Family Vacation at Lake Chautauqua

This blog contains some of the highlights from our long weekend away. We had a marvellous time! So nice to get a chance to relax together. The children even cooperated for a couple family pictures.

The house we stayed at had a corn hole game and we gave it a lot of action. T-Bob played the most games. He was doing real well with it by the time we left.

The children really enjoyed fishing off the dock.

The one fish that didn't get away. It is a relatively small perch.

I know it looks good-sized, but it really only measured about 8".

Elizabeth had a grand time.

The house we stayed at was lovely! Lots of room. A nice yard and was right on the lake.
This was such a blessing to get away for a little rest and family time.

The boys spent a lot of time the first two days working on the hovercraft.

(see previous blog post)

We did get to play some games inside also.

When I was in college I was involved with Campus Bible Fellowship. The couple that headed it up has since retired and now live in NY. We were able to spend some nice time with them. Wilma is still the hostess. She invited the family over for dinner on Friday night. That is a big undertaking and not too many people are brave enough to do it. She did it well!

Carl is still Carl. We had a great time talking about old times and encouraging one another. It was a blessing.

The children enjoyed gathering tiny snail shells and freshwater clams on the beach.

We had a canoe available to us and the children really enjoyed it.

The boys liked to go out just a little ways when the lake was choppy and ride the waves.

T-Bob spent some time raking seaweed off the beach.

We went across the lake to the Chautauqua Institute and looking at their map of the Holy Land.

We enjoyed a picnic on the beach.

"Shhh, your voice carries!" Was the phrase of the vacation. It was repeated frequently. Usually followed by gales of laughter, that also carried. Fortunately, there weren't too many neighbors close by to disturb.

The boys fished late, until dark.

Elizabeth enjoyed staring into the bonfire.

It was a HOT fire. You almost burned your skin getting close enough to cook on it.

The boys fished early in the morning, too.

The last two mornings there was frost on the grass when we awoke.

It was pretty strange to have frost on the grass in the morning and then have the temperature be 85 degrees when we got home at noon. Wow!

This was the memorable part of the trip. Instead of marshmallows and hot dogs we cooked fillet Mignon over our campfire. I found it while freezer diving. It needed to be used up. It was so yummy! I marinated it in Caesar Dressing and then cut it into cubes. We did roast it on sticks.

I did tell the children that this wasn't likely to become a family tradition!

Our friends, Carl and Wilma, came to the lake to visit us and have lunch.
T-Bob is in that 'bunny ears' stage of life. I will be glad when it passes. Sigh.

We sat and watched beautiful sunsets every evening.

The Creator is the greatest artist of all.

~Mom