One More Vacation Post

June is almost over, and here I am still writing about our time in Wisconsin. What else have we done this month?

• We put up a bigger pool in our backyard.
• Aaron has tennis lessons twice a week for a month and is really liking it.
• Braylen and Kaleb are mowing 6 lawns this summer, and I am their manager. :)
• We've been to the lake of course, where we go water skiing, knee boarding, tubing, and fishing.
• We visit the library at least twice a week. My boys were good sports and folded origami cranes at one of the programs. I learned Kaleb does not like origami.
• Piano lessons in the summer? Yes. When it works out.
• Meetings, doctor appointments, and more meetings...my boys frequently ask me, "Now where are you going?"
• Another mysterious rash for Aaron has me stumped. Is it the sunscreen? The public pool? The sun exposure? Agh!
• One visit to the public pool and we realized we prefer our backyard pool this summer.
• Their love for Star Wars is reignited, so we are watching it and they are playing with their figures and legos again.
• Listening to audio books in the car and at home helps to pass the time.
• We played in the river one afternoon and at our friends' farm another afternoon.

And then Aaron tells me today that he never gets to do anything fun with me. All I do with him, he says, is drive around in the minivan all day. Or I am working, he wants to play with me, and I am too busy. Ouch! I can see where he's coming from. I feel much busier this summer than other summers. Maybe it's the extra lawns or the new pool. Maybe it's because the kids are older. Maybe it's because Derek's job changed and we are all still adjusting to that. I don't know. But I do know that I don't want to look back on this summer and wonder, "Did I ever relax and have fun with my kids?" I want to play and laugh and draw with chalk and swim in the pool and do crafty projects and just be with my kids. Tonight as I snuggled Aaron at bedtime I asked him if he had a good day. Despite my busy schedule, I tried really hard to be intentional with my time. He told me, "It was the best day I've had in a while, Mom. I'm really glad I went to the store with you. I wouldn't have any cheese puffs, Squirmles, or pudding if I didn't go." Hmm. Not sure how to take that, but at least he went to bed happy. :)

So, here's a recap of our last 2 days in the Dells. The girls shopped downtown for fudge...yum! (I just finished my last piece today.) Then Derek and I shopped for souvenirs with the kids in the rain. After lunch at our resort, we went to an indoor theme park and drove go-karts, climbed a rock wall, did a ropes course, rode a Ferris wheel, and played laser tag. I have pictures somewhere, but not downloaded, so the few from Derek's phone will have to do.

All suited up for the ropes course! It was scarier than I thought. Of course our kids handled it just fine. I was so nervous! I followed my Dad through the whole thing and felt SO relieved to be back on the ground when we were done.

Kaleb climbing up! After the ropes course I said no to the rock wall.

Stretch Aaron!

Braylen reached the top!

Derek beat Braylen's time, but not by much. :)

Since it was Amber's birthday, we had a special supper at Paul Bunyan's restaurant. I didn't know what to expect, but it was the best chicken and ribs I have ever had. Served family style made it even better. We all sang to Amber and she and Will blew out her candle. Again, pictures are somewhere, just not here!

That night all of the boys (except Will) went back to the theme park and played laser tag until it closed at 11pm! The 6 of them bonded in ways only they understand, and it made my heart oh so very happy to see that happen. Aaron drew a map of the laser tag course and showed me their strategies. :) I believe that experience will be something they remember for a long time.

The next morning we packed up our things and checked out of our resort. I took a few pictures right before we left. Nobody wanted to leave.

Aaron's bunk

Braylen in the doorway of his room

Kaleb :)

Bye Bye Sunset Bay

We stopped at Sandy Beach Resort to walk around in our memories for a while before driving home. After all, the whole reason we gathered together in Wisconsin Dells for vacation was because of all the summers we spent there as a family--a perfect setting to celebrate Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary. I am blessed in more ways than I can count. Thank you, my dear family, for such an amazing time together this month. And for all of the years we spent here, I will remember them always. :) My kids even fed bread to the ducks, just like I did every year when we left! (And it was usually rainy/cloudy, just like this.)

Sarah and Eric near the fishing piers

Behind us is our raft we played on for hours and months and years, I'm sure. :)

We stayed here in cabin #1 the most.

We played lots of ping pong here with Dad throughout the years.

Happy 40th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! You are the reason we took this trip!

Daddy & Aaron holding hands on the drive home

I sure do love these boys!