And On the Fifth...

Our family had a woderful Fourth of July.  Millie Janalee and I were still battling that sinus/cold junk from the week before, and Russ began to have a tickle in his throat.  So, he woke up early Friday morning headed toward the doctor for his own sinus cocktail shot (I had mine on Thursday).  After the shot and a good nap, he was headed out of town for work.  In case you didn't know, Russ's schedule includes: work, work out of town, work, study, work, study, study, work, work out of town, study, spend a couple hours at home, and study some more.  So having him with us on the Fourth was a treat.  Millie Janalee and I were sad that he had to leave us, but we were thankful for the day we had. 

Just in case you didn't feel sorry enough for Russ, I've gotta say that just because he has to leave and work or study...doesn't mean the girls do.  Millie Janalee and I had a date with the lake!  Kristin and Lee had the boat on Friday, so Millie Janalee, Pawpaw, and I joined Kristin, Lee, and Dustin for a day at Pickwick.

"Can someone get my juice out of this cooler, please?"

"Hey!  I can't move, but I can wave at you."

I don't know if I mentioned this from our last boat experience, but Millie Janalee is NOT a fan of the "US Coast Guard Approved" life jacket!  And I don't blame her.  Bless her heart!  I laid her down to buckle all the clasps, and she couldn't even roll over.  She just laid there.  When she sits up, the life jacket smushes up against her neck and face.  It's tight.  And, she is supposed to wear it the whole time?  Bless it!  I now know what works the best...a Baby Mum Mum cracker!  As long as she has one in her hand, she golden.

Her favorite spot was right up against Pawpaw...asleep.  Sweet girl actually slept almost the whole afternoon.  I think we counted nearly 3 hours of naptime on the boat.  The fresh air just soothes this girl right to sleep.

While Pawpaw and Millie Janalee napped in the back of the pontoon, the rest of the crew enjoyed our day on the lake.   Don't let the "lake idea" fool you.  It rained for a good bit of our day.  It didn't stop us at all, though.  We spent the first part of our day dodging dark clouds and running away from where we saw rainfall.  The sun wasn't shining too bright, but who needs sun when you're on the boat anyway?  I still got sunburned!  At one point, near the dam, we realized that we had been cornered.  The dark clouds were in every direction except ahead.  And the lake didn't continue ahead.  Hmmm...  We, along with all the other boats in the area, raced to the nearest cove.  Some had boat slips there, and some (like us) did not.  We anchored down in a little insert surrounded by trees to break the wind and decided the only option was to turn the music up and ride it out.  Oh, and to hope for no lightning.

Dustin

Kristin and Lee

We all got SOAKED!  Our bags were soaked, our boat was soaked, and the thunder rolled.  The lightning did light up the sky a couple of times, but nothing too major. It was a fun memory.  Millie Janalee pretty much took over all our towels as we blocked rain from hitting her face and covered her so she wouldn't freeze.  Ha!  Once the rain storm passed, we were good to ride!

Millie Janalee's hair was wet, so I decided to style it a bit.  Lee turned the music back up, and Millie Janalee was up and dancing!  Performing her little heart out...

Regardless of the rain, it was a very pleasant day on the lake!  Daddy and I headed back to the house, while Kristin, Lee, and Dustin headed toward Lee's aunt's house where they would spend the night.  We met Mama at the house, got showered and dressed, and enjoyed a yummy dinner at a local steakhouse.

The rest of our night included a visit with Maw Maw for dessert, and a lazy bedtime!  So, I guess you could say, "And on the fifth, we played."