A Week in My Life

I hope that your Spring has actually been..well, springlike, because it hasn't really been that way around my neck of the woods. Today is one of the first days where we've had consistent sun! Now, I'm just waiting for the weather to heat up!

We moved out of our apartment earlier in April. I became aware of how insane cats get around boxes. They. must. jump. in. all. of. them.

 

Enjoying the rare sunshine. April and early May are very rainy around here.

This, my dear friends, is comfort food at its finest. Ok maybe not, but it's pretty darn close. Behold, the roasted broccoli and cheddar baked potato (the potato skin has been rolled in salt before baking, which makes the skin nice and tasty).

Kitties exploring the back porch. They're also obsessed with the fact that we now have a basement.

 My hubby and I moved into a house in Wisconsin and I love that I see Lake Michigan when I walk to the end of the street we live on.

Some more scenes of where we live. Life is beautiful! Now all we need is a boat... Just kidding! 

Have a beautiful week!

That One Time At Summer Camp...

Let me tell you, some traditions are really worth keeping; summer camp is one of them. My mom used to regale me with tales of going to camp every summer up north (and was always sure to finish it off with a subtle "I'd love to see you go to Camp Zion one day."). Pretty much everyone in my family had gone there at one point or another and my mom seemed hell-bent on adding me to the distinguished ranks of "Camp Zion alum".

As a child who wasn't naturally inclined to being extremely social, the idea of summer camp scared the living daylights out of me. Days away from my family, forced to live in close confines with strangers, and worse, strangers my age?? God-forbid. 

In the end, I relented, and only because my best friend was also going to camp. Not only did it change my life (no, really!) and have an amazing time, but it proved that, yet again, my mother knows best. So I attended camp for the next several years and loved every minute of it.

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/CampZion

On the Sunday of the week of camp, we would pile into an old bus and drive four hours north to Door County, Wisconsin. It was hot and awkward because it was the beginning of the week and no one knows each other yet. *Spoiler alert* The way home was the best part. Anyway, the camp is charming; it's set on a bluff, thick with trees, that overlooks Green Bay. You slept in cabins and ate in a mess hall. It was awesome. 

Photo source: www.facebook.com/CampZion

We went kayaking, played organized games, and swam in the lake. Sometimes we would walk through the forest at night with nothing but blankets and our flashlights to find our way back. We bought candy during canteen hour (with our parent's money of course). Pranks were pulled, friends were made, and crushes were had. But honestly, some of the most beautiful moments happened at the end of each day: we would all gather on the dock for the evening sermon, around a fire, and watch the sun set into the Bay. It was beautiful and incredibly meaningful. Suddenly it all made sense why my mom wanted me to go to camp so badly.

While I know that I went to summer camp several years ago, I hope it hasn't changed much. I hope they still have skit nights that make you burst at the seams with laughter, I hope they still make you sing (out loud, in front of the entire camp) when you get mail from a person of the opposite gender, I hope that there isn't internet access so that campers can disconnect from "the world" and get to know the real thing. I hope they still sing silly camp songs about jeeps and kissing in canoes. Because it's definitely a tradition that I intend to keep when I become a parent.

A Week in My Life: Week 27

Here's what the past week looked like:

I always marvel at the beauty of a summer sunset.

We spent our Fourth of July around town, grilling out, listening to concerts, and watching fireworks.

I love how the sunlight shines through the leaves.

Summer is finally acting like summer these days. We've been intentional about spending time outside when it does! I feel very lucky to live next to a large body of water.

Can you tell that my cat really doesn't like to be touched?

Today I cut some fresh roses from the bush in our yard. Within five minutes our apartment was filled with the smell of roses. And not the heady-grandma rose smell. It was soft and sweet.

My in-laws and I went on a little day trip to Lake Geneva this weekend. I love visiting this city. It's set on a lake and has tons of amazing shops and beautiful buildings.

This photo doesn't do it justice, but there were SO many people at the beach on Saturday! They had the right idea... It was crazy hot.

Geometric shapes on their library's door.

I love this photo- The buildings in Lake Geneva are classic! There are those moments when you just decide to shoot a picture and it ends up coming out perfectly.

"Olympian breakfast: the way to start your day." I love old signs.

How was your weekend? I'd love to hear all about it!

Sailing and Spying

 

I wanted to finish another Door County vacation post before the week ended, and I finally found some time to complete it! Luis and I did a ton of boating and exploring on our trip; our theory is that if we're going to visit somewhere new, we might as well see it and experience it.

We too a ferry over to Washington Island. It's a sizable island that sits right off the north coast of the Door County peninsula. We drove our car right onto the ferry and got out to explore the boat a little.

Once we docked, we wanted to drive around the island, but we were dangerously low on gas. We were told there was a station on the island, otherwise we wouldn't have taken our car onto the island with us. We drove...and drove... and drove... I started to fear that we missed it or that we plain wouldn't make it to the station before my car gave up. FINALLY we saw it and all was well. 

When we got back on the Door peninsula, we drove to the town of Fish Creek and visited the state park. They have a viewing tower that you can climb up and see an incredible view. 

I wouldn't call the tower rickety... but it was very windy the day we went up... so you could feel it slightly move and creak from the wind...

On our last day we went sailing on a chartered sailboat called the Edith M. Becker. It was such a great experience. We were able to see how they hoisted the sails and prepared the boat for sailing. In addition, one of the crew members played the violin, so we got to hear folk music during the entire excursion.

Door County Trip: Part 1

Sometimes, in life, you do things because they make you feel good. I know. That sentence was about as eloquent as Barney... but seriously. For most people out there, a lot is required of them, whether it be at their jobs, with family, or unforeseen complications. But sometimes I feel like we glorify "busy" in our society. You meet with friends and the first answer you get when asked how they are is, "ugh, I'm just so busy," like it's socially unacceptable to be anything other than overwhelmed. We forget that everyone has responsibilities and run-ins that they'd rather not have.

And I am absolutely, 100% guilty of doing this... all the time. Life has me in a bit of a choke hold right now, but why should that be what I meditate on each day? If my twenty-two years have taught me anything, it's that life changes and it changes rapidly. What I'm going through now will seem so distant in a few months. Some aspects will remain, but things come and go. And I'm forgetting one thing: I'm not alone. And don't get me wrong: I'm not saying we can't have an honest dialogue about what ails us. I just don't want my problems to be my focus.

That's why we take vacations! It's necessary to disconnect for a few days, literally vacate your life and your mind for a brief time, and reconnect with love, happiness, and peace. It has nothing to do with denial or blindly sweeping things under the proverbial carpet, but it's all about perspective; it changes when you remember what it feels like to "just live."

Neither of us had been to a winery before, and we really wanted to go on a wine tasting tour. We ended up at Lautenbach's Orchard Country Winery for a tour and tasting. Their winery sits right next to their fairly extensive orchard where they grow their own fruit to turn into wine and other products to sell in their market. The barn houses the wine production facility and tasting room. It smelled amazing in there. Not only do they make wine from grapes, but they also turn peaches, apples, and cherries into amazing wine. Plus, we got to keep our tasting glass (I'm a sucker for freebies...).

 

Waiting for the tour to begin. We had amazing weather!

I love this photo that Luis took of an old truck through the grape vines. 

Luis was pretty adamant about getting out on the water in Door County...

More specifically, he wanted to go parasailing...

So he did! He chose to be suspended at 500 feet, which was the highest option you could choose. 

...Can't even see him...

What do you do to reconnect with yourself and with life?