It's been a while

Hello there, internets!! I know I've been horrible with posting lately, but what can I say? Summer is in full swing! We've been back and forth from our new place in Michigan every weekend since we closed and when we're not there, we're cramming everything we need to do into a 4 day week. On top of that, I'm in Week 8 of my 18 week training program for the Chicago Marathon....so any spare time is spent pounding the pavement. As I sit here now, my back is sticking to my leather chair as I just got in from a 7 miler. Have I mentioned how much I hate the humidity!?!

We're LOVING our place in Michigan. The lake is fantastic (very low boat traffic and it's super warm but still refreshing), the neighbors are fantastic and friendly and every Sunday we find ourselves bummed to head back to the concrete jungle of Chicago. To give you an idea of what life is like at the lake, I thought I'd map out what seems to be a typical weekend for us.

Friday:

We arrive around 5pm (which is really 6pm Michigan time). The first thing that happens when we pull is up is let Cooper go for a swim. It's so funny to see his face when he knows we're at the place with all of the water....he LOVES it and will swim for hours. After that, we open the windows, vacuum and do a quick dusting of the first floor. We take the covers off the boat and the jet ski's and crack a few beers. We say hello to other neighbors who have also just arrived.

We walk up to Melvilles, which is a restaurant about 75 yards away and enjoy some dinner. After dinner, it's a ride on the boat with the dog. Fridays I normally go to bed early as I have a long run the next morning and Brian walks over to the neighbors where everyone hangs out together in a nice screened in porch all night catching up after the work week.

Saturday:

I get up before everyone else to enjoy my long run. Last week it was 14 miles ~ this week it's 15 miles. I've found a few gorgeous back roads that are hilly and great for training. My neighbor has offered to show me 2 paved trails around the lakes - one is 12 miles and one is 17 miles. She saw me running on a main highway and I got a nice ass chewing for it. "Deanna! It's dangerous up there! I don't want to see you running on M40 anymore, you hear??" haha....everyone is so caring!! So different from Chicago!

I get back to the house 2 hours later to find Brian and our friends returning from a morning ride on the jet ski's and then we all enjoy a nice home cooked breakfast together. We all pitch in and clean up, do dishes and do some "chores" around the house. There is seaweed to be raked up around the dock, the gutters need to be cleaned, the gazebo needs sweeping, cobwebs need to be knocked down and almost everything needed to be power washed. After an hour or so of that, it's play time on the boat. We gather the toy of the day ~ either a tube, the water ski's, the knee board or the wake board ~ and head out to the water for a few hours. After some fun in the sun, it's back to the house for another home cooked meal of burgers or brats or hot dogs. We clean up again and then all chill out in the front of the house for a game of bocce, corn hole or volleyball. Last weekend we watched the dogs play with each other for a good hour...ha.

Dinner rolls around and we either grill out again or drive into town for a meal. The food was delicious at "Anchors Away", a restaurant we tried for the first time this weekend. We couldn't believe how good it was!!

After dinner, it's back on the boat for a night time boat cruise and to hopefully see the sun set. This past weekend we enjoyed fireworks for Venetian night. After the boat ride, we came back in to build a camp fire and make s'mores. Yum ~ I love s'mores.

Everyone crashes for a night of much needed shut eye and come Sunday morning, we do it all over again. Jet ski's, breakfast, work, boat, lunch, work, play, dinner, boat. You can see the theme here...a little work, a little play and repeat.

I'm telling you ~ it's the life. It's a life that Brian and I didn't think we'd enjoy SO much. Even our dog is bummed when pack up the house and shut it down to head back home.

So that's what I've been doing this summer. How about you??