My COUNTRY tis of thee...

To celebrate the long holiday weekend we headed north. To the country. The country being my hometowns of Lodi and Dane. I grew up in the country, but I had no idea until now. On the drive up Lily said "I know we are getting close when we start to see a lot of farms!" (true) And upon our arrival in Dane she said "Wow, they get to live here and pick all this corn?" (not true, "they"do not pick corn).

It appears I am raising a city girl. She is about to start kindergarten in a place that is different than my elementary school. Or Darin's. D teases me and my little hometown, and the fact that he is from Janesville (which makes him so much more sophsticated than the mall bangs that I brought to college with me...being from Lodi). We wonder about the differences in the location we grew up in and the location we have chosen for our children to grow up in. We are grateful we have a choice about where to live and we find great value in both our hometowns and our current hometown.

Our weekend was wonderful for all. For me, it was the feeling of coming home. Home to me is both the places and people that frequent those places.

For a rare moment I had all my besties in the same place at the same time. Cathie, Julie and Jennifer. (For Darin I think the enjoyment was the beautiful spaces and people coupled with my joy and the golfing two days in a row without a marytr wife).

We started at a Party at the Clarks

We met their new kitty (RIP Lucy)...this new guy (that Bailey orginally wanted to name Lily but settled on TRex, since "Kitty' is a boy) is way more social than his predecessor.

Charlotte says she's allergic to cats( by raising her hand whenever Lily asks the question which has turned into a big family joke). Come to find out, Ceci IS timid, but NOT actually allergic to cats.

We had amazing entertainment, a bounce house, a slip and slide, fireworks, campfire, and also a scary story about a maid, a narrator, a prince, a witch and a princess (in that order) that the kids performed for us parents. Each child played their role to perfection! It was a phenomenal act!

The fire pit waiting for late night smores action.

Slip and slide line up. Look closely at the candid love caught between brother and sister!

How cute!

We toured a master garden with Master Gardener

(and fellow WCWAn and preschool teacher) Jillian

The Clarks held an exciting and (perhaps illegal?) fireworks show!

Ooh, Ahh!

Pool Party at Village President Clemen's Home

Obviously I wasn't in charge of this.

Its ok to mix the sand and water. And more fun!

Lily called served up a delicious Chocolate Cinnamon Peanut Butter Strawberry Berry Nut Pie

Poolside berry picking. Too good to be true!

A trip to the Henry Vilas Zoo with buddy Jesse

"hello down there!"

Thank you Clarks, Clemens, and Malin-Munsons for a weekend we never wanted to end (hence the very late Monday night return home). You make me SOMETIMES wonder why we ever left...such a lovely place to visit! We miss you already.