Jonesie Bug & Freddie Bear: Lake Season 2017: Trip One

Well, well, well.

It's lake season at last!

This year, the season got started more quickly than in years past. We'd planned to go to my cousin's wedding, but that fell through, and after it did, Jeremy got invited to fish in a tournament with his buddy Chuck, so we decided the whole family would tagalong and make some fun out of it.

And fun it was.

It astounded me how much the boys remembered about the lake, though they'd not been there in nearly nine months. Even before we got there, Jones was talking about sitting in his blue chair, and Freddie, of course, brought up "the tree tunnel," which leads us into McCracken Cove.

I have to say that I get the sense this summer is going to be absolutely AMAZING, lake-wise. The boys are REALLY into the water now. After discovering the lake ramp down by the Cunningham's dock, they'd honestly prefer to play there - throwing sticks and stones into the water - than get on the boat! This, of course, reminded me of the MANY HOURS I spent on the same sort of ramp at Lake Hartwell, so I was quick to indulge their boat ramp whims, as I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting my own.

Sleep continues to be the only bedeviling part of being in Hayesville. Jones was up at 5:15. IN THE MORNING. If he keeps that up, I'm getting him a tent and pitching it on the bank - WAY out of my early morning earshot.

Here are the highlights:

1) I loved watching the boys help Nana set the table. Apparently, Freddie is her regular helper at her house in Canton, but at the lake, as soon as she said, "Freddie, do you want to help me ...?" Jones chimed in, "I'LL help you." That was so sweet to see them working with her.

2) Jones has always loved corn, but on Saturday, he asked to eat it on the cob. Nana gave him half of her ear. He then asked for the butter and spread it out. The part of the pat that was left, he just put in his mouth, eating the whole thing.

3) One down side of going out this early was the pollen. Freddie's poor eyes were almost swollen shut on Sunday. Amazingly, just by riding in the filtered air of the van on the way home, the swelling was almost all gone by the time we got home, but most of the redness remained.

4) Both boys practiced blowing their swim lesson bubbles in the lake water before I saw them to stop them. Sara Grace would be so proud.

5) Sunday morning, Freddie and Jones were playing on the porch. Freddie started literally walking on Jones. Through laughter, Jones was saying, "Stop it! Stop it!" But Freddie kept saying, "He wikes it! He wikes it!"

6) Again, they were well loved at our lake church. The Interim Pastor was a one-time lead singer of the Inspirations, so he made music part of the sermon, which I, of course, loved!

7) When we pulled into the parking lot, Jones saw the stained glass and said, "Hey, Guys! Do you see what I see? The Rugged Cross on our Lake Church!"

8) When Mr. Pressley sat the platter of roast beef in front of Freddie's place at the table, Freddie excitedly said, "MEEEEEAAAAATTTTT."

9) As per usual, Jones ate ALLLLLLLL the watermelon.

So that's it. We have no specific return on the calendar yet, but if Jones has his way, it'd be soon. When we were leaving, he said, "We will come back to da wake house tomarner. Okay?"

Okay.