The Last Hurrah

 Victoria's dream has been to have a friend with a lake house and a boat. She made that friend, Susie, less than 2 years ago. They are like two peas in a pod. They have participated in throwing on the track team together and in dance, but have so many other similar interests as well. Victoria has gotten to go with her family, the Kishs, who was mentioned in the Niagra Falls post, to their lake house a handful of times now and live her dream. 

Our families have gotten close and they invited all of us up last weekend to the lake house. Victoria went up on Thursday with the Kishs. My plan was to go up Friday after lunch and then Jason would come even later after work since we would need 2 cars to go home on Sunday for Kai to be at marching band camp for the week.

One hitch in our plans on Friday morning was that I heard an extremely loud crash from the bathroom above my head and then heard Austin call for me. He was about to shower after a cross country practice and yard work, had just started the water, proceeded to crack the window, then slipped and fell on the already-broken-but-glued-back-together soap dish which promptly broke right off under his weight and cut about a 2-inch long, one-inch wide gash in his upper hamstring, just on the underwear line. If it weren't so huge and bloody, and somewhat disturbing to look at, it would have been a funny sight to see him cupping himself to cover up and have Erik, Kai, and me running into the bathroom that he unlocked for us. I had to take a deep calming breath so I wouldn't start freaking out and I could wash my hands and start first aid on him. Kai was very helpful and cleaned up all the blood and was patient with Erik while I took Austin to the urgent care. They took us back right away when they saw the blood soaking through his shorts, which were 4 layers of fabric with gauze, underwear, and shorts. They numbed him up and gave him 7 stitches, making sure I didn't look anymore at it when they were afraid for my well-being. Then they gave him the worst news: no getting in the lake for 7-10 days and no running. Since that was our weekend and his entire following week, it was a hard pill to swallow.

We did manage to convince Austin to come up with Jason, later that night. The rest of us had a jumpstart to riding the boat, tubing, wakeboarding, riding around in the golf cart, and playing games. Jason and Austin arrived just in time for a couple more games, the finishing of a movie, and bedtime. The Kish's cute little cottage fit us all nicely with our boys in the living room on an air mattress and couch, Victoria and Kai with Susie and Sammie in the double bunk room, Joe and Karyn in their room, and Jason and I in the little guest room. I got to go on a nice run around the lake the next morning before we made pancakes, eggs, and bacon for the kids. Sammie, who is in between Austin and Erik's age but looks like she's 17, eats like Erik does if you know what I mean. So they make a great pair for cooking! 

Joe took us out on many runs on the boat. Some were faster and crazier for the tubers, some slower for those of us who wanted to visit and check out the lake or watch the wakeboarders. Austin managed to enjoy himself, despite having to stay dry, which Jason and I did pretty well with also. Jason gets motion sick and never felt well enough to wakeboard, though we did get to kayak together and that was lovely. I went with him and Austin on the paddle boat too. I didn't wakeboard or anything big either, just because when I would do it in my younger years, it was always such a worry with my bad ear. I had to be very on top of my swimming and tread water as soon as I fell so I wouldn't go too far underwater. I was always very stressed, so I have retired from my water sports activities- the more risky ones, anyway.

The boat and dock, are just outside their cottage.

Jason, Kai, and Joe, first thing in the morning. 

Austin, trying to stay dry.

Future boat driver!

Ready!

Susie, Vicky, and Kai

I was cold!

The adults!

Tubing!

A neighbor friend, Kai, Erik, and Sammie.

Paddle boating- it's pretty dry.

Austin got to ride the golf cart and then drive it at one point.

Erik and the neighbor girl on the paddle board.

Vicky and Susie on the jet ski. 

Victoria wake boarding!

Karyn and me on the kayaks.

The time went by fast and we enjoyed the full day of water activities, games, food, and excellent company. Kai, Austin, and I left early Sunday morning so we could make it to the Canton Ward sacrament meeting, which we missed because it started a half hour earlier than we thought, but she got to the school in time to make the bus for camp. Jason, Erik, and Victoria got as much out as they could for Vicky's last time at Susie's lake house till next summer. 

Normally, I would end this post here, but I have to continue on since I leave for Utah tomorrow and won't be able to do another post for a while. So, Austin broke his wrist in January, then Kai broke her wrist a few months later. Austin got stitches on Friday and then I got a call on Tuesday from camp that Kai was on her way to get stitches at the ER in Indiana (that's where the closest ER was to camp). Her flag had hit her mouth, which pushed her upper lip down on a bottom tooth that went right through it. She had to get two stitches on the outside of her lip and two on the inside. They performed a CT scan to make sure there were no hairline fractures in her face. Her teeth were amazingly fine. It was a very stressful evening for me on the phone with doctors who were 3 hours away from me, but everyone assured me that she would be fine. She stayed at camp, though she was almost sent home when she wasn't eating well the next day and passed out a bunch of times. They got everything under control and she was able to eat better Thursday and Friday. I was nervous when I went to pick her up yesterday about what her face would look like, but she looked good. Just the little stitches that I could see on the outside. She performed well and actually enjoyed camp very much this year, minus Tuesday and Wednesday. Her knee injury didn't bother her much, so that was a little blessing. 

Now, we're wondering if Erik is next for stitches since he broke his pinky after Kai's break. Well, Victoria got her wisdom teeth out 3 days before Austin's accident. She got stitches for that, does that count?

This was taken with the Kishs a couple of days after we all had returned from the lake house. It happened to be the day of Kai's injury, so part of the meal was me on the phone with the doctors. 

Kai's stitches. I never pictured Austin's- they were a little too close to his butt for his comfort in photographs!