heading to the lake

This weekend- Ted, myself, Christina, Matt, Aydan, and our friend Josh will head to Harrison, MI to close up my parents place for the Winter.

This has never been done before since my parents used it all year round but with the snow and not having anyone to plow us out, not to mention cost savings with not keeping it heated all Winter long, we thought it would be best to shut it down. My Uncle who lives the property over will move to FL for the Winter this year and is also closing his place down so it only makes sense.
I'm excited to get up there this weekend as we are planning a big fake thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. My Grandpa will be there along with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Stan and Aunt Kim and the kids are also driving up. We're all pitching in and making a ton of food, just as my parents loved to do. If only they could be there to join us. They loved anything that involved a lot of food and family.

The guys have a lot to do this weekend; pulling the boat out, cleaning up the property, organizing the basement and garage and all the entails shutting down a place for the Winter. But I am positive we will also have some time for fun.

Many families leave their loved ones behind a second home to share and pass on to other generations, but for me....it's not the same. My parents left so sudden, much too young, way too tragic for me to walk into the lake house and think of it as a house that was left to us. I could see if they were in their 70' s or 80's but to leave their favorite place at the young age of 50 when they never got to live up there full time (dad always said he was moving up there, but we all know he would have never done that while his Father was still alive). Sure, I'll be sad this weekend and walk in and see all of their stuff and picture them greeting us with food, drinks and hugs, but I will do my best to enjoy the time I have with the people that are coming together this weekend. My family. The family that I have left. I'm so thankful that everyone continues to make an effort to be around each other as we grieve. That is what I love about my Family. It's not difficult at all to get everyone together. All it took was an email or a phone call....now we'll have a dinner for 12 on Saturday.

Give us the strength to enjoy this place just as you did. The sadness we feel is missing how much fun you were. Mom was always the one rushing to her room to get her quarters for her favorite card game 31, Dad was always cooking and making sure everyone had a cocktail and I just wish i would have went up north so much more over the past 10 years (although I still went up there quite a bit seeing as we have lived out of State for the past 6 years) but at least I can say from being born to at least 15..I was up there every weekend with them and those memories will never fade away. And Labor Day 2007 will always remain the last time I spent the weekend up-north with them alive and I will be forever grateful for that last boat ride, that last S'more, and that last fire...shared with them.