bug expedition

What a magical summer evening (and yes, I know it's not quite officially summer yet, but it comes early in Alabama) at the lake! Thunderstorms threatened all afternoon, but we jumped in for a swim anyway (when there was no lightning). We were driven out by some serious nibbles--I got bitten/poked/finned/something-ed on my thigh once and Dave got the same thing twice on his back. We decided to get out before the kids got nibbled too. We grilled burgers and had dinner out on the porch. Dennis offered to help Chloe open her Capri-sun, saying "I think you need expert help." When she took it to her mom, he said "no, I'M the expert!!". David got here just as we were heading out for a boat ride, so he hopped on and we went for a sunset cruise. It was so cool and pleasant, such gorgeous weather for a ride! Dennis and Chloe hopped, climbed, and wrestled for much of our lake tour. Dave and I took the kids for a stroll in the dark to find lightning bugs. We wanted to catch one for Dennis' Firefly Lantern but they all eluded us. We saw many, and it was an incredible night for a walk! We wore the kids out, put them to bed, and then played Cranium for hours--it reminded us so much of the game nights we had before the kids came along, and there was much laughter and fun. What a great time with some wonderful friends, and what a great ending to an awesome week. How will the rest of the summer ever compare?