Now Approaching... Sleepingbooty's Sept. PTR (We're BAAACK! 9/26)

[eandesmom]

First, the girls back to school pic is adorable! They are getting so big!

Second, the lake house and cabin look fabulous, we have what we fondly call a shack on the river and i hope someday that we (as a larger family, my parents and uncle own it and then my cousins have one on the adjacent plot) can turn it into a true compound!

FUN! Can't wait to hear more about it.

 

[glennbo123]

We'd barely gotten out the door before we made our first stop for gas and "healthy" snacks.

Oh yeah!!! Hostess Ho Ho's are my favorite! Don't give me any of those wanna be brands!

It took them about 2 years to build the house - my uncle did much of the work himself.

Here's a view of the back deck. It faces the lake and is where we spend most of our time:

Nice!

Scott was not looking forward to grappling with it:

Oh, no -- he looks enthused!

Don't worry, I got it honey:

Hilarious! Thanks for the laugh!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

First, the girls back to school pic is adorable! They are getting so big!

Second, the lake house and cabin look fabulous, we have what we fondly call a shack on the river and i hope someday that we (as a larger family, my parents and uncle own it and then my cousins have one on the adjacent plot) can turn it into a true compound!

FUN! Can't wait to hear more about it.

We talk a lot about turning this place into a 'family compound, too.' My parents would like to buy the cabin and some of the land from my aunt and uncle and then renovate / add on / or do something to the cabin. We always have a good time drawing out floor plans. "The bunk room could go here, here's where I'd put the outdoor shower..."

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Oh yeah!!! Hostess Ho Ho's are my favorite! Don't give me any of those wanna be brands!

I opted for the ever popular twinkies. It's funny, we don't typically eat tons of junk food - but boy do we at the lake. We usually come home feeling so bloated that we do a week of healthy vegetarian meals to detox from all the pop-tarts, doritos, and beer!

 

[MHTeacher]

Those are my kind of "healthy" snacks!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Hey SB! I'm slowly catcing up on all the TR's and PTRs.

Great pics. Our school district has pondered the 9 week cycles, but never actually follows through on it. (The theory is that it's too hot in the summertime for outdoor activities and would cost too much to cool the building. Which, with 100+ heat indexes daily, is a valid point. I'd like it so we could do Disney in the off season. If for no other reason.

Looking forward to more.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Those are my kind of "healthy" snacks!

I know! Fruit and veggies? Nah, gimme the hostess!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Hey SB! I'm slowly catcing up on all the TR's and PTRs.

Great pics. Our school district has pondered the 9 week cycles, but never actually follows through on it. (The theory is that it's too hot in the summertime for outdoor activities and would cost too much to cool the building. Which, with 100+ heat indexes daily, is a valid point. I'd like it so we could do Disney in the off season. If for no other reason.

Looking forward to more.

GB! I've missed ya!

That's the main reason I like the cycles too! The good news is, even if we go to a traditional schedule, we'll still have a week long break in the fall - so we'll still be able to Disney in the fall. But I will be really bummed to lose the three week Christmas break. It would have enable us to go to Disney during the holidays but get there before the worst of the crowds. With the new schedule, we'd pretty much have to go the week OF Christmas. No thanks.

 

[klacey1]

Sounds like a fun week!! That house is just beautiful!

 

[Harlie]

Chapter 19. Back In Action



Thursday, 9/23: 50's Prime Time Cafe
4:30pm

Hey Signing in! Maybe I'll see you at 50's Prime Time. Our ADR is at 4:35

I hope your Family has as much fun as we do! There will be 7 of us too!

 

[Harlie]

Chapter 36. Mini TR - Lake Trip, part 1

On July 3rd, we woke up bright and early to leave for our week-long vacation at the lake. I thought we could feasibly be on the road by 9. After all, I'd packed everything the day before. What I didn't count on, was all the preparations Scott still needed to make as we were pulling the boat for the first time. We both grew up with boats, but this is the first we've owned ourselves. Scott's dad gave it to him about a year ago when he'd gotten to the point that he just didn't want to mess with it anymore. He's 82, and although he is in good health and still enjoys fishing, his buddies are all getting too old and infirm so he doesn't have anyone to go with (we live 2 1/2 hours away). Its just a little old fish 'n ski, but we've had a lot to learn as new boat owners. It's hard to back them puppies up! I swear, it was so embarrassing when we first brought it home and tried to back it in the garage. I think it took at least 30 minutes!

So by the time we got on the road it was about 11:30, and we were in for a 4+ hour drive. Turned out to be 5 hours pulling the boat. We'd barely gotten out the door before we made our first stop for gas and "healthy" snacks.

We've been going to Table Rock lake over the fourth of July for many years now. It was often a vacation spot of my family growing up, and about 20 years ago we started an annual tradition. My aunt and uncle bought some property there to retire to and invited everyone down over the 4th of July for a family reunion of sorts. It seems strange to call it a reunion since most of us (those that live in Stl) see each other all the time anyway, but my aunt and uncle had lived in California for many years.

At the time, the property was 13 acres with a 500 square foot cabin. The cabin was pretty shabby, but the property stetched almost the entire length of a very private cove on the lake so it was very nicely situated. We would all set up tents around the cabin, and use the tiny kitchen to prepare meals. Swimming or boating in the lake all day, and sitting around the campfire at night. We had such a good time in those early years.

Here's a pic of the cabin:

A few years after they purchased the property, my aunt and uncle retired from their jobs in California, sold their home, and moved into the cabin full time while they began work on a larger house. It took them about 2 years to build the house - my uncle did much of the work himself.

Here's a view of the back deck. It faces the lake and is where we spend most of our time:

Our extended family has continued to gather there every year over the 4th. Now that the house is built, there are many more indoor spots to sleep, but depending on how many come down, there might still be a couple tents. We brought our tent this year because we knew by the time we got there on Saturday, all the beds would be taken. There were about 25 of us this year! But there would be 8 people leaving on Monday so we'd move inside then.

We never seem to camp as much as we'd like to, and everytime we go to put up this tent we have to figure it out all over again. Scott was not looking forward to grappling with it:

Don't worry, I got it honey:

We managed to get it all set up and then found that both our old air mattress and the new one we'd bought would not both fit in the somewhat smallish tent. Hmmm. I'm not sure how all four of us slept in it before. So we decided that the girls would sleep on pallets on the floor in Nana & Papa's room in the cabin. Since we didn't need both air mattress (and couldn't fit them side by side anyway, I stacked them to give us a little more comfortable bed in the tent.

We got settled in and then joined the family in the big house for dinner. My aunt Linda had made spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. We've sort of fallen into a pattern over the last few years of each night having a different family handle dinner. Our night was Tuesday, and I would be making Italian beef. It was nice not to have to worry about cooking until then.

I honestly don't remember what we did that night after dinner - by that time it was probably 8 or 9, but I'm sure it involved sitting out on the deck until pretty late. There may have been some adult beverages consumed.

Your Family sounds so great! Our Family's Family is small and scattered throughout Canada as far east as Quebec and as far west as BC. Your Family reminds me of my dad's side that live in Thunder-Bay. They all camp together through the summer, have weekly dinners. I always wished I could be a part of that but its too hard being 16 hours away! l hope to have that when our kids get older.

 

[All7OfUs]

The "I've got it, Honey" was brilliant!! Still snort laughing!!

Isn't it great to have a place to go every year?? Last year when Grandpa died, he left the family a houseboat in Tennessee, so we'll likely make that our annual reunion now every year!

The house is beautiful!! Glad you enjoyed it- esp. the ho-hos, or whatever they were!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Your Family sounds so great! Our Family's Family is small and scattered throughout Canada as far east as Quebec and as far west as BC. Your Family reminds me of my dad's side that live in Thunder-Bay. They all camp together through the summer, have weekly dinners. I always wished I could be a part of that but its too hard being 16 hours away! l hope to have that when our kids get older.

Hi Harlie! to my PTR! It is wonderful to have family close by, we are very lucky! So you'll be there the same time as us? I'll have to pop on over to your PTR! I don't remember what time my 50's PT ressie is - is it close to yours? We'll have to have a mini meet then!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

The "I've got it, Honey" was brilliant!! Still snort laughing!!

Isn't it great to have a place to go every year?? Last year when Grandpa died, he left the family a houseboat in Tennessee, so we'll likely make that our annual reunion now every year!

The house is beautiful!! Glad you enjoyed it- esp. the ho-hos, or whatever they were!

Ho - ho's! I wouldn't eat that carp! Mine was the twinkie

A houseboat sounds fantastic. I've always wanted to do a houseboat vaca.

 

[All7OfUs]

I've never had one, so have no idea... twinkies though... mmmm... once a decade they are very good!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I think they have about a 10 year shelf-life!

 

[All7OfUs]

I think they have about a 10 year shelf-life!

I think you're right!

My dad read a funny article a few years ago, and they found that hot dogs were one of the things perfectly preserved in dumps- like they would unearth these things 10 years later and they'd still be.... hot dogs.

 

[Harlie]

Hi Harlie! to my PTR! It is wonderful to have family close by, we are very lucky! So you'll be there the same time as us? I'll have to pop on over to your PTR! I don't remember what time my 50's PT ressie is - is it close to yours? We'll have to have a mini meet then!

Thanks! We just may have to have a mini meet lol! I had read last night that your ADR was five minutes ahead of ours lol!

 

[Harlie]

I think you're right!

My dad read a funny article a few years ago, and they found that hot dogs were one of the things perfectly preserved in dumps- like they would unearth these things 10 years later and they'd still be.... hot dogs.

Ewwww that is disturbing I was planing on Hotdogs for supper I think I will change that to chicken lol!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I think you're right!

My dad read a funny article a few years ago, and they found that hot dogs were one of the things perfectly preserved in dumps- like they would unearth these things 10 years later and they'd still be.... hot dogs.

Ohh, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. Gross. I knew there was a good reason I don't like hot dogs.