First Day of School

It's that time of year again! The first day of school. This year is a little different, as the boys are back together. Can't believe we have a freshman and a SENIOR in high school. Honestly, I felt melancholy the entire day because of it. But, I just keep reminding myself that this is their journey, and how exciting it is for them. Still, I'm here to tell you, as exciting it is, watching your kids grow up is heartbreaking. It was absolutely pouring out when they left, so for the first year ever, we had to move first day of school photos to the porch area. Then, the boys drove off together and that was that! (Although, H has a study hall 1st period this semester so doesn't have to go in right away -- C is going to be taking the bus usually after all....) C came home after soccer practice around 5:45pm and H stopped for a second before heading out for the girl's swim meet (he's managing the team this year instead of soccer), and he got home at 10pm. It was a long one. Yesterday was Back to School night for the parents. Brian and I divided and conquered it (he walked H's schedule, and I walked C's). Both of us were very impressed by their classes and teachers. I think it's going to be an incredible year.

Klassy Kamping 19 :: The Krew

Unfortunately, one of our regular families had to bail due to a knee issue this year (this is the bad thing about getting older), but the beautiful thing about Klassy Kamping is that it's always evolving. Aaron brought his entire tribe with, plus we added John & Pat to the mix. The other strange this is, this is it for H! At least for awhile while he goes away to college. It's fun looking back over the years, but so unbelievable how fast they fly by. Thank goodness for such amazing memories.

(Past Years: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013)

Klassy Kamping 19 :: Day 4

When C was asked this week how his weekend went, one of the moms in one of the carpools said he said "Good." Then, paused for a second and said, "Actually, you know what? It actually went by way too fast." He's so right. This may have been the quickest camping trip yet. The weather was nearly perfect and we've got everything pretty much down to a science, so it's relatively stress-free (Camping is still a lot of works, don't get me wrong. In fact, I'm still doing laundry and sorting out things.) There were extra breakfast burrito fixings, so once again, we met up at Aaron's site. We had a couple dogs along this time. River (the Boston Terrier) and Sequoia (a mutt). They both were such a blast to have around. After packing up, it was time for us all to head our separate ways. We decided to drive through Spring Green and take a little bit different of a route. We stopped at a scenic overpass which we dubbed the scenic overgrow. You couldn't see a thing, which was kind of funny. But the bridge was cool, and we could see the Infinity Room of the House on the Rock so it wasn't a total bust. Next we drove by Peck's Farm Market so decided to stop. I don't know the story of the animals, but I do always get a little sad when I see places like this. Nevertheless, we did get to feed a deer and pet some goats. And that was that! We drove him, unpacked, got the dogs, and prepared ourselves for the coming week. It was the absolutely perfect finale to the end of summer.

Klassy Kamping 19 :: Day 3

Woke up to clear skies and warmer weather which meant, BEACH DAY! But first, breakfast. Aaron brought his paella pan, which is magic camping and cooking for 20 people. We gathered at his site for breakfast burritos and later in the evening for paella. In between, a carload went to New Glarus, while the rest of us opted for time on the water. It was still too chilly for me to jump in, but we between all of us, we had six paddle boards or kayaks, so all spent some amazing time on the water. Even saw a bunch of turtles, and H swam across the lake. So perfect.

Klassy Kamping 19 :: Day 2

Day two brought a little bit cooler weather (low 60s) and a few showers. It was gloomy for most of the day, but that didn't stop us. In fact, it was perfect for a hike to Stephen's Falls. So much green. It's absolutely fantastic. Amy also came prepared with the family Olympics which we played during cocktail hour. There were 10 or so games for us all to participate in. I'm sad to say, the P4 absolutely sucked at them all and came in dead last. Oh well, you can't win them all I guess. It was a super fun thing to do though, and we all had such a blast. Dinner was Frito Pie night, and conversation and games lasting into the wee hours.

Klassy Kamping 19 :: Day 1

One thing that always makes the end of summer sweeter is our annual camping trip with friends. This is the seventh year in a row that we've had our Governor Dodge Labor Day tradition, but we've been going for at least 13 years (with some breaks in between for various reasons). We all look so forward to this weekend so much. We finally hit the road around noon on the first day. It's a little later than we'd like, but we all have SO MUCH stuff going on. (Why is it so crazy busy lately?) Gretel really wanted to come along, but sadly she and Storm got to bunk at the kennel instead. We stayed in a different loop than normal this year. The sites were a little closer together, but I actually liked it a lot. Maybe even better. We were the first to arrive as we waited for the rest of the Krew to trickle in. Eventually everyone showed up, and we got to relax by the campfire and catch up. Absolute heaven.