Lake Chelan

I know I just posted back to school pictures, but I still have a few more things to add about our summer.

We were invited by some friends to a lake house on Lake Chelan...a place that we've not had a chance to visit before.
Our friends are older and don't have any young children, so our three had the run of the place and all the activities that were available.
It was a fun, relaxing and beautiful weekend - just right for the last hurrah before school started.
Before you go any further, be warned:
This post contains a lot of pictures...especially of kids having fun!

This was the dock and the beautiful view it provided.
I loved it especially in the morning when no one else was awake and the water was still and quiet.

 and also in the evening when the wine had been poured.

It was a lovely place!

The first thing the kids did when we got there was swim out to the little boat they keep anchored near their dock.
As you will see, Ivan LOVED this boat...

 ...and quickly became the captain.

Here comes the first mate.

 Great entrance First Mate...or should I say "Grace"!  :)

The first mate soon tired of her duties and headed back to shore.

That water was COLD...so thankfully Dad was around to help her warm up!

The afternoon we arrived we took the kids tubing.
They all climbed on this cool tube that could hold all three sitting up!
They loved it and our host accommodated them by going pretty fast!
This is the part where I can't stop posting pictures.
I just love the expressions on their faces!

New day - new tube!
This time it was one rider at a time.
Jenelle went first!

Then Ivan...but his daredevil tricks cost him and he hit the water and literally skidded and rolled for a few seconds.
Freaked me out!
(although I do wish I had it on camera!)

And last was Hannah, who also drank in some water during her ride.
You can be assured that Jenelle mentioned several times during the trip how amazing it was that SHE didn't fall off the tube!

And later in the visit there was still more tubing, but this time on a hot dog tube.
Earlier, Ivan had asked me this...
"Mom, do you think its possible for someone to do something, maybe like tubing, and they fall off, and then they develop a phobia of that thing they did?"
My answer was short...
"No"
I wanted him to get back on that horse, or hot dog as it were.
I'm glad he did because the boat was driven slower this time, they ALL fell off at the end AND he had a great time!

Isn't the scenery gorgeous?!
Snow still in little patches on the tops of the mountains.

In addition to being out on the boat, we just floated around,

 or rowed around,

 or paddled around,

We drove into Chelan and had pizza one evening.
We ate burgers at a nearby hamburger joint for lunch one afternoon.
And we also took the boat down to a neat little shop called Kelly's for ice cream...twice!

It was a wonderful time!
We all loved it and we'll happily go again!

Now I leave you with more of (handsome - shh...don't tell) Captain Ivan and his pirate ship...