weekending

Look at this dump. Can you believe we were forced to spend our weekend here? The horror and injustice.

We just came back from our annual family gathering up in Lake Arrowhead, in which we celebrate the July and August birthdays in the family. Sean, Jordan and I slept at my parents' homey cabin nestled among pines and redwoods, which is heavy on rustic cabin charm, but rather light on space. Therefore the majority of activities and hang time occurs at my aunt's sprawling cabinmansion (the two top photos) that too, has mountainy appeal (*see mounted albino buffalo and antelope heads), but also comes with lake view, extraordinary deck space and - best of all - dock privileges and boat rides!

lakeside bathing beaut - unstaged

a most feminine little lifejacket. you should see the shark on the front.

fun for days with the aunts on the island. Jordan loved this thing.

The kid kept trying to plunge herself over the side of the raft because apparently she's attempting to will herself into buoyancy. (Ask me how swim lessons are going sometime.) Although, I'm not totally sure her non-swimfriendly diaper wouldn't just keep her afloat with how much that puppy expanded when submerged. Between her aunts, uncles, great-aunts and grandparents, and all the spoiling and attention that accompanies that crowd, Jordan's weekend was lakeside luxury with a side of boating bliss:

Jordan as Captain - a mistake of titanic proportions

her dock kicks echo sweet Justin Timberlake-esque loafers. in neon pink.

Aunt Mary and Jordan are boating partners for life. Check this one from last year:

(with boyfriend James who was in Norway this year so couldn't make the trip)

My lovely longtime friend Christina, who has come with us to Arrowhead most years since I was in high school, was able to come up with her charming new English husband. Christina's been living in New Zealand the last year and a half (where she met and married said husband) so it was so great to catch up and carry on old traditions - like the sisters + Christina late-late-night lake plunge. (or in my much-too-pregnant case, lake wade via dock ladder as opposed to dramatic cannonball. Jessie's belly: making waves on the east, west and southernmost shores.) 

Plus, I forgot how many compulsions Christina and I share:

Christina and I spent an hour and a half after Jordan went to bed putting away her crayons in color gradient order. It was a project that drew concerned glances and murmurs from uneasy family members, along with more than a few "you know Jordan is just going to dump all those out tomorrow morning"s, but...worth it. My nesting proclivities were satiated and my OCD reveled in its like company. Shhhhh.

I always have the best time on these weekends. My sisters are so wonderful about stealing Jordan away for novel activities or little swimming sessions so I can finish a conversation and a Mike's Hard Lemonade in peace. And experiencing the enjoyment and beauty of the lake through Jordan's newer eyes is something else. Every splash is accompanied by a shriek and every dunk by a giggle. She just goes, goes, goes, goes and goes in a seemingly tireless fashion until that face hits the portacrib mattress, and I realize that maybe the Energizer bunny was running on delirium for the last couple hours. 

And so it was homeward bound last night but not without a forty minute put-the-car-in-park traffic delay due to a semi being sprawled across the only two lanes of the mountain highway. No worries though: we just pumped the Fleetwood Mac with my sisters, while my dad and remaining siblings in the van a couple cars back from us just walked back and forth exchanging anecdotes and traffic updates:

the faces of sane, well-rested individs

Have a good Monday. Let the "last week of work before Jessie's maternity leave" countdown begin in your minds and hearts, as it has in mine. Friday is lightyears away.