Monday Musings

Yes, that's us.  Headed 'up nort' to the annual Door County camping expedition.  The Chairman remarked that it was the 'best year ever'.  And I tend to agree.  Not sure why.  Maybe it's because the kids are older.  Maybe it's because the camper is more familiar.  Maybe it's because the weather was ideal (if you consider near 100 degree temps with high humidity ideal).  Maybe it's because we still love our friends.  But whatever the case... it was good.

Camping is a weird thing.  You work your tail off beforehand.  Buying up groceries.  Cooking ahead.  Loading everything you could possibly need in the next week.  And leave the house feeling exhausted.  Then once you are there you need to haul in some water.  Boil it on a stove to wash dishes.  Char meat on the grill that you would cook flawlessly at home.  Look at spiders crawl across the wall as you do your business in the bathroom.  Hop on your bike and ride to the shower facilities.  Stand in line with utter strangers and use a shower that is slightly clean with a button to push to get water with no hot/cold temperature regulation.  And it is fun.  Truly.

Little kids in Keens are just.  plain.  adorable.  Especially if their little faces are dirty with smudges from last night's s'mores.

Smelling smoke as you lie in bed camping is peaceful.  If you smelled smoke lying in your bed at home it would be very alarming.

Raccoons are aggressive in state parks.  Not dangerous.  They just feel they own the place.  The loudest shrieks that I ever heard our whole time there emitted from our very own camper teeming with young girls staring out at a raccoon right outside the door.  Later he came up to the Chairman and was on his haunches waving up to the hanging garbage all the while looking at the Chairman wondering why he wasn't helping.

We ladies took a bike/hike one morning.  I posted a picture.  They all are dear friends.  All of them.

In the MYP's minds, Door County is the best trip ever.  They bike from the campsite to a friends.  Then to the beach.  And back to the campground.  And then to the beach.  And then over there.  And over here.  And you get the picture.  Neurotic amounts of fun.

I'm sorry son #1 doesn't have many pictures from this year.  Honestly, I rarely saw him except when he was sleepwalking through the camper from utter fatigue.

I only forgot one thing in all the packing.  It happened to be the Chairman's road biking clothes.  He needed new ones anyway...

For the first time ever, I never used a long-sleeved anything the whole time we were gone.

Lisi loved her new hang-out place while we were gone.  And she got a 'good behavior' report from the boss-lady of the kennel.

This is enough.  Back to reality and the aftermath (i.e. laundry) from the camping expedition 2011!