Sand Lake Getaway

Gus getting comfy and finding his spot for the night right away!
(Or what he hoped would be his spot for the night...)

This past weekend we had a much needed and very appreciated getaway with a great group of friends. On Friday night Zoey went to the kennel and we headed up north. Anthony spent the night with Auntie Manda and Uncle Damon taking in some Grand Rapids hockey while we headed further up north to Sand Lake and the Feierabend cabin. By 11:00 everyone was there - the Feierabends, Hares and Changamires - for our weekend of relaxation, outdoor fun, food and conversation.

This was a common scene - lounging around in comfy, don't-bother-to-get-ready clothes, snacking constantly throughout the day and having great conversations. The cabin is a beautiful retreat and we're thankful we were invited to share in this experience.

The girls - Tracy, Gretchen and Jenn - keeping warm and chatting on the couch.

The guys spent a lot of time outside fishing while we stayed indoors. Some things were accomplished - Tracy did a bit of scrapbooking while Jenn finished the book club book, Barefoot, for the month; Gretchen and I did a whole lot of nothing, which was perfectly fine by us! Unfortunately, the fishing wasn't as successful as the guys would have liked. Luckily, that was okay because they had beer to keep them company and occupy the day. :)

The absolutely highlight of the weekend was when the eight of us went snowshoeing across the lake. I've always wanted to try snowshoes, but never had the opportunity until now. It definitely was a lot of fun and something we hope to do more in the future. (Anthony could even get his own pair!)

While all of this was happening Anthony had a great time with his auntie and uncle and then Grandma and Papa Hanson. (Thanks to all of you for watching him and giving him time with the individuals he loves so much. He's still talking about hockey even today!) We missed him a ton, but realized the importance of taking time out just for us every once in awhile. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle of work, rushing home to make supper and caring for Anthony. We realized how easy it has become to slip into the roles of parents working together and let our relationship slip. (Not that there are any major problems -- just that we put ourselves on the back burner a lot.) Hopefully we'll take time from now on to continue to nurture the "us" with date nights and little getaways here and there as well as continue to parent and love that wonderful little boy of ours. I guess we realized it's all about balance.

Thank you, Jenn and Luke, for organizing and planning such a wonderful weekend! We look forward to more just like it in the future.