Camp Henry to Traverse City

We've heard awesome things about Camp Henry since we moved to Ada and this year Carson decided he wanted to give it a try.  He went to overnight camp for 3 nights, 4 days, knowing absolutely no one.  I know I write about how brave Laney is so now I have to say Carson was so brave and ambitious jumping into something like this!  I was way more nervous than he was.  Patrick dropped him off on Sunday and me and the girls picked him up on Wednesday.  We had no interaction other than we could write him letters/emails and he would get them delivered to him at dinner.  We never heard anything from him but we did get some photos throughout the week.  The camp ended with the kids and counselors all singing and dancing, they shared a dvd of photos from the week, and the director shared some thoughts.  Their goal was that every kid leave camp knowing how awesome they each are.  How cool is that?!  He talked about how every kid is perfectly imperfect.  No one is perfect and should never be held to those standards, and each child was divinely made to be imperfect.  They celebrated imperfections here!  I loved the theme of camp.  I never say my kids are perfect, Lord knows they aren't.  But I'm not either.  No one is.  So why not celebrate each other just the way we are?  LOVE IT!  He wanted us to ask our kids how they were treated and talked to all week, and how they treated others.  Spoiler alert, with kindness people, that's how everyone was treated.  What a nice break from real life in America right now.  Anyways, after the closing ceremony Carson came back to meet us.  He gave me a huge hug and with the biggest smile said, "I can't wait to come back here again Mom!  Next time I want to come the whole week.  It's so much fun!".  YAY!!  Camp success :-)  I went home with one very tired, very stinky, very happy boy.  

The very next day after camp we  headed off to Traverse City for our vaca with the Brang and Mazzetti Families!  Whoo Hoo!

There are two cute babies in that tent :-)

Coffee and hot chocolate downtown.  Check.

Donuts.  Check.

Fun in the fountain.  Check.  We love T.C.!

Oh my goodness.  The five of us were sitting dowtown enjoying lunch outside when these two walked up to us and rocked our world!  Joe and Jessica were our amazing neighbors for several years in Huntersville.  I used to babysit their kids before I had my own!  They were randomly in Traverse City for a wedding and I don't know how they spotted us but what a huge surprise!  And what a small world!  It's been over 8 years since we've seen them.

Kayaking with my boy!  It was so rocky I started getting sea-sick.

The kids and Patrick braved the chilly water and jumped on the water trampoline two days in a row.  Grandma Brang even got out there!

Mrs. Mazzetti playing "monkey in the middle" with the kids in the pool.  All the fun!

Our first time putt-putting and I don't think a day has gone by where they haven't asked when we can do it again.  Carson got a hole in one on hole 13 and Laney got a hole in one on the last hole 18!  Evie hit the ball a hundred times :-)

Food trucks!

We stopped at Rare Bird for some drinks.  Beers and lemonades!

Oh it's raining and freezing outside in June?  Of course it is.  No problem, the indoor pool does not disappoint!

The dollar game with Grandpa Brang.  Or maybe the $20 game I don't even know?

Snuggles with our cousins!

The night we got back from Traverse we were sitting at the table eating dinner and out of nowhere Carson got up and brought over a couple photos we have out of Nana and the kids.  He put them right in front of Everson and asked her who was in the pictures.  She got everyone right and Carson said we needed to do that everyday so she wouldn't forget her Nana.  This boy drives me up the wall a lot of the time and then he again he also pulls at my heart like no other.