Newfound & Webster Lake (70's style!)
On Memorial day we got nostalgic for our old stomping grounds and headed north to Newfound Lake.
The weather looked great only thing is we forgot to check the wind gusts. Go figure. We had to stake the children down lest they blow away. Newman O's did the trick. They're very heavy cookies...
Rich tried to pretend we weren't sitting in the vortex of a cyclone but only Gabe believed him. 
We lasted an hour or so before packing it all up and saying farewell to the giant Smokey.
Gabe's hair cracks me up. I was not kidding about the wind...
We lasted an hour or so before packing it all up and saying farewell to the giant Smokey.Gabe's hair cracks me up. I was not kidding about the wind...So back south we headed to Wester Lake, our backyard body of water when we lived in Franklin. Thankfully, the breeze was not nearly as brutal and we managed to salvage our day. Gabe and Simone occupied themselves playing with Pokemons and Bakugans in the grass after a quick dip.
And Rich tortured Caden with the water sprayer.
(Don't ask about that poor child's swim suit. His usual attire was no where to be found that morning.)
The wind made us fear for our lives so home we went.
Actually catching them isn't necessary though it's definitely a bonus!
Unless of course, yours looks like this after. Blech.
Munchie's got the hang of it too.
Three for three!
Not that he didn't give it an honest effort...
Phew! Thanks to a little inconspicuous help from Daddy.
He got another chance a few days later when we threw a little family party but again...
it took a little assistance to get the job done.
But present opening... he's got it down!
(That's baby number four in the oven!) See the rest right here; 
alongside a river. And quite a raging river at that!
And LOUD too! Caden was fascinated with it.
A perfect spot to practice our trail marker signs... (or so we thought!)
I believe this ones means you are supposed to take as many steps foward as represented in the square...
So according to Olivia's marker, please take approximately five dozens paces!
This young lass demonstrates the stick through a leaf technique used for pointing in which direction one should follow.
And though I can't be entirely sure, this convoluted message using multiple signs...
may have been the reason half our group traipsed through this evil ivy (as discovered a day or two later for some unfortunate friends).
and don't forget to "nose" their delicious scent!
And voila! A mommy made happy!
and logging miles running their trucks up and down the coast all day.
Caden in his easy-to-spot tie dye shirt...
True glee...
Happy slinging babes...
And rainbow kites!
funneled,
noodle scooped,
and attempted a funnel-noodle duo (to no avail).
Afterwards with Gabriel's blessing, he got busy in the sand box as Shark Boy.
Life is good!
It was indeed, a nut weevil! But how he figured out that something that looks so monstrous...
was actually this size:
is beyond me! (Up close and personal for your viewing pleasure!)
Poor Stephen's new "dreads" took quite a hit.
He cried a bit. Believe me.
As always we partied into the night stopping only briefly for a little last minute cupcake decorating.
Caden graced us with his typical fit at not blowing out the candles...
though quickly settled into cake and ice cream minutes later.
Playing in the rain.
Yummy honey and wheat germ covered bananas. A fav.
Laundry before....
laundry after. (Wow, was I really that bored?!)
This next series is Stephen on Manny duty (hard to believe he's actually wearing different shirts in every pic!):
BFF's.
Spring chicken sledding. 
Simone demonstrating her top notch Mommy skills...
Gameboying and chick-sitting.
And... the Eye of Smoke.
Partners in crime these two are...
LEAPing forward to a zillion identical blog posts about our weekly trips to our sandy oasis. ;)
While most of the kids took off for the swampy woods...
I stayed behind with Caden as he poked the pond with sticks and threw a rock or two.
And guess what? A fractal was created right before our eyes...
After doing some research on my own about fractals, I've decided to revisit the theme next month when I host "Nature in May" on wednesdays. Fractals are everywhere! 
