Our "last hurrah" . . . but not really

Last year, we planned a "last hurrah" -- a little time away before we became parents to our newest child. Fast forward a little bit . . . and we are not even close to traveling to India. But we decided to make the best of it and stick with our plans anyway.

The boys went off for their first-ever sleep away camp. (The photo kind of makes it look like they joined the army . . . but it's just their ride over to the camp's other lake and cabins!) It's a place we've gone to as a family in past years, and last year they asked if they could go on their own for a week. They had a wonderful week -- not a trace of homesickness, according to them. They came back happy, exhausted, full of mosquito bites, and very proud of themselves.

Meanwhile, Aunt Alicia came to stay with Anya Rashi for a few nights and have a special girls' time together. In the three years she's been home with us, Peter and I have never gone away together, so we wondered how she would do. We needn't have worried . . . every text and photo they sent showed a smiley Anya Rashi, along with questions like, "How many more days can Aunt Alicia stay?"

Peter and I, after dropping the boys off at camp, continued north to the tip-top of Wisconsin. We stayed on the shores of Lake Superior, and spent a day sea kayaking. While it was in the 90s in our hometown, we had to wear thermal gear and wet suits because the lake acts like a big refrigerator. There are a series of sea caves, along with the beautiful Apostle Islands, along the southern shore of Lake Superior . . . it was absolutely breathtaking. The water was emerald green, and little waterfalls trickled down the sandstone cliffs as we paddled by. We also went out to a great restaurant one night, and had a terrific time.

So, even though we aren't headed to India in the near future, we did have a grand time!