Almost Lost Our Summer

A couple of weeks before Christmas, Sheila was offered a new job which also provided her with a nice promotion. She excitedly started this new job right after Christmas. Actually, we were both very excited about this opportunity for upward mobility as well as for personal and professional growth. Then, sometime either later that first week or in the following week, Sheila learned that there would be no time in this new position for annual leave during our time at the lake house!

We had been waiting almost two weeks for an official determination on whether or not Sheila would be allowed take annual leave so we can head to the lake house. This decision sort of got waylaid by new training requirements and then a virus going around the office landing some of the decision-makers home on sick leave. Unfortunately, on our end, this wait was delaying our planning schedule, causing missed deadlines and, generally speaking, putting quite a damper on the new year thus far. 

While we waited, we talked about alternative plans... vacations elsewhere... and trying to come up with a list of positive outcomes as a result of being forced into making a decision in which we weren't prepared nor desired. To be honest, there were a couple of "pro's" to losing the lake house but we weren't pleased with the amount of "con's". Having to wait for an official answer for two weeks at a critical time in our annual planning was a bit harrowing. 

Around lunchtime today, Sheila received word that her annual leave for our time at the lake house had been pre-approved!  That is a tremendous relief!

Since the lake house is foremost in my minds and conversations as we plan for the new year, here are just a few of my favorites from the lake house, in no particular order... 

Switching paddling gears into overdrive to get away from me...  I thought this duck was going to start running on top of the water like a cartoon!  ...or, like a loon!

The view from the dining table and deck...

Adam was home on leave so we had an "Air Force Dinner"...  meaning he got to listen to a couple of old guys reminisce about Air Force history and international affairs before and around his date of birth... which seems like yesterday to the aforementioned old guys...  I like to think Adam enjoyed some of the stories and even learned a thing or two which will help him in his career which was the point of this little get-together. This was a long day which I'll never forget... I have a lot of fond memories of this day but some of the events of this particular day were life altering. We were all smiles and laughing through most of it though. And, dinner was great!

Still in pajamas and sporting bed-head, they were nevertheless yearning to get closer to the water and the boats...