SHORELINES

22 a p c s hor e l i n e s.c om | 2017 Vol :1 and know their mom loved them and loved baking. That they have memories of us being in the kitchen together and that this could create a special way for us to spend time together," she says. As Aimee dips her fingers into the freshly iced cinnamon rolls she helped make, it's obvious that she is developing a love for baking with her mom. "I think a love of food and sitting down to share a meal together will always be part of how our family connects," says Wood. This love for food and connection stretches beyond sharing a meal with her family. "Most of the time, even I don't get to eat the treats Kate has made for the blog," her husband says with a laugh. Instead, Wood gives them to neighbors, friends and colleagues to share. "It's a way to show people you love them. And it's a joy to be able to do those things, to love people and show them you care," explains Wood. Lake Martin has become another way Wood and her family connect. When Wood was at Samford, her Florida- based parents bought a second home on Lake Martin. "I loved Alabama and once my parents came and saw Lake Martin, they decided to settle at the lake instead of in the mountains of North Carolina.' For their family, it's a great way for family members from across the country to come together. Wood's parents and younger siblings now spend their summers on Lake Martin. Her grandparents from Michigan have relocated permanently just down the street in a community on the lake. "Everyone found a home at the lake," Wood says. "It's our rest place." At the lake, there is something for everyone. Wood's grandfather, a carpenter, helped remodel the family lake house, building cabinets, doors and built-ins. Another shared passion of the women of the family is quilting, so much so that the lake home boasts its own quilting room. "We spend so much time quilting at the lake – my mom, my grandmother, my sister, the babies. There are quilts all over this house that we have made. It's just another way that we are able to spend time together," says Wood. As Aimee and George play on one of their many family quilts, Wood shares her dreams of the lake house playing a significant role in their family for years to come. "Whether we are coming up for the weekend, spending Auburn football weekends, visiting the grandparents, just bringing the kids up, I want this lake house as being a place we will return to year after year," she says. Above: Photo contributed by k aTe Wood – Aimee and George Wood take a nap during a day at the lake.

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