Lapland Lake, Round 2

We spent last week at Lapland Lake again, staying in the same cottage we used during our stay last August.  It was a really nice break from our routine and the quiet that can be found there is both soul soothing and intense all at once.  I loved listening to the birds all day, watching Harry and Emma splash around at the beach, and even stealing a little time away alone with Brendan.  Some pictures until I can wipe the vacation cobwebs from my brain:
 2007
2008
I love these father and daughter pictures.  Emma has grown so much in the past nine months...in size, comfort level with our family, independence, and even her hair.  Her speech clicked over this vacation and we have discovered that with the addition of verbal skills she is a bossy little woman.  She knows what she wants, she knows what she wants you to do, and she really likes to get her way.  On a good note, she is also willing to let you explain things and she can be quite reasonable when given a good explanation.  And we will gladly accept direction and presumed bossiness from her in lieu of the screeching and screaming we had before.  Last August she was a crawler; this year she delighted in her freedom of movement and kept us busy by running all over the place.  Her balance is very toddler-esque (she's still only 1, after all) but she did an amazing job of keeping up with her brother, trying her best to match him skill for skill. 
  2007
    2008
Maybe it's harder to tell with Harrison, but at our last visit to "camp" he was two and still using a binkie.  It's harder for me to measure his growth in these pictures, as they aren't very close-up, but our boy seriously doesn't hold still long enough for great headshots.  He is a whirlwind, a force, an adventurer and not in a way that causes alarm or depicts lack of focus, rather in a way that is focused and interested, curious and energetic, filled with the joy of movement: running, jumping, skipping, and hopping.  Swinging on swings, sliding down slides, swimming until he can barely move his arms but demanding to keep going.  He has amazing balance and agility and his determination could knock your socks off.  He delights in feeling his body in motion; nothing seems to bring him greater joy.  Well, maybe tractors, especially this Blue Ford 1620. 


We had so much fun, really.  There are 170 pictures, but I left out most of the adults-in-bathing-suits shots, because I know a few people would have my head if I posted those.  And yes, I know my sunglasses are ridiculous; that was by design, actually.