Oh, Canada

The boys had so much fun swimming in Lake Huron, and on the beach, rolling around breading themselves in sand.

And I had so much fun following their lead, feeling far away enough from any to do list that I could appreciate their still-little bodies, wrinkly toes and summer brown skin, blue-lipped and shivering by the end of the day, sand in every single crevice. 

There were lots of things other than the lake to enjoy in Grand Bend too.

Skipping shoes and skipping bedtime, the scent of campfire whispering in the evening breeze, the smell of bacon rising with the sun. 

We had water balloon fights and tossed tennis balls and discovered treasure with the metal detector. We put together puzzles and Lego sets and played board games and read books and took walks and took naps. We enjoyed local fresh fish for dinner and ice cream sundaes that led to pancake sundaes the next morning. We tried hobo pies and beavertails, but did not try parasailing. Or ax throwing. We all loved blowing bubbles and playing soccer and shoveling sand and watching sunsets from the lakeside backyard. 

We came home refreshed and inspired, as much a gift to the children as it is to the grown ups.