Summer vacation booked!

This lake is near & dear to our family. 

It goes way back to the 1959 for my husband. 

When he was a baby, Rick's parents & grandparents rented cabins on this lake 

and spent time there for family vacations. 

 For me.... It's the church camp that sits on the southern end of this 9 mile lake

"LONG LAKE" is a good name of this one

Pine Haven Christian assembly

My mom-in-law went to church camp here as a child, 

so did my husband 

and so did our 3 kids. 

My first experience was when I was 5 month pregnant with my daughter, that was 

29 yrs ago, my husband brought me there to show me this place that had so many memories for him...

and so a new set of memories began....

Let's just say our family spent every summer (except two) for 22 years going to Pine Haven. We shared our vacation with a group of friends & family from our church.

 It was an unused week for the camp,  so it became ours to rent.

 Long lake is about 4 miles south of Park Rapids, MN . 

A quaint little town with candy stores, a theater, Ben Franklins store and lots of nick-knacky stores. 

We loved taking the kids into town to fill a bag with candy and explore the many shops on Main street.

Please excuse the picture quality on the next three photo's, 

they were taken before digital photography

 Our kids and their cousins....every summer. 

I love that they grew up vacationing together.

 My two oldest were baptized in Long Lake

 and another generation has began. 

Audrey was 4 months old on her first trip up North,

Carson will make his debut trip this year at 13 months

Rick's brother Brad, his wife Julie and daughter Kellie

Brad always had the boat, we have so many fun memories of skiing and tubing. 

2nd cousins. Last summer Audrey was Kellie's flower girl...such a special bond.

With that said....2 years ago our tradition was broken, the camp could no longer let our group rent. Needless to say we were all devistated. Last summer was hard, we missed Pine Haven and Long Lake.

This year we will begin a new tradition, still on Long Lake but not at Pine Haven. Just a little ways down the lake from the camp is a resort, we have gone past it many times on Brad's boat. It looks like a fun resort with lots to do, so we have rented a 4 bedroom cabin for a week in July.

Rick, all our kids and I will start a new family vacation tradition this year, 

making new memories on our beloved Long Lake! 

I cant wait!

Here's where we'll be staying Cabin #11