marshmallows. Its a delicious childhood and I wouldn’t want anything less for my {future} babies.

Well, this dream will come true thanks to my hubby and his family, for they have owned a cabin at a different lake for years and have no intentions of making the mistake we did years ago. In fact, on Tuesday, Adam & I stopped by for the first time since closing it last Fall to cut the grass, check on the inside, rake and sweep the deck then bid it adieu til next time when we can stay a little longer.

Now this lake may not be like the one I had growing up, but its just as good!! And the best part? My babies get to enjoy it every summer of their life! Of course, once this dome house of my in-laws is done our next project is to tear this cabin down and rebuild a bigger, dome cabin at the lake but nothing else will change..it will always say “Cosgroves” on the plaque by the door. And that is all I could ask for!

So while many people will be travelling abroad this summer – we’ll be here, enjoying the view with a roasted marshmallow in hand…*sigh*