Early Morning Swim: Living in Savannakhet, Laos I do not have access to a pool suitable for swimming laps. Therefore, I made sure to take advantage of the free use of the indoor pool at Glade Springs. Being an early riser, I was able get my workout in the pool done before most of the rest of the family even got out of bed. While I generally had the pool to myself, Peep did join me on the first day.
After our swim, Peep and I returned to our rental lodge for breakfast. The eating area was a little less crowded with the absence of two from our original group. My sister's husband, Tim, chose to work the week of our vacation and had returned home the night before. One of his sons, Samme, returned with him to attend summer soccer camp. Tim drove my parent's car, leaving his van behind with my sister and their other three kids. We wouldn't see them again until they returned at the end of the week.
Back on the Courts: We again decided to get some late morning tennis in at the nearby outdoor courts. It was a slightly different group of us that decided to go, with grandma and grandpa in attendance. The courts were once again empty and the weather beautiful for hitting the ball back and forth. After tennis, we found Becky's oldest son, Ben, next door at the outdoor swimming pool. We would be returning there later in the day, but first it was time for lunch.
Signature Hole: In the early evening, my parents, Peep and I set out on foot to see the signature par 5, 16th hole on the Stonehaven Golf Course. My dad has been to Glade Springs in the past and has played the course on his previous visits. After a hike back along a couple of holes, we arrived at our destination. We then searched for a way to reach the spot by car but, after a survey of the immediate area, we didn't see anything that looked like an obvious, quick route, so we headed back the way we had come.
It was then a quick dip in the outdoor pool for Peep and me, where we met up with my sister and her two youngest kids, Abby and Nate. Of course, I had my waterproof camera with me and was able to get some more photos of our adventures.
Mark's Dinner: As part of the vacation experience, my mother had decided to have each member of the immediately family be responsible for dinner one night. While she had taken care of the first night, the second night belonged to my brother. So Mark, along with his two children, Calaen and Robbie, had already started preparing their feast by the time I arrived back from swimming. The menu was quite extensive, consisting of baked chicken wings, beef bangers, steak strips, shells and cheese, tortillas and a baked spinach dish.