Video: An Evening at The Lake
It was only last year that I discovered the natural beauty of Iowa's lakes and that we can visit them anytime to swim and spend time with family without needing a membership. It was such a freeing feeling! Because most people choose to spend their summers swimming at the local pool, we've discovered that the lakes are hardly ever crowded; in fact, we sometimes show up and no one ever comes. It feels like a wonderfully old-fashioned way to enjoy a cool dip on these desperately hot summer days! These photos were taken on Lake Iowa near the little sleepy town that we live in.
I knew that I wanted to spend this summer more in tune with our natural surroundings, to spend less time on devices and watching things on a screen. Near the end of the school year for Tad, we decided to let go of our television subscriptions (things like Netflix and Disney+) and only use our DVD player. That, in itself, has also been so liberating! We are no longer filling voids in our days with endless noise and nonsense. I have been picking books back up again, something I haven’t done since Tad was a baby. Now that he is getting older, we are busier than ever before with summer sports and camps, family gatherings and family visiting. Typically my summers with small children were spent meandering about the farm with not much on our agenda. Now I hardly have time to sit down and simply think! Perhaps that is just the nature of having older children.
I love the lake because it feels like we can let go of all of those busy feelings and just be. There is no agenda at the lake. Its a time to play in the sand, try and catch little pan fish, and find new friends to play and splash around with.
How does your family like to step away from the hustle and bustle of life? Do you have a special place that you can go to unwind and recharge? I never knew I needed the lake so much until we got there!
Our clothing was generously gifted by Little Women Atelier and Noble Carriage.
xoxo Kayla
