LAKE WAWASEE, INDIANA

Lake Wawasee is a very special place for my family.

My Dad and his two brothers started coming here when my Dad was just 8 years old. My cousins and I started coming here when we were infants. As mansions are built around the lake, ours has remained almost untouched. Though the designer in me dreams of days of designing a new lake home, we are reminded to feel fortunate of what we do have and that we get to spend quality togetherness here as a family.

Here are some photos from the past that I found around the cabin. The photo above is of my dad, grandparents & uncles in front of the very similar to today’s cabin. This past 4th of July, all three brothers were here and it warms my heart to see them together reminiscing of trick skiing around the lake or sneaking into an x-rated drive-in movie theatre as teenagers…not sure why that ever existed! My mom started to come here when she started dating my dad at age 20. They would sneak up here to get away, similar to Cameron and me when we started dating. This summer marked Cameron’s tenth (!!) year of coming up to Wawasee with me.

Then came the best Kennedy generation…the Kennedy cousins. We were very blessed to grow up together at the lake all these years. Some of our great family memories start with “at the lake…”. While we have grown up, moved to separate cities and started our own lives, we still always find a way back to lake to make the next great memory.

Fast forward to 2019, the 4th of July Kennedy tradition at Lake Wawasee is still alive and well. Although we have gained a few people over the years, there is never a shortage of places to sleep between the front and back house. Before my grandma built the back house for the grandkids, we would pile onto air mattresses on the living room floor. While it was a bit cozy, those were some of my favorite memories. We would stay up late and get scolded for giggling too loudly since the walls are almost literally paper-thin. Now our days are filled with talking on the porch, hanging with the neighbors we grew up with, drinking too much & laughing at our many “interesting” family traits that we have grown to know and love so well.

Beatrix was very festive on her first 4th of July at the lake. Sierra, Cameron’s sister, joined us this year and I think she survived. It was nice to have her because she is already a Kennedy at heart. We laugh because she is one of the few people that can translate my Dad’s speak to the rest of the group, a true skill.

I also enjoy seeing my Dad interact with Cameron and Aaron. He loves them so much and I think he secretly enjoys not being surrounded by only women. B also clearly stole everyone’s heart, per usual.

One of the greatest aspects of Lake Wawasee is that we know so many families that have also been coming up here for decades. One thing you get accustomed to is the boat-by/drop-ins where people just boat into your pier to say hey. The Bahler’s are the newest kids on the lake. They recently purchased a house across the lake from us and have quickly joined in on the surprise visits and vice versa.

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, right Kali?

We had so many furry animals at the lake on this 4th of July. Our friend Liv also brought home her puppy, a Berna-doodle named Millie. Millie is just a week older than B and they played like they were sisters. They were inseparable! Although B was unsure of her first swim, she didn’t sink.

A mid-day rain means one thing in our house, shots and board games. Oh and more puppy naps.

The last two years my family decided to rent a party bus, equipped with disco lights, to take us to the infamous “Frog Tavern.” They have live music and cheap drinks every Saturday night in the summer.

A highlight this year that set it apart from previous were the old videos my great uncle found from his and my grandma’s childhood. The photos below are my grandma when she was maybe 5? I am talking the 1920s…look at those cars! It is incredible that these were just found and that the quality is this spectacular.

I am convinced my husband really loves the lake because he gets to sleep anywhere and everywhere at any given moment. Beatrix has learned to follow suit quickly…

Our home away from home, there is truly no other place like it. Until our next adventure, G&C….