The Gerda Family: Summer

Here we are...Another month has gone by and I haven't posted anything! I just can't seem to find the time. I'll blame it on all the fun we've been having this summer!!! Summer officially comes to an end on Monday when kids head back to school. It's been a WONDERFUL summer!!! So many great memories!!

I guess at this point, the easiest thing to do is recapture the summer in a few separate blog entries. This will also be fun for me to reflect back on all the adventures we had!

Summer started with a trip to San Diego, where I participated in the Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon! Cara and I raised over $6,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and spent 5 days in California. Other than our mini-trip to Savannah last November (for the Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon), this was our first get-away together since having kids! It was a well deserved break and we soaked up every minute of it!!! Don't get me wrong, we were anxious to see our little munchkins when we returned!! Joe and Andy did a great job with the kids while we were gone. Joe ventured to Savannah with Jensen, Keaton and Bailey to visit his family for the weekend.

One June 15, we all piled back into the car and headed north. We got smart this time and drove about 9 hours, spent the night around Columbus, OH and finished the 5 hour drive the following day. We also had a chance to visit with the Gerda's (in Cleveland), who we'd not seen in almost 3 years. They had not met Jensen or Keaton before so it was a fun visit!

Joe and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary on June 16! We were able to celebrate it on the beautiful grounds of Chautauqua Institution with all of the Swanson family, as we were all gathered for the real celebration...Gram's 95th birthday!!! It was such a treat to have everyone together when the weather was beautiful and we were able to enjoy the grounds in the sunshine!! And the weather was truly perfect that week! We went on walks, visited the shops, swam in the pool, let the kids play in the field and at the playground. The entire week was awesome!! And so much fun to have the next generation of little ones together!

Joe had to fly back to work for a week, while I stayed in WNY with the kids. It was a real treat to stay for three weeks this summer!! My parents decided to sell their lake property, better known to everyone as "The Land." So with the closing happening at the end of July, we wanted to spend all the extra time we could up there. Joe flew back up and we were all able to spend another week together enjoying the boat, swimming off the dock, playing at Sandy Bottom, Midway Park, swimming at Moon Brook, going out to eat and of course many Bemus Point ice cream cones!! And God provided the most amazing weather for our extended stay!

When we left to drive back, saying goodbye was different this time...We had experienced our last boat ride, our final campfire at the land, the last cocktail on the dock. Molly and I wrote a poem as a celebration to The Land and all the amazing memories that were created there throughout the years...

The Land

More than just a plot of land
A treasure full of memories stand
Tons of smiles, laughs and tears
Have been shared throughout the years
Birthdays, cookouts and commemorating graduations
Cocktails, breakfasts and wedding celebrations
Campfires, s’mores, and tent campouts
The festivities were bountiful, no doubt
Grandpa’s red liner & the brown boat
A vessel called Just Lookin’ & Shamu, the whale float
Green pontoon, kayaks and many a canoe
Have graced the land and sailed the blue
Boat rides to camp and fun adventures in the creek
The grassy green land, ideal for picnics and bare feet
Early morning ski sessions on a glass-like condition
Rough water tubing, staying on was our mission
The upkeep was nonstop, that’s for sure
Painting of horses and staining of chairs was definitely hard work to endure
On top of mowing the grass, cleaning the shed and sweeping the ducks’ mess
Hauling the dock in and out was always a stress
The Fourth of July, a highlight of the season
Flares, sparklers and fireworks are the reason
A bright red circle the lake became
The view from The Land was fit for a frame
Sandy Bottom and Long Point on an anchored boat
Diaper-like life jackets kept us a float
Journeys from Tom’s Point and end of dock swimming
Made for splendid summer moments brimming
Chautauqua Lake, a place we call home
The Land forever our Kodakchrome
The memories we share will never go away
In our hearts, the real treasure will stay