Shivering at Lake Cleveland

Our first family reunion adventure took place at Lake Cleveland, just a few miles outside of Albion, where we had planned to kayak, canoe, swim and play in the sand. We were a little disappointed to discover that it was cold (too cold in fact to swim and play in the water) and that the sand was actually mud. We couldn't complain too much, though, because it was a beautiful place and not at all crowded. Except for a couple of fishermen, we had the whole lake to ourselves! We relaxed. We visited. We played. We enjoyed the scenery.

We rode in the canoes and kayaks.

Brave Nathan and Matthew even took a kayak to the middle of the lake. Thankfully, they made it back again. They did some fishing from the canoe. Matthew was convinced that Nathan caught the biggest fish ever and that it was pulling the canoe along. Unfortunately, it got away when the fishing rod ran out of line. The kids tried to catch a chipmunk (Maggie thought it was one of the famous singing chipmunks from a recent movie).

We even had a picnic. The first thing we did when we got back to Miller Hall was to find a way to get warm.

The hot tub felt especially good.
Pat and Angie prepared delicious grilled fajitas for dinner. After which, the kids played in the sand and we visited some more.

We ended the day sharing stories, roasting marshmallows and eating smores around the campfire.