For the 33rd summer in a row, I had the luxury of vacationing on a lake in Minnesota with my grandparents, in a cabin that feels like home.
You can have your cruises and mountain hikes, your long flights and big cities. Give me a cabin on a lake, a floating raft and a few mosquito bites. Throw in some tan lines and a camp fire complete with S’mores, and that’s all I need.
I want to lay in the back cabin—windows wide open and curtains blowing in the night breeze. I want to hear the loons from across the lake. I want seaweed curling around my toes and a hammock with a perfect view. I want to hear the sound my feet make on the dock, and see the wet footprints it holds as my swimsuit-clad girls scamper back to the cabin.
I want chicken cross-fired on the grill and red wine on the deck. I want to hear hours of stories of my grandparents’ past.
I want just one more week.
I hope Ava and Olivia will grow to appreciate this amazing place as much as I do. I know they already adore the grandparents that make it all possible, and for now, that’s enough.
Smith Family Weblog 
Posted by Doug Smith on July 19, 2010 at 10:24 am
Beautiful. Both words and pictures.
Posted by Doug Smith on July 19, 2010 at 5:33 pm
This is like the ultimate postcard from Minnesota. Love the photo of the two girls hugging. Keith and Martha Ann need to invite us for “several” drinks!
Posted by jsmith425 on July 19, 2010 at 9:00 pm
I love your post. That photo of the girls hugging is to die for…seriously, it’s the cutest photo I’ve ever seen.
Posted by Karyl on July 19, 2010 at 9:19 pm
I, too, love the photo of the girls – that is just the sweetest thing I have ever seen!
No wonder you all love it so much – what a beautiful place!
Posted by Laura on July 20, 2010 at 11:04 am
I agree! That’s truly as sweet as it gets. What a beautiful, welcoming place to get away!
Posted by Rebecca on July 20, 2010 at 11:05 am
Thanks, everyone!
Posted by Rebecca on July 20, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Also, regarding the photo of the girls, when I first saw them like that, I assumed one was trying to strangle the other. I was pleased to find otherwise.
Posted by At the cabin « Smith Family Weblog on July 9, 2011 at 12:56 pm
[…] took this shot roughly 20 minutes after we arrived at the cabin in Minnesota. Ava–much like her mother–doesn’t mess around when it comes to time at Little […]
Posted by A milestone of sorts « Smith Family Weblog on April 17, 2012 at 9:35 pm
[…] This post is easily one of my personal favorites. I suppose there’s a good chance I’m at least partially responsible for skewing the numbers here, but it’s something I refer back to when I’m missing the grandparents. Or Minnesota. Or both. […]