Memorial Day weekend/Emily’s first cottage trip was a huge success! Two years ago when we took Lucy for her first cottage trip I swore I’d never go back. Our first trip with both girls, however, went fantastic and I didn’t want to leave!
Packing was a bit daunting, but Lucy helped out by loading up every one of her stuffies from her crib.
We decided to try something new and drive up Thursday evening at bedtime instead of waking up Friday morning and going. Both girls did great, but we were surprised that Lucy didn’t fall asleep! She talked, read, played, and watched the Kindle for the entire 2.5 hour trip and then, thankfully, took a bath and went to bed without a fight around 10pm.
Not a bad view for the weekend!
This was Emily’s first time meeting Aunt Sarah and Uncle Brian. They wasted no time snuggling that baby up, and I’m pretty sure they think we are lying about the colic because Emmy was a dream baby most of the weekend!
The first walk of the weekend with cousin Tommy. #curlsandpigtails
This ErgoBaby was the best purchase ever. Emmy was so cozy, and I was comfortable walking with her. Other than walking back up a sandy hill at the end of our route, wearing Em was super easy and didn’t tucker me out at all.
Lucy never lasts long in the stroller, but we’ll take whatever we can get. We let her walk for awhile, and she stopped to pick up every stick she saw. It took a while, but we finally convinced her to put all the sticks in a grocery bag and let Matty carry her on his shoulders.
The first boat ride of the season . . .with snacks, of course!
My SIL, Sarah, is extremely pregnant and due this month with a baby girl. She is a very tiny person and is handling her big belly like a champ, though!
I love this picture and wish Emily was in it!
It is a blessing and a curse that Lucy LOVES the water. It was very cold, and I made it very clear to Matty that I would not be participating in any water activities this weekend. He was so good about getting in and playing with Lucy. She jumped off the boat into his arms and got dipped in the water countless times.
The water was coooold!
On Saturday morning the guys spent some time cleaning the boat and bringing out the grill and all the deck furniture so we took the kiddos to an orchard/farm nearby.
They looked at lots of animals . . .
. . . crawled through tunnels . . .
. . . road tractors . . .
. . . and safari cars . . .
. . . kissed animal statues . . .
. . . and ended the trip with a chocolate donut with sprinkles!
Sarah got lots of practicing handling Tommy while holding a baby. I think Emmy enjoyed the built in shelf that Aunt Sarah’s tummy provided.
Lucy’s first s’more did not disappoint! We had every intention of making a fire for the kiddos before bedtime, but we ran out of time and they needed to get to bed, so we just made them in the microwave. #classy #stilldelicious
We ended up needing a new grill, so the guys headed out to Big Rapids one morning to go buy one. The kiddos were sad to see them go.
The new grill is definitely an improvement!
Aunt Marie drove in from Frankfort on Sunday to visit. She finally got to meet Tommy and Emily!
How sweet is this picture?!
On Monday morning we took the kiddos to a church camp/playground on the other side of the lake. It was way windier and cooler than on our side of the lake. We had packed lunches to eat and planned to stay for awhile, but we quickly realized we wouldn’t be staying long. The kiddos didn’t care about the temperature, of course, and walked right into the water.
You can see the wind blowing their hair here. It was not a gentle breeze. Grandma Ri stayed in the car with Emmy, I walked around with a towel wrapped around me, but these kiddos got wet and played in their wet suits for about 45 minutes!
Lucy tried to give Matty a ride on her tricycle.
She pedaled on her own for the first time and did a great job!
We only had baby toys at the cottage, so we ordered a bunch of new toys and had them delivered the day we arrived (thank you, Amazon Prime!). We opened a few each day, and one of them was a water table. It was a big hit and gave the kiddos something to do on the deck.
We like to indulge in unhealthy late night snacks at the cottage. Something we never do at home, but just seems necessary at the lake! One night I was super tired and went to bed early with the understanding that the seasoned curly fries we bought were NOT going to be made. The next day I woke up and Matty showed me this picture. They only made a small pan of them, though, so there was plenty leftover.
Uncle Brian working his magic on Emmy. Too bad he lives six hours away.
There was barely enough room for Lucy amongst all her stuffies in the pack n play, but she loved it and slept like a champ so we didn’t care.
Snuggle buddies.
And puzzle buddies.
A new toy box to store all the toys. Now we just have to figure out where to keep it.
Here’s Emily watching her sister and cousin play. She had plenty to look at all weekend long.
Cousin Tommy loved looking at Emily and kept saying, “Baby!” He’s definitely ready to be a big brother.
And then we came home, and Emily resumed her constant night time crying. It was a great trip, though, and a great way to kick off the summer season. We are looking forward to several more trips, however the Brennan side won’t be joining again until Labor Day weekend . . . which will be their first visit as a family of four!
XOXO
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