The Ringenberg Family: Family Vacation 2013

So this summer Ryan and I decided not to do any big trips. Because we own a timeshare we usually take a big vacation of some sort each summer. That's how they sold it to us. "A timeshare forces you to take a vacation."

But what if you don't want to take one?

It's not that we didn't really want to take one--it's more that, having done long car trips three times with nursing babies I finally wised up by the fourth and said, "Why are we doing this?"

Enter Mimi and Papa's lake house. Yay for my parents' vacation home an hour or so from St. Louis. We all had a GREAT week in and by the water. The weather was perfect, and it was so much fun to see how much more the kids (especially the boys) are able to do now that they're older.

(*prepare for a billion photos*)

Our first night there we went to a concert. Jack (in the foreground) was a whirling dervish, Grant played soccer (with a glow necklace on the ball), and Caroline danced in rhythm to the music. Even Elizabeth had fun sitting on my lap or on my hip. Good times!

The boys always like early-morning fishing at the lake.

Caroline got in on the action, too, this year.

The kids love listening to Papa read, especially when it's the Berenstain Bears.

Ryan and the boys took advantage of the lake by swimming in it.

Even though it was hot we had a fire with s'mores. Grant did a great job roasting the marshmallows.

Caroline liked eating the s'more.

Jack wasn't so sure about the fire. He kept trying to find the best place to sit so he wouldn't be too hot. He was the most patient because he didn't want the marshmallows to catch on fire. In fact, when they did, he ran off, thinking it was a big deal. We quickly put his mind at ease by telling him that some people (his mama included) don't mind burned marshmallows.

All of the kids caught something. Grant and Caroline caught fish, but Jack caught some sort of mussel. That's the first time we've ever had anyone catch one!

the pink-shirted ladies

the kids playing with nesting dolls that Caroline and Elizabeth got from Mimi and Papa's Scandinavian cruise (the boys got the captain hats)

Elizabeth ate her present: a stuffed animal moose.

Caroline took a kayak ride with Papa and was so excited to go.

They returned about two minutes later because Caroline saw ants and started freaking out about bugs being in the kayak. Good thing they were still close to the dock and not in the middle of the lake!