Our little piece of Heaven on Earth

Our family is fortunate enough to have a lake house.  Well actually it’s my parents cottage, but they are generous enough to share it with us – well when it’s not a no kids weekend.  This weekend was family weekend, although Eric couldn’t come up because he had to work, we still had a great time!  Here is a peak at what we get to see every night at the cottage.

 

That’s a sunset off our veranda…doesn’t it actually look like a little piece of Heaven on earth?  It’s so nice to just get away to the north woods and away from the hustle and bustle of our busy life down here.  Tucker did awesome on the 5 hour ride up and back.  He’s such a trooper…and bogey is the BEST car riding dog ever!  We set up his pillow on the floor and he slept the ride away.  Tucker did need some entertainment when he was awake, and on the way up my mom kept turning around and playing peek a boo with him, her back paid the price though, but who could resist this smile? I know that I couldn’t…but when you labor a child, you tend to be a bit bias!

Vacations with Tucker are something that Eric and I are just not used to, much less me without Eric.  Without my family to help with the baby and the dog, it would have been miserable.  Until your parenting partner isn’t there you don’t realize how often they are of help to you, especially now that he’s mobile.  Vacations with Tucker are just other places that we do the same thing.  Since Tucker was about 7 weeks old he has been, by Dr. Hankins, opinion sleeping through the night.  Which is stretches lasting 7 hours, I believe.  He set his own schedule early on, and we just followed his cues.  He’s up for about 2 hours and then rubs his eyes and tugs at his ears, which is his tired cues, and takes a 1 – 3 hour morning nap.  If he wakes up crying then he wasn’t quite done with his nap, but tough luck cause he’s up now.  Around noon he goes down for his afternoon nap which is usually 2 -3 hours.  He then eats dinner around 5 bath around 6 and is down for the night around 7.  It’s beautiful, and he did it himself and as his parents, Eric and I are not going to fight him on that.  Although it has been a major wet rag on our social life, it makes for a happy baby which equals happy mom and dad.  It’s actually kinda nice, after Tucker goes down it’s time for just Eric and I, well Bogey too.  It’s quiet down time or time to grocery shop, or just get out of the house by myself.  Someone is of course watching Tucker, well watching TV while he sleeps.  It’s difficult to others who we want to spend time with who don’t have babies, or don’t remember what it was like to have a young baby.  Eric and very much respect that Tucker has set his own schedule and we do our best to follow it, we’re all happier that way.  But taking a vacation totally kills that!

Tucker’s afternoon nap went from 1ish to 4ish, and bedtime was much later the first two nights, which led to a long night of up every few hours, neither him nor I are used to sleeping in the same room.  By night 3 we got it down, but by then we were exhausted!  It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff you have to bring when you’re going somewhere new with a baby.  I definitely take for granted how much we have at the house for him, my in laws have a lot of stuff there, and my mom does too…but travel beyond there and it’s quite a car load.  And that’s just one kid!

here's my dad and me with my 27" northern - Tucker in utero helped too (:

The long weekend was wonderful though, we had all the things we needed, my mom bought Tucker a walker at the Pamida, his own pack and play, a high chair, stroller, and an outside swing that we hang inside from the rafters so he can swing and look at the lake through the patio doors.  I can’t wait til he’s a little bit older and can really appreciate all the fun things that we can only do up there, pontoon boat rides, fishing, boating, long lake swimming, berry picking, and just good quality family time away from internet and the constant noise of the TV. There is even an eagle’s nest and we quite often get to see the eagles flying around, they usually circle around bogey thinking he’d make a good appetizer – which FREAKS me out.  I remember many nights up north where the inspector (my dad) would come down with the headband flashlight before bed and bounce the mattresses my cousins and I were sleeping on, while we laughed hysterically!  I remember fishing for hours with my dad, and more pancake breakfasts than I could ever count.  I have the fondest memories with my family up at our cottage, and this weekend was no exception…it was cold, my OWENGE sweatshirt that I ran back into the house to grab came in handy just about every night, but it didn’t matter, my family O was all there with some of our family new.

Dear Tucker,

 

I have so many wonderful memories up at the cottage with your grandpa, grandma, uncle DJ and Auntie.  I hope that you enjoy your time up there as you grow up as much as I am.  There will come a time in your life where life away from all the amenities you are accustomed to will sound lame and a week up north will suck, but we’re gonna drag you up there anyway…just like grandma and grandpa did to me.  I hope that you’ll always love going up there, we will make sure to do all the most wonderful family adventures with you up there.  God has blessed our family with this wonderful destination, that is a little piece of Heave on earth.  Maybe the inspector will make a surprise appearance for you and your cousins someday.  I love sharing all that God has given us with you.  You’re such a gift to me.  I love you Tucker Tot!

 

♥

mom