Slowing down....

Seems like the pace is slowing down for the summer and we have spent a few lazy days lounging around the house.  The summer soccer season has wrapped up for Merrick and Grace and ended with a bang as each of them scored goals in their final games.  Merrick and Ella both had Camps at the university, Ella with Band Camp and Merrick with a Robotics Camp.  Merrick had a final presentation to exhibit what he and his team had coded their robot to do and Ella had culminating band concert that included Stairway to Heaven.  We are getting some much needed rain, but with so many outside activities we are having difficulty switching gears to inside ideas.

Miles...mountains....Miles

We were back from the Boot just long enough to watch the fireworks and a day's drive to Door county and then it was back on the road and point the truck east.  We drove east almost until east was gone.  We headed to the New Hampshire and the White Mountains to see family and hike the trails and explore the caves and waterfalls of glacial events far older than those in our neighborhood.  It was about 20 hours in the truck and across eight states to get there but what adventures awaited.  We hit some of the local favorites and tourist traps like the Big Moose Deli and an amusement park, Clark's, that has trained bears, water slides, trains and segways.  We spent a day hiking the Franconia Ridge loop, consisting of three different trails, a portion of the Appalachian Trail as well as three summits above tree line.  We averaged about a mile an hour on this beautiful and intense trail.  At times we were on all fours to scramble up the steep inclines.  We ascended up Falling waters trail aptly named for it great waterfalls and then skipped from summit to summit before replenishing our dry water bottles at the Green Hut and heading back to the cabin with sore calves and barking knees that were well earned.  We traveled to the top of Loon Mountain via gondola and explored some of the boulder caves but also hit Lost river gorge and Flume Gorge.  Both of these areas have industrious networks of boardwalks and cave systems that are a marvel to see.  We made the drive home all in one long, long day but it was part of the great American road trip.

Birthday to Boot!

 



The soccer season wages on but it was time to head back to the Boot for the annual trip.  well at least some of us headed to the boot...as the kids get older and more involved we spend both more time at in the Nicolet and seemingly less.  This year Grace was at the lake the longest!  Her and I headed out early Saturday morning and spent the first two nights without the rest of the family. We survived the quite with steak meals and early morning fishing.  She even caught a nice bass on her first cast. Amy dropped Ella off at camp and then brought Sophia, her friend and Merrick up on Monday morning...oh and Oliver too.  Ella would miss most of the week at Boot but she had a great time at her Traditional style Summer camp.  This year we set up a huge hammock village and had the campground mostly to ourselves during the week.  The temperatures hit the mid to high nineties so there was plenty of beach time and sunscreen to go around.  The kids were old enough to take the trail or canoe to the rope swing and everyone spent plenty of time staying cool and wet.  Even Oliver got into the action and loved chasing the ball in the lake as we tossed it from the boat dock.  He even jumped into the water from the canoe when Amy called his name from shore.  The pump was broken but the camp host was friendly and Ron got them to fix the potholes in the road.  We celebrated Sophia's birthday in the big woods and even had chicken for breakfast.  It was a typical year at the Boot but plenty of new memories to set apart from the years past.

kites and camps!

We dragged out the kites for a windy and cloudy Father's day flight and some flew better than others.  The wind was strong when we were at the house and after about two hours of getting ready and finally getting the the best kite flying spot in the world, the wind had abated.  The week also found us a kid short as the shortest one was dropped off in the north woods at Camp Uni.  It was Grace's first traditional summer camp experience and there is little doubt that she will go back again.  The camp was also pretty plush and included air conditioning....really more of a spa than a camp!

Ceremonies aplenty

The school year is about wrapped up and we put some time on the road and others spent some road time to come and see us.  Munkle Arky stopped in for a while, bringing bikes and laughter and we headed to see the Holmen Clan and celebrate Evan's endings and new beginnings.  The final week of the school year bore witness to Ella's 8th grade graduation ceremony as well as Sophia's soccer awards ceremony where she received offensive MVP.  Grace and Merrick both started up their summer soccer leagues and the weather has been cooperative. Sophia spent her first week of summer vacation at Med school camp and came away with a new career path of Pathology from the experience.

May we walk for Ella?

 

 Ella added another year to the win column and celebrated her birthday in wonderful ways.  A personalized grilled chicken dinner and a run to the ice cream shop was a great way to spend a midweek evening and birthday candle at the ice cream shop...well, she tolerated it with a smile!  She had been fundraising for the JDRF walk as well as we loaded up three vehicles with her friends to walk for a cure and make type one into type none.  The local radio station was announcing the event and when Ella's meter read 101....well she had to tell them about it seeing as how 101 is their broadcasting frequency!!  She came back with an arm load of flowers and big smile.  There were pizzas and rootbeer floats and plenty of yard games with her friends well into the later afternoon of Saturday. Sunday we had a big party for her and celebrate Mother's day as well.  The weather was in the low eighties and the bright sun put a little color into everyone's pasty skin.  Sophia was south of town playing in a tournament, she scored a goal and the team took first place as well.  Merrick had a pretty good week too and sneaked in a bell solo to surprise us all during his concert.  He was all smiles afterwards about keeping his secret.  The kids' school days are winding down and Merrick and Grace have soccer seasons that are winding up.  The snow is off the fields and they are starting to dry out in time for league play.  The spring marches on.

Don't fret....

 
A long awaited day came for Ella as the braces came off, and she reaped the rewards of indulgence of all the food that runs afoul of orthodontic brackets.  Graces' final guitar concert was played in front of a packed house and she played beautifully and confidently.  She is hanging up the guitar training for a while and will turn her sights towards the brass instruments this fall and a soccer in the summer.  Sophia is playing well for the high school soccer team and Merrick's indoor soccer has come to a close as well.  So to has his piano training in favor of percussion in the school band.  The piano still plays each evening as Ella has confidently taken up the ivories to add to her instrument training.