Bare Lake... lots of bare, but never bears.

Fruitcake...
"Mom! I love staying at the LaCondo!"
"Do you remember last year's La Condo?"
"LaCondo's in Bear Lake are the best ever!"

When we ask Sassy Pants to dance, she throws down some sweet moves. But when we tell her to "shake your body!"... well, she does some sort of weird thing. She hunches over, stiffens her back, and wags back and forth. She looks like Golum from Lord of the Rings.

I was taken back by the number of older women in bikini's around us this year. I don't know if there were more than usual, or maybe I just noticed more this year.
I can't get over the fact that some women seem so comfortable in their own skin. Very few of the bodies I saw actually looked good... or bikini good. It seems like the people who should be the most covered up are always the ones with the least amount of clothing on!
I admire and somewhat envy the ability to be that comfortable. I sat watching in awe... sat in my full one-piece suit, with board shorts and a tank top over the suit... still feeling like every cottage cheese bump was hanging out for the world to see. Then look to the left and right to see other people's cottage cheese flowing freely, and their enjoying themselves. Am I the only one who cares? Or do I just care too darn much?! I seem to think that everything below my neck and above my knees is dangerous to the human eyes! (except my boobs, besides not being where they should be, they're okay. But my cleavage comes with my upper arms... blah!)
I'd like to think that I can overcome my insecurities, that I can work-out to tighten things, I can loss weight, or maybe find that miracle suit (a literal miracle suit) There's a part of me that knows I will never be totally happy with my body. I have to say that I will try... just spending more time around carefree people without perfect bodies.

It was a great year at the Lake! It can never be without drama, but luckily the drama was before we left, and didn't come up with us this year.
We have tried to arrange a fair and somewhat equal system for this trip, and never fail... someone gets their undies in a bunch about it. My Mom gets the condo (LaCondo) and the water toys are provided by us and the *** . Meaning bringing them up and providing gas. As kids, we take turn providing meals, dividing them up over the week/weekend. It is a pretty sweet gig, yet year-after-year, someone wants to enjoy the vacation without contributing. I'm not sure why, but there is nothing more that bothers me more. Paying for food... is that too much to ask?

It's getting tougher to get together... I'm not sure if it's that we are getting to be such a large family, or people are just so different. It shocks me how different we are, and how different we are continuing to become.
Mr. Smith and I have a hard time vacationing with people, because we like our vacations to be as laid-back as possible. Feeling obligated to someelses timetable kills me! I can't do a schedule, because then we are stressed when we are trying to keep a schedule... and I might as well be stressed with my schedule at home. With that said, it is hard to be the ones everyone seems to be waiting on. I decided this year that the only way we can vacation in groups... is to not plan anything with anyone but ourselves. That way, if we are the last ones to get somewhere... who cares?! we weren't planning on being first! I need to have a vacation... meaning a vacation from stress, and pressure, and the feeling of competition. If I'm not forced to follow others timetables... then I'm not stressed trying to follow it. And ultimately disappointing everyone when we can't keep up. (and how on earth can you call THAT a vacation?)

Aside from that type of drama... there was something so different this year about our immediate family. Car rides were better, sleeping was better, meals went smother, time at the lake was stress-free. It dawned on me that this is our first summer without diapers or naps! WA-HOO! It was awesome! Now if we can just get on our own timetable, summer vacations will be perfect! I do enjoy this stage in life... this stage of our family.