the fourth. on the sixth.

Most of the summer holidays are spent at our little lake cottage.  It's red shutters bring a cheery welcome every time we pull into the driveway.  The little yellow house is 800 square feet of memories, happiness, and lake smell.  And somehow, my family of nine fits into it perfectly.  

The lake is a place where hair is never dry for long, and bathing suits are worn all day.  It's a place of no internet and siblings for entertainment.  It's a place where stories are told, things are remembered and laughed at, and many Popsicles are eaten!

It is the place where serious discussion about tube falls and knee-boarding techniques are discussed.  New things are learned, and little ones find the courage to face the dreaded mass of water.  Somehow, over these past five or six years, we haven't tired of it.  And now, a red sign looms in the front yard with the words For Sale on it, and secretly, each one of us wants to rip it from the ground and hide it forever.

We celebrated this Fourth of July like it was our last.  Because, really, we don't know when our last weekend  at the lake will be.  The sky was a brilliant red and blue - just for us - that night.

The cousins set off a lantern, and we wished for beautiful things, for silly things, for important things.

Oh, there were the fireworks, and sparklers, and firecrackers.  Just like there always are.  The guys' inner pyro came out.  Of course. 

It was a day that I wanted to last forever.  I wanted to sit in my chair in the yard with my family and stay there forever.  And ever.  And ever.

As we celebrated the freedom of our country, there was a smile on every face, even the sleepy babies.  And that night, as I walked home in the dark with a little one on my back and the rest of my family having quiet conversations with each other, I never wanted to forget these July Fourth weekends - or any weekend for that matter.

How was your Fourth of July weekend?