Happy b-day, Merica!

July 4th is such a happy time at the Marsh house.  The CNMs are usually out of town for the actual holiday, but this year we discovered a Lawrence fireworks show that happens a week prior, so all four of us enjoyed a lovely night (pictured above.)

Because the extended Marsh crew gathered for Tina's wedding (see June entry), there was a smaller group at Harvey's Lake this year.  Here are all the boys minus Uncle Ted cheesin on the swimming dock.

Conner and Carson were the only young kiddos in attendance, so they got lots of attention from the cool cousins.  Here they are with Nate and Geoff on the world reknowned lakehouse couch.

We are pretty proud to boast a 100+ year history at this property.  The house was built by CNM Sr, and it stands just beside the house bought by his in-laws in 1911.  Here are CNM #5 and CNM #6 standing in the original gazebo behind the first house.

The boys could not get enough fishing in.  The lake spoils us a bit, because the fish seem to follow you around begging for a hook...

And if you fish inside our little boat house, you watch them approach the hook and take the bait. Is that fair?  We dunno, but they seem to keep coming back, so we don't ask questions.

This year's catch included some pretty sizable fish including this icky slimy catfish.

There was one other little one this year (not counting the five puppies running around).  Little Winchester became the first of the new NY Marsh generation.  How long before he is waking up Carson mid morning like Carson has done Geoff, and Geoff used to do Daddy???

We are busting at the seams trying to comfortably sleep everyone.  The boys offered to do their part in hammocks in the back yard, but they ended up in fun bunk beds in the "boys' dorm."

The hiking is so fab in the hills behind the lake.  Here is Carson posing by a very healthy grape vine.  Vine swinging is a long standing--if not safe--lake house tradition.

Conner continues to be enamoured by everything geological.  He asked for this picture to be taken showing a sedimentary rock formation that demonstrated a shift in river flow.  So cool!!

Then there was the trip home...2014 will be remembered for the storm that seriously messed with us.  The three CNMs drove to Rochester to catch a flight to Baltimore, then KC.  The flights got totally screwed up, forcing us to sleep at the airport.  Two of the three CNMs felt the accomodations were just dandy...

Amazingly, the storm also felled two huge trees on the lake house property HOURS AFTER THE LAST OF US LEFT.  Not only did they miss the house by a few feet but had it happened a couple days earlier, they would have demolished a half dozen cars in the driveway.  Whew!