Wisconsin 2012 part one

Ahhhh. . . . my happy place. 

You know that old exercise where they tell you to close your eyes and imagine your favorite place in the world? A place where you feel peace? A place where you feel like yourself? Well for me, this is the place. 

Sadly, Simon had to work and couldn't come with but we were on a mission. The kids and I hopped a 4 hour flight to Chicago, followed by a 7 hour drive up to the cabin. The travel was long, but boy was it worth it. 

The flight

The colors. There's just nothing like it. It is breathtaking.

A special weenie roast with the whole family down at "Bill's Pit."

 

Lucy, Henry, and I made this very special faerie tee pee while we were there. Lucy dragged the sticks out of the nearby woods and I carefully placed them. Lucy decided she was the "wooder" and I was the "puter." We spent a lot of time on this little house, but I think the faeries were pleased.

When bad pirates attack good kids. . .

When bad pirates attack good kids. . . 

. . .it looks like this:

http://youtu.be/IxLuVCYPeYM

Happy 5th Birthday Lucy Christine!

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY LUCY!

The temperatures were predicting triple digits so we traded in our bounce house for a waterslide for Lucy's Peter Pan party. We splashed and laughed and played. . . all to celebrate a very special 5 year old.

We paused to read a story . . . only to be interrupted by a gang of very familiar pirates who brutally attacked with water balloons and herded the kids to the front yard.

Pinata time!

Presents

The cake! My mom did it again with a double whammy rainbow cake!

Papa was a willing model for the impromtu beauty salon that sprung up in Lucy's bedroom

The fiercest pirate of them all!

Cousin love!

Thanks to everyone for making it such a great day!

“You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s where I’ll always love you. That’s where I’ll be waiting.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Happy Birthday Nola!

Our dear friend Kristie and Nick's little girl Nola decided to turn 3 a few weeks ago.

Lucy and Henry and I decided to drive on up to Camarillo to celebrate. . . wild west style.

Kristie and Nick went over the top creating a western scene that was perfect!

First Day of School

First day of school!
Henry: Age 2.8 Mrs. Norgord's "Caterpillar" class
Lucy: Age 4.8 Mrs. D'Arezzo's "Busy Bee" Transitional Kindergarten class
 Here goes nothin!
Love these kids

Bass Lake

BASS LAKE! 

Oh my word. 

The days I wasted in my youth wanting to "get out" of the mountain area. 

And now I try to get back in every chance I get! 

 Ron and Heather invited us to spend the week at their cabin and we jumped at the chance to spend days at the lake doing everything and nothing at all. It was a pretty eventful week. We had swimming sessions, dead geese, enchiladas con El Cid, stampeding cattle, stampeding senior citizens from Torrence, bee stings, free turkey sandwiches, and that was just the first half of the week. 

Epic. 

ROSIE IS 5!

Our little Rosie girl turned 5!

Heather and Ron threw a birthday party to remember!

There were little girls in nighties, nail polish, temporary tattoos, princess cakes, crunchie snacks, and a 4 poster bed in the middle of a back yard. 

What a night!