Great Lakes

I woke up this morning with the sweet sound of water gently lapping the sandy shore of Lake Michigan right outside my window.  Matt and the boys and I made the almost seven hour drive from Waterloo to Traverse City yesterday to enjoy a few days of vacation on the beach here before heading on to visit my family in Sault Ste. Marie, and from the moment my feet hit the warm water in the late afternoon, I felt at peace and at home.  I grew up with the three largest of the Great Lakes surrounding me, and the water of these giants and all of the wonderful memories and feelings it evokes are as much a part of me as my heart.   When I come back to these familiar shores and dive into the beautifully clear lakes, I am alive, and whole, and happy.  The north has never been "home" for Noah and Will, but our visits to the Great Lakes every summer have made their majestic bays seem like old, welcoming friends to the boys as well.  The water calls to them just like it does to me....

These times spent together as a family by the shores of my childhood lakes are some of the most cherished moments of summer for all four of us.  I'm so glad I get to wake up tomorrow morning and enjoy it all again.