As my parents pack up the last boxes at my childhood home, it's definitely a time of reflection of the wonderful memories we've all had at the lake home. I can't believe the home is almost empty of furniture, pictures, and 'stuff' but it will forever be filled with my favorite memories!
#10 Gretchen & Miguel's Wedding
In August 1998, my parents hosted our good friend's daughter's wedding with a grand white tent in the back yard overlooking Lake Minnetonka. Our old neighbors, the Gerdings had moved but their daughter Gretchen wanted to be married on the lake so my parents generously offered their back yard as the venue. It was GORGEOUS and GRAND! A large white tent, a big dance floor, a 5 piece band on the deck, and fireworks around the lake a surprise for the party! It was beautiful! At the time I was 12 years old and thought that one day when I got married, I would have a big tent in the backyard too. My own wedding in November would have been a little chilly in the backyard :) It was a beautiful event that was full of our closest friends from the Beach!
#9 Bike Riding Around the Neighborhood
When I was a little girl, I loved biking around the neighborhood. I would ride around and say hi to all the neighbors, I would smell the lake air, and likely stop by the park to play for a little bit. My favorite biking memory was the day my niece Laura was born. My sister's water broke early in the morning and she said she would let us know when the baby was born and when it would be okay for us to come to the hospital. So I rode my bike all day- my parent's home is on a cirlce where I would ride one circle around and then stop at the house, ask if the baby was born yet. Not until 9:38 was Laura born! So I did hundreds of circles that day! I also learned to ride no handed!
#8 Thunderstorms
I think living on the lake made me LOVE thunderstorms. I loved watching the rain come rolling across the lake, the wind blowing the trees, the lake getting whipped up, and the dumb boaters who stayed out too long and got caught in the storm! We've had some really hard storms- the old cottonwood tree has been struck with lightening more than any of us can remember. Huge branches have fallen on the dock, crushed the waverunner and my mom's row boat. It was this same storm that I had to iron my work outfit and blow dry my hair on our sidewalk using our neighbor's generator for a power source. The sky has been green- a little scary but still spectacular! My favorite is when the power goes out, candles are used and we would sit and watch the storm come across the lake.
#7 Ice Skating
When I was little my winter break was full of ice skating from 8am-9pm. My dad would shovel a rink and flood it for my mom and I and we would skate all day! My mom was a beautiful ice skater! And she would teach me skills. I would bring my old-school boombox down to the lake and make us routines. I imagined I was the next Michelle Kwan! To take a potty break, I would run inside and enjoy hot cocoa a lot! I started ice skating about as soon as I could walk. The videos of me with my little figure skates are adorable. My snowsuit padded my little body for the inevitable falls I would take.
#6 Sharing the Lake with Friends
My whole family really shared the home and the lake with our friends. My high school and college friends would sun tan, float in the lake, take out the waverunner, or boat over to my parent's house! We would play boccie ball, ladder golf, or bat-mitten in the yard. So many people enjoyed the view, the lake's refreshing feel, and cold air of the ice covered lake! And I can't forget the eagles! The eagles in the tree that flocked to the old cotton wood each November/December. Kare11 news even did a story about the eagles and interviewed my mom! When you drive across the Arcola Bridge you can see the 15-20 eagles soaring over the lake and landing in the old, lightening-stuck cottonwood!
#5 Fourth of July
My favorite holiday! I LOVE the 4th of July. Secretly, it is the start of my birthday month and my dear sweet great aunt who used to host a large 4th of July picnic would serve a birthday cake for me. So I think subconsciously I love the 4th of July as it's the beginning of my birthday celebration! But 4th of July at the lake is another day for my family to get together, swim in the lake, snack and lounge together and watch the many displays of fireworks around the lake from the comfort of my parent's dock or deck! And the best part was watching the LONG string of boats lined up single-file to get back under the Arcola Bridge. It would last until 1 or 2am! Simply put I love it when our family is together at the lake!
#4 The Babies at the Lake
Well they really aren't babies anymore now are they?! They are 12, 14, and 14 years old! They are my nieces and nephew and I LOVED watching them grow up on the lake. I loved watching them learn to swim- Laura was such a fish early on! I loved watching them jump on the trampoline- Jaxon's hair always stood on end from the static! And I loved watching them play in the yard with the dogs- my dad almost lost Rose when she was really little while he was babysitting. She snuck out the back door and headed for the lake! And I LOVE watching Jaxon fish on the dock for HOURS- I mean like 6-10 hours! I was lucky to spend so much time with them when they were babies! My mom would put out a kidding pool in the morning, let the sun warm it up and they would play all afternoon until it got too cold! Practically had to drag them out of the there!
#3 Fish Fry
I still wait for the phone call from my dad saying he had a great day of fishing and he has enough fish to feed the whole family! So we better come over and get ready for a fish fry! I love when my dad cooks fish- a little shorelunch, some lemon juice and that's all I need! It's the best! Absolute best!
#2 Thanksgiving and Christmas
It doesn't really feel like the holidays to me unless my dad is cooking a turkey or lutefisk and my mom has the house decorated like when I was a kid! I LOVE the holidays at my parents. We enjoy a table full of appetizers and then a HUGE meal- always left overs! We play Pictionary or Apples to Apples. And Grandma always makes some sort of delicious dessert. The boys snooze on the couch, the girls clean up the kitchen, and the kids run around doing secret things and laughing! It is wonderful! I love the way the house smells during the holidays and I love having a fire in the fireplace! My favorite spot is curled in front of the fireplace with the heat on my back!
#1 The BIG BIRTHDAY BASH
There are 8 birthdays in our family within 4 weeks so we throw one HUGE BIRTHDAY BASH and it's like Christmas! The house is full with family and friends and the gift pile looks like Christmas! We grill hot dogs and brats, swim, fish, play yard games, open gifts, do a water balloon toss game (which Ryan and Jaxon usually win), open presents, and the day usually ends with Laura and I getting into a cake fight! And then by 6pm everyone crashes! It's a wonderful celebration and I can't imagine my birthday any other way!
Cheers,
And we finished the night with dessert at the Gucci museum! It was an adorable place and Dustin treated everyone to champagne and yummy treats! 
