Callaway Gardens

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We just had one of the best weeks ever!

Callaway Gardens' aptly named "Summer Family Adventure" program is a great experience for kids and adults alike - it's summer camp for the whole family!

But the best part is the history with our family in particular - the Hightowers first came 35 years ago and kept coming every summer for a decade, meeting some life long friends in the process. So not only was it nostalgic for Jason & his brother to come relive their summer camp days, but bringing the grandkids to Callaway was a truly special experience for Yaya & Papa!

So in celebration of Yaya's well earned retirement from Knox County Schools, we all met up in central Georgia for a week at the lake - sharing old memories and making new ones!

Possibly one of the greatest parts of camp was sending the kids all off for the day - to do more in 6 hours with their camp counselors and new friends than they could ever imagine!
(Oh, and did I mention that the FSU Flying High Circus has a big top at Callaway where they perform, train and best of all - serve as camp counselors to our kids!!! I was so proud...)
Seriously though, their camp schedule included golf, tennis, archery, laser tag, swimming, circus skills, mini golf, the Butterfly Pavilion, nature hikes, arts & crafts and more... it was awesome!
Anyway, most days we watched them ride off in the morning on their bikes and reveled in their independence and our freedom! But we also had golf carts with which to toodle all around the Callaway property so some mornings the kids would just all pile up and hitch a ride.

And what, you might ask did all the parents do while their kiddos were all off at camp?!

Well, we were right in the thick of Callaway fun, too.

In fact, there was a schedule as full for the adults as it was for the kids - including golf, tennis, water skiing, wine tasting & cooking classes, art & crafts, trapeze, kayaking, beach volleyball, etc. (and yes, we did ALL of those things!)

But perhaps the favorite activity for us adults was the Treetop Adventure - a ropes course and zip line that was not for the faint of heart!

brothers - hot & sweaty, but pretty proud and excited to be on the ground!

And when camp was done for the day - I assure you we did not want for anything to do!
Though the program offered evening activities such as a beach bonfire with s'mores and live music and dancing... we all seemed to prefer to just spend time together cooling off in the pool or the lake!

here's the crew ready for a trip to Aqua Island (the big playground in the lake!)

Then again, another of the family favorite post-camp activities was taking the kids tubing on the lake!

Not only did they love the ride, but the parents thoroughly enjoyed watching them have fun!
(and isn't it always fun to ride in the boat?!)

a beautiful evening to be on the lake!

I know, I know - there were MANY "best parts" - but truly the circus at the end of the week was a highlight! It was especially fun to watch the boys recognize and cheer for their camp counselors who were performing (see Hamp reaching up to high-five his fave counselor!)...

So many pictures... 

(these are just a few, and I don't know if they are lined up correctly but you get the idea!!!)

But there were a few videos...

And the winner for best family moment?!

Seeing Hamp & Sam spend time with BOTH sets of grandparents!

For us, not a usual occasion and so a very precious memory indeed.

Thanks to Yaya & Papa for making this possible - especially to Yaya for retiring and giving us a very special reason to celebrate! Too bad you can't retire every year...

Where's Minou?

Minou, the greatest cat ever, decided it was time to go.

Literally, she left.

She hung out with all of us on the back deck on the 4th of July...

... and we haven't seen a trace of her since.

She was 15 years old. She never went further than the yard. She is gone.

I am going to believe that she knew it was her time to go, so she simply excused herself from her family and her comfy couch pillow to rest in peace somewhere.

It is difficult to let her go, without knowing for certain what happened to her.

But I will regardless remember her as the best pet - one that adapted so easily to a plane trip, road trip, new houses, new cats, new people and a dog. And I know that her last years have been full of warm places to sleep, saucers of milk, lots of love and plenty of reasons to purr!

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4th of July

The holiday weekend is drawing to a close... and Jason and I just sat down with old photo books and talked about all the Independence Days we have spent together!

We have been in Meeker for every 4th of July since 2007 - and many times with friends or family visiting which is the most fun (and memorable)!

This year it was just us... and I think it takes the award for most mellow of all our Independence Days. I walked the 5K in the morning, Hamp walked in the parade to support the 4-H Dog club, Sam waited excitedly with his buddies for any parade participants to throw candy, and Jason left half way through with a pulled back muscle!

The boys and I did play downtown for a while, leaving Jason home to thaw out some steaks for the grill and make Xochitl's home made salsa! Which made for the best part of the day - an evening on the back deck with food and friends. We sat and visited until dark - then watched a fantastic fireworks show from our own backyard!

It was another wonderful 4th of July in Meeker - and although there were rodeos, concerts and barn dances to attend throughout the weekend, we spent the rest of our time having game night and movie night at home, taking the boys to see Despicable Me 2 (so fun!), and having a nice long hike Sunday morning.

Hoping next year we'll have some friends or family come celebrate with us!!!

Baseball

We wrapped up another fantastic sport season last night - specifically the NW CO Rec League 8-10 baseball season! - and I hesitate to say that I'm glad it is over. 

Granted, no more long, hot uneventful games and no more out-of-town trips. But then also no more exciting plays being made when you least expect it and no mare car trips with several cute boys in their baseball uniforms singing pop tunes in the back seat! 

I think I will kind of miss it.... and I know Hamp will! He loved baseball this year (winning nearly every game helped!) and in the second-to-last game of the whole season he finally got his hit - a beautiful double! I have never felt so proud for him. And I know that he finally felt worthy of his team when he sent that ball sailing into the outfield! 

Consequently we had a perfect tournament week. We stayed in the winner's bracket and then managed a very exciting win last night for the championship! It was one of those feel good games that made the whole season worth it, where every kid really shined and played their very best. (I am not afraid to admit that I was even brought to tears when our sweetest & youngest kid on the team got his first hit! Oh what joy we all felt for him as he ran to first base!) Hamp made a perfect play at second base to get an out, and everyone was happy to go out on such a high note.

Highlights from the 6-week season:

perfect evening for a baseball game in Meeker!

Hamp played 2nd base...

... and 3rd base sometimes!

even with only 7 players - we pulled out a win!!!

the best part about out-of-town games:  the post game fun at Taco Bell!

CHAMPIONS!!!!!

Clearly, Hamp was happy about a good season and about playing ball.

Once awarded with their CHAMPIONS hat, Hamp declared he was never going to take it off...

... I guess he was serious, because this is how I found him this morning in my bed!

Sam's favorite shirt

Once upon a time, on a random afternoon of running errands, Sam found a treasure.

While dropping off items at the local thrift shop, the boys were given the opportunity to pick out a new shirt.

While Hamp predictably selected a brown sports tee, Sam chose a beautiful, lavender, velour, long-sleeved, embellished shirt which he has worn enthusiastically ever since!

So far this summer, Hamp & Sam have enjoyed many adventures that 6 & 9 year old boys normally love - baseball, rivers, camping, bike riding, friends, swimming, forts, and of course on hotter afternoons: the water hose!

Well a few days ago the boys certainly found a new adventure in their own back yard... and while I was irritated at having a mud pit in the yard, I couldn't help but delight in hearing and seeing their joy from getting dirty!

Which brings us back to Sam's treasured purple velour shirt... 

As you might notice from the pictures above, he wore it right in the mud pit and as it turns out, mud really clings to velour!

So Sam had to say goodbye to his favorite purple shirt.

But never fear, the thrift shop is near!

And while making another donation yesterday, Sam was able to find a new treasure...

A happy Father's Day

We took the weekend to get away, unplug and play in the forest!

It was a much appreciated escape - we took a little hike, played by the river, read books, roasted S'mores for dessert and wondered about what animals were creeping outside our tent at night!

(don't worry, it was just a chipmunk!)

The best part was waking up Sunday and realizing it was Father's Day - so the boys each jumped up and gave Dad a big hug over some cereal for breakfast! That, and teaching his sons how to make a proper camp fire, might have just made his weekend!

The elk were out by the river and we saw hundreds of them in the valley - with everything so green and the sun shining just before setting, it made for some beautiful moments!

I'm just so grateful for Jason and how he is raising these boys - I hope they grow up to be as good as their father one day. ♥

Last day!

So... an update!

Lest you think this week - given Hamp's behavior! - was all bad,

I offer you a modern-art video creation from the mind of the delinquent himself... 

(oh, what little boys come up with when faced with the restrictions of being grounded!

Here's to hoping summer is filled with stuff like this!)

And once we were all rolling and back in the school groove - it was so quickly over!

Friday was the last day of school - and everyone celebrated in fine form:

Sam & his kindergarten buddies played at the park, had pizza for lunch, and a half-day of fun, games & dancing at school!

Dad & Hamp were having a blast up at the high school track:

Meanwhile, Momma & Gabe took a long hike up the mountain and stopped for a photo at the top!

With all the partying and celebrating and dancing and hiking, it was no surprise when we found these three curled up on the big bed at 8:30pm! Guess we'll have to ease our way into summer...!