the fourth :: the lake

We spent a LONG and relaxing weekend waking up to these views...



We headed down to the cabin Thursday afternoon and set up camp for the extra long weekend.  It was wonderful to have so much time.  My kids slept until after 9 which NEVER rarely happens at home.  Heck I slept past 8 which is extremely rare for me.

We spent our days doing a little cliff jumping...



Both Banks and Mary Reese found a little courage and went up to the 4th level to jump.  I bet they jumped 50 times this weekend.

We also spent alot of time floating around the dock where I viewed a couple of flying squirrels...



...and I may or may not have seen some Nakie Cannonballs...



I bet Owen jumped off the dock 100 times...each time he was yelling CANNONBALL!  It was hysterical.  [For the record, he did wear a bathing suit part of the weekend.]

We spent our nights eating.  What else would you expect out of us?  The first night we hit Chef Troy's Talk of the Town restaurant.  It was delicious & delightful.  If you are ever in the Houston/Arley area, you should try it out.  It will not disappoint.

The rest of our nights we grilled/smoked out...



Grilled Chicken Wraps



Smoked Chicken [injected, rubbed and stuffed with fresh herbs, lemons & onions] with Oven Roasted Potatoes



Hamburgers/Hot Dogs with Lake Fries [there is nothing better]

We also smoked a boston butt on the fourth.  It turned out to be our best one to date.  I use Chris Lilly's injection recipe.  I use Byron's Butt Rub with a little Tony Chachere's as my rub [because I am lazy and don't want to mix one up].  During the last few hours of smoking you sop it with a vinegar based mixture [a simple mixture of vinegar, cayenne, salt, and lemon slices].  There is a step by step blog post complete with pictures here.  Like this blogger does, I inject and rub my butt the day before, wrap it in foil and let the flavors "marry" in the refrigerator.

Popsy and Gigi came down Sunday bearing gifts...



A flag cheesecake [so much better than the original cake with whipped cream frosting] and...



A boat load of fireworks for our very own show!

We started out the night with some giant sparklers...









So fun and always makes you feel like a kid again.

Then came for the big show...





Our neighbors [who happen to own a firework stand] got in on the action as well.  Between our cabins, we had a pretty good show!

Late Monday afternoon, we packed it up and headed home...



The "redneck garbage truck".  Banks thought it was hysterical!

We made it back home just in time to catch the city's firework show.  Thanks to the Cushings we avoided the traffic and enjoyed the show from the comforts of their driveway.