Gordon the fish.

My dog, Gordon, is three years old and has always loved the water. He loves to boat, swim, play on the beach - he's a water dog at heart. Gordon is basenji/chihuahua mix, only ways eighteen pounds, is very agile, very fast and very smart. When we adopted him we thought he was a white german shepherd/basenji mix, which would have made him at least fifty pounds, but he's turned out to be perfect. We found him at a local Humane Society, fell in love with him right away, plus it felt good to teach Logan to adopt a puppy versus buy a puppy!
This week Gordon has been quite entertaining during our lake adventures. . . He has been obsessed with swimming with Logan, so whatever Logan is doing, Gordon is doing. He is running down the dock jumping in, he's eating the spray off the waterguns, he's having snack breaks with Logan, he's fetching the ball - I should say at this point that this warms my heart, watching my boy and his dog having a great summer together. I usually float on a raft, talk to my dad/uncle, throw the ball with Logan/Gordon, and judge Logan's many jumps off the dock. Gordon uses my raft as a 'home base' - he jumps off the dock, swims to me, climbs up onto the raft, and hangs out until he's ready to jump in and swim again. He is a very busy dog at the lake, he LOVES it and its impossible to keep him out of the water. One day last week he had been swimming for a few hours when he climbed onto my raft, rested for a minute, then I hear, "Hey mom, Gordon's peeing on your raft!" Yes, I said peeing on my raft! I was off the raft by the time Logan finished his sentence, and so was a very startled pooch. We swam over to the dock, got him out, and let him finish relieving himself up on the seawall. I was shocked! I've been boating all me life and I've never seen a dog pee off dry land. A few days ago, we were swimming off the dock again and Gordon was stoked as usual - first, he was jumping from the dock to the toon floating the boat lift and fell between the toon and a metal bar, didn't even stop his little legs from running, I don't think he even noticed. Then, an hour later I was relaxing on my raft when I look up and see Gordon peeing off my raft into the lake! This time it wasn't landing on my raft so I didn't dump him, but seriously have you ever heard of that? I guess he just didn't have time to head to dry land.
This dog is becoming a fish. Gordon is the first one in to swim, he wants to ride the tube with the kids, and he loves a good boat ride! I love my little pooch and his love for Logan and the water. Gordon got very sick a few days after we brought him home, with treatment and time he made a full recovery. The vet told us the rescue group that was scheduled to take him would not have had the funds to treat him, so I've always felt that this little pooch was meant to be with our family.
Gordon does lots of funny, entertaining things, but he has become quite a showoff at the lake! You've never seen a happier dog than our little Gordon.

The luckiest girl in the world.

The past few weeks I have focused on Logan, my husband, my family and having a good summer. I would say so far I have had a great summer, there have been a few moments of stress, but overall life has been very good. (This is where I knock on wood, cross my fingers, and say a little prayer for this to continue.)

I don't ever forget how lucky I am to be surrounded by my family, floating in a lake, drinking a hard lemonade, any day I feel like getting myself out of the house. The best part is my family feels lucky to have me around too!

Fourth of July weekend we celebrated my cousin's thirtieth birthday, my mom's fifty-ninth birthday, my nephew's first birthday and our ninth anniversary - I know, its a BIG weekend in our family. Technically our anniversary and two of the birthdays are on June 29, but we usually celebrate the Saturday before the Fourth. We were also thrilled to be able to talk about my cousin's upcoming wedding, to a woman we love, this September in Florida. This was a busy, but great weekend! At one point my son counted twenty-four people floating off the dock, hanging out on boats, and enjoying the day together. How lucky are we to have so many people coming together to celebrate each other and our lives together!?

Most days this summer Logan and I have gone to the lake and spent the afternoon with my dad and uncle. There have been varied guests - my soon-to-be brother-in-law, a childhood friend and her family, Logan's buddies, Logan's teacher, and many of my parent's friends, but the main cast rarely changes. I love my family, I love the way I was raised, I love the relationship Logan has with my family, I love that my parents tell me they love me everyday of my life - I feel so blessed.

There will be many more days on the lake this summer, and this fall we will all come together in Florida and celebrate the love my cousin shares with his fiance. Its been a long time since we had a big family adventure in Florida, and this one may be the best one yet! A beach side, barefoot wedding, Logan is a ring barer, and I can't wait to part of their day. My husband and I were married under a white archway, lakeside on the lake I've grown up on, leaving by boat with my cousin at the wheel and honestly, the beach is the only other place we would've had our ceremony. So, I am thrilled my cousin chose the beach, and not surprised at all. . . we were raised together and have similar ideas on how to enjoy life. I love him like a brother, Logan calls him Uncle, and we've always been able to count on each other. He was the only one I ever asked how he felt about my husband shortly before we got engaged, what he thought mattered to me, and we had a very honest conversation - I was happy to hear he good things to say.

I hope you all have family in your life, people that have known and loved you longer than anyone else. I am blessed with a son, husband, parents, cousins, aunt and uncle that has been with me every step of the way - we've had our problems, we've had our disagreements, but in the end we always come back together, usually stronger than before. I am lucky - my family loves my unconditionally and they have proved it time and time again.

When I think of the best memories, the best moments in my life, my family is part of almost all of them. Birthdays, vacations, holidays, or just simple moments in time that stay with you always. . . spending time together almost everyday growing up, training our dogs together in 4H, years of tubing/boating/riding waverunners, two weeks in Yellowstone, Christmas vacations in the sun, many beach trips - watching my uncle walk Logan into the Gulf of Mexico for the very first time, and countless hours just floating, talking and being together in the lake. I really do feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world!

Well, I'm going to go call my dad and tell him I love him, maybe you should do the same!

A day in the sun

Today was one of those almost perfect days - one that I hope to have many more of this summer. Logan and I were lazy most of the morning, playing cards and watching cartoons. After lunch we met one of my closest friends, Angie, and headed to my dad's for an afternoon on the lake. The weather was not too hot, but warm enough to swim and play in the water. We loaded the cooler, put on our sunscreen and stopped by my uncle's dock to pick him up. Then, we took a nice cruise to show Angie part of the lake, and beached the boat on a small island for Logan and Gordon to play.

I think I've mentioned my dad and uncle were stay-at-home dads, so we have spent a lot of time together my entire life. Now they are both mostly retired and I love being able to spend time with them on a regular basis - its no secret I'm a daddy's girl and my uncle has always been like a second dad. We have a lot of fun together, Logan loves spending time with both of them, and we have made so many amazing memories over the years. I cannot imagine what life will be without the three of them to laugh with, swim with, or just hanging out in the summer sun and be silly. We're kindred spirits, my dad, my son, my uncle, my cousin, and me - we love our summers, we love our lake, we love our time together.

My life is hard. . . it is filled with pain, nausea, vomiting, joint pain year round, but in the heat of the sun I feel a little better. In the summer I feel a little less miserable, and I feel blessed to be able to take advantage of that time with some of the people that mean the most to me in life. I've always said that I have plenty of reasons to be thankful - these people, these memories, these almost perfect days top that list.

The teachers let the monkeys out!

Summer break is finally here and Logan is all mine once again! We're going to swim, play, read, and have adventures together. I truly appreciate that in years to come, not far from now, he won't be interested in spending his summer days hanging out with his mom. It is a gift and a curse all at once to be so aware of the fact that some of my favorite moments in time are growing fewer and fewer. . . my time with my dad is SO precious to me, and my time with my son while he is still my little boy, before life has touched him with bills, worry, or responsibilities. I am in the middle of some of the best times in my life and I just don't want it to change.
I understand that there are joys with every age: the joy of watching your baby grow into someone that contributes to the world, the pride in seeing person you helped create mature into a loving, intelligent adult, the freedom to concentrate on myself, the ability to spend more time to my husband and I would never overlook the love of grandchildren. Unfortunately, those things don't seem to outweigh the fact that right now I can walk into Logan's room at night just to see his face, or snuggle up with him at any moment. I can call my dad any day of the week to meet him for lunch, call him at any time to ask for advice, or just go hang out with him because I want to. I can't work, I have friends, but my relationships with my husband, son, mother, and father are definitely the closest to my heart.
Don't make the mistake of thinking I have no interests beyond my son and my parents . . . just last weekend my husband, several friends, and I took a roadtrip to see Phish play two nights in a row. I love to spend time with my husband, we have date nights, take trips together and spend a lot of time hanging out as a family. I have amazing friends I love and depend on. There are many things I am interested in including reading, crafts, boating, travel, music, but all of those are secondary to my love of being a mother and my love for my family. I will always find a way to pass the time, but its hard to believe anything will compare to right now.
This is a summer I will hold close to my heart, this is a time I will always remember - my son is with me all the time and making memories with my dad he will have for the rest of his life. My father is seventy-three years old, Logan's other grandparents are all in their fifties. . . yes, if you do the math my mom is fourteen years younger than my dad;) Logan is old enough to remember these adventures with my dad - I have memories of my time with my grandfather Beem, when I was a little younger than Logan, and they are memories that I cherish to this day. So, it means more to me than most to be able to give that to Logan - time with his grandfather while he's healthy and able to just play.
I hope you have something in your life that makes you appreciate the moment you're in. I hope you have someone you love to spend your time with making memories to hold close to your heart forever! Have a great day, and remember to find a reason to smile:)

Summertime, and the livin's easy

Less than two weeks until Logan is done with second grade and our summer can begin! Summer has always meant time with my dad/uncle, swimming and boating everyday, lots of time on trails with family/friends and dogs, and long days of sunshine. I LOVE summer!! These are the memories I hold closest to my heart... the moments when my cousin and I were kids and our dads were home full time, we'd spend all day swimming, tubing, playing outside til the sun went down. We'd pretend we were surfers and stand at the very front of the boat with our arms balancing us as we tried to stay standing. We still play together on our lake, now there are bigger toys, and Logan is the little boy trying to surf at the front of the boat.
My dad turned 73 years old this year. He is active, vibrant, and ornery - which I am very thankful for because I cannot imagine my life without my father. The term "daddy's little girl" doesn't quite cover our relationship. He is my daddy, my friend, my advice giver, and resident worrier. My dad takes Logan and I to FL once a year for a great beach trip. We spend every second together, relaxing, playing on the beach, eating yummy food, and truly enjoying each others company. It makes my heart glow to think of all the memories Logan has made with my dad, who he calls GiGi.
Gigi and Logan have had many adventures together, but for the past few years one of their favorite things has been tubing. Gigi drives the boat, pulling Logan all over the lake until he gives up and is ready float in the warm water. They have so much fun together - all day water gun fights, playing catch, or just being silly. Our summer days together are my favorite.
Summer and sunshine make me smile, they make my body move easier and my head pressure lower. I love summer for its long days, warm waters, big BBQs, concerts under a starry sky, but most of all for the memories we make together. I realize my dad won't be here forever, and Logan will grow up someday, so this year I'm not going to take a single moment for granted. If you want to find me, I'll be in my bikini, floating in the lake with my family and friends - hard limeade in one hand and throwing my dog's ball with the other:)