I love my hometown!

I really really love Lake Shawnee in the summer. I haven't visited here in the summer in what feels like decades - but I think it's been about 4 or 5 years - it brings back so many memories. Us Lake Shawnee kids absolutely had the best childhood growing up on the lake -- but during the summer months especially. My best buddy Lisa and I would set out at 8 am for our swim team practice - and then spend the rest of the day at the beach or one of the playgrounds. We'd pack a lunch - and just stay out ALL day. We just had to be home for dinner. We would ride our bikes everywhere. If we wanted to go find a friend, we couldn't call them on their cell - we had to go look for them. We had to plan times to meet ahead of time haha. If our parents needed us during the day, they rode around the lake to find us. We were allowed to go anywhere as long as we stayed in the lake (2.5? miles around). We were safe. It was a time full of freedom and joy and innocence. What's crazy is that I'm not even that old!!! I'm only 25 - my childhood wasn't THAT long ago was it? Yet so so much has changed.

I love being here in the summer. I hope the younger generation is enjoying themselves now as much as we did.

Here's Raymond on MomMom & Papa's back porch. They have so many fun toys!

Here's the view from my old bedroom. How many nights I spent looking out this window, talking to God, dreaming of my future and just growing and learning and contemplating life.

Raymond checking out some new friends we made while eating blueberries

Still eating --- I tried to get a view of the lake in the background - but couldn't on the phone. I have a lot more pictures I'll show at a later time --- from my regular camera - not just my camera phone. I can't wait to upload some of the nature ones I got and some of the cousins!!

Here's our backdeck and portion of the backyard. We used to swim and fish off this dock. During the winters we would ice skate! We have a sailboat, little motor/row boat and paddle boat. There's no gas engines or fast boats allowed on the lake - it's just a small little community 500? houses - it's really pretty and peaceful.

Not everybody could swim off their back deck - we were just lucky because where our house is, we're at the start of a little cove so there's a good flow of water to keep the scum moving haha...and it's not too shallow and not too 'mucky'. There's an underground spring from the house next door all the way to the waterfall/dam - so it's the deepest part of the lake. There used to be a flowing dock out there we would swim to but that's gone. Most of the time, we would swim at first beach though. We had many great birthday parties in this yard and swimming off the deck though. My parents always organized fun games - man, I have so many great memories here that I haven't thought of in so long!!

We are having a great time and it is great to see Raymond enjoying the lake and the family so much. I love the mountains up here and how green everything is. I love love love where we are on the coast of N.C. but Lake Shawnee in the summer is just right up there on my favorite things. I love how green everything is! On the coast we have a lot of sand and palm trees and not a lot of green.

I love the hills and mountains and all the animals we've been seeing. We have seen beaver, turtles, fish (of course), lots of HUGE squirrels - I forgot how big the squirrels were haha, chipmunks, lots of birds --- and we almost saw a bear - and I'm real glad we didn't. We have been walking around the lake every night! (MAN! Those hills are killer! I am getting in great shape just from those 2 big hills we climb daily) and 2 nights ago - a man stopped us and said... wow did you see that bear!? Thank God we didn't --- and I RAN the rest of the way home! :)

I'm so thankful for my hometown. But I also can't wait to go home too! :) I miss Brandon terribly but I'm just not letting myself talk about missing home and him too much. I want to focus on the blessings we have from being up here!

Life is good, because God is great! :)