It was a beautiful warm Saturday morning when Steve picked me up for our third date.  It was the middle of May and I met him out front of my building in my cutest little jean skirt with no idea of what he had planned for us.  And frankly, I didn’t really care.  The devastatingly handsome guy awaiting me could have taken me bear hunting and the twinkle in my eye still wouldn’t have faded!!

When I got in the car, he handed me a bag of M&Ms and asked “are you ready for a road trip?!?!”  Gah…M&Ms and a road trip?  I would have married him on the spot!!

About an hour later we arrived along a waterfront in Calabogie where Steve told me about his childhood summers along that very spot with his family.  Every summer, they would all meet there for a week of fishing, campfires, sleeping out in cabins, staying up past their bedtimes.  He said that while it had been many years since they last visited, those summer trips still remained some of his favourite memories as a kid.

Every year…same time…same place.

We spent the day hiking, talking, and having lunch {yes…there may have been some kissing in there too!  I blame the jean skirt!} before we headed back to Ottawa to continue our weekend, and ultimately, the rest of our life together.

It’s been nearly ten years now since that third date and this past August, we went back to that very same spot.  But this time, married…with our own kids in tow…and the rest of the family to meet up with!  This year, they decided to pick up their family tradition right where it left off…seemingly never having missed a beat.

The weather was overcast and raining a lot of the time…but it didn’t seem to matter much.  We fished, we went boating, we swam in the lake, we lounged by the water, we drank wine, we watched all of our kids laugh until their stomachs hurt, we celebrated a birthday or two, and we stayed up way past our bedtimes.  It was bliss!

I wasn’t able to stay with every one else nearly as long as I would have liked to given my wedding schedule, but it was long enough to know that I absolutely loved it.  Everybody loved it.  We loved it so much that we’ve already booked it all again for next year and I can’t wait!

So I guess it’s a date…

Same time…same place…