We recently returned from a week long vacation on Watch Island in the Adirondacks. We were three Thelemarck siblings, the spouses, the grandparents and the grandchildren...all FIVE of them, thirteen of us in all. We have a new baby in the family now...Kaj Campbell Thelemarck joined us on January 14th and he is absolutely adorable. The boys are completely in love with him and will be fabulous older cousins as Kaj grows.
This is also the fifth summer family vacation we've had with Bjorn and Jane...first was Cape Breton in Canada, followed by Temagami, also in Canada, then Lake Umbagog in NH, Matinicus Island in Maine, and this year Watch Island on Tupper Lake. The wonderful part of vacationing on an island is that you are pretty much forced to relax. The effort to leave the island is too great, and hanging out in a hammock, or on a rock, or spending hours swimming is such a simple choice it wins over and over and over. So reading, playing games, swimming, boating, and eating is what it's all about.
The highlights of this vacation - determined by Anders and Kuba, were: the water slide, swimming, skinny dipping, fishing and CATCHING FISH!, Graham and Cracker (our wild mallard duck friends), cousins, reading Harry Potter, the Wild Center (our one excursion), and giant bubbles. (confession: the bubbles were my favorite part!) I might also throw in there gummy bears, jelly beans, and smores as highlights.
The cool part of this island experience was there was a main cabin that was just a kitchen, dining and living room. Our hang out headquarters. There was a second cabin that could sleep 12....2 small rooms with queen beds, and 6 bunks. There was a third "master" cabin with a queen bed only...this was for Jane and Bjorn, and then a fourth building that had a fabulous bathroom with a deluxe shower and a laundry. There were boardwalks that connected all the buildings and that in itself was fun. The buildings were surrounded by giant boulders - some equipped with climbing ropes so you could pull yourself up. There were 2 hammocks with spectacular views, 2 docks, 2 canoes, 2 kayaks, a sunfish, a paddleboard, and a pontoon boat. There was also the crown jewel....and enormously steep water slide!
Each day had it's own flavor....sometimes fishing was key, other times it was the waterslide that dominated, almost all days included swimming and boating of some sort, and always there was too much food!! Each family took turns cooking and the meals were big and yummy. Kaj was the special treat this vacation...as he is new to the family and we are all delighted with him. Jen and Peter are so in love with him and their pride is contagious. I think he's pretty amazing - calm, sweet, and just the most lovely baby. His eyes are the deepest shade of blue and we've dubbed him blueberry!
We are already planning for next year...where? Perhaps Nova Scotia this time? We'll see. Let the Thelemarck Family adventures continue!!
