Summertime in Wisconsin

"Summer....where all the days run into each other and every day is a Saturday night."  - unknown

Any summer in Wisconsin runs at the pace of a 100 yard dash....we have an awful lot to cram into a precious 3 months of warm weather.  This summer for us was no different, but was amplified by the fact that we had A LOT of people that we wanted desperately to spend time with in our short seven weeks back home.

It was quite simply an amazing and wonderful first time back home since our move around the world.  We were fortunate to be able to stay the entire time with my parents on Lac LaBelle and fully enjoyed lake living.  I would have to say that our summer activities remained much as they would have been had we not left.  Friendships picked right back up for the girls, sleepovers at the spur of the moment, repeats of favorite camps, rejoining the same sports teams, neighborhood get togethers, kids running throughout the neighborhood in the dark playing ghost in the graveyard, campfires and s'mores, 4th of July parade, book club, couples dinners with our much missed friends, BBQ dinners, homemade ice cream...and the list can go on and on!

I really cannot begin to describe the sheer sense of joy we experienced by hugging a dear friend after a year's absence.  It brings tears to my eyes even now to revisit the memories of driving up to a friend's home and finally being released of the anticipation of actually seeing someone and talking to them without a 13 hour time difference.  It was surreal and normal all at the same time.

Our first hours in WI and the Katie's were reunited 

Elle and Maddie enjoying a much missed lunch at Noodles

Katie and Sophie kicking off the week with Adventure Camp

Friends for most of their lives...and not missing a beat

Golfing buds...

Max & Elle....hoping we can pull this photo out at their wedding some day...ha!ha!

Fun in the sun with Marie

A short visit with other friends who were making a quick summer trip back home

Katie and Kara found lots in common with each other after both going through moves and new schools

Lake days...the best

A good old fashioned lemonade stand

Late nights and campfires

Classmates since they were four years old...

Reunion dinners

NALA.....sweet beautiful girl

Bookclub nights around a fire

And having a friend from Singapore visiting home too!

First things first.... we had some birthdays to celebrate!  The girls got to celebrate their birthdays again with family and I got to celebrate with family AND with wonderful friends.

Happy Birthday Katie....did you know you can't take a snow globe in your carry-on luggage?  We learned this the hard way:(

Happy Birthday Elle!

Girlfriends in person - at last!

A perfect reunion on a perfect lake night

Mike joined us for 2 fantastic weeks - and he seemed to have brought the warm weather with him (finally!)
We had some great days on the lake and relished every minute of our favorite holiday - the 4th of July.  The 4th of July in WI is perfection.  It is the very best of growing up in the midwest and living in the "country."  Patriotism and good ole' Americana reigns supreme here for the 4th.  It was all the more special this year for obvious reasons.

Grandma helping get the bikes ready

The best way to ride!

Does it really get any better?

This year's float...thank you Erdmann's!

You know you're in small town America when "the pig" makes an appearance and the crowd goes wild!

Procession down the parade route

Throwing candy to parade watchers

A beer & brat never tasted so good!

Flares ringing the lake

Daddy and his girls

SO happy to be back in the US of A!!!!

Fireworks directly overhead in the boat...what a great night!

Some of the most memorable days & nights of our summer were just doing "normal" stuff.   I knew we missed "normal" things being away...but my gosh it hit home so much this summer.  I took so many pictures and stretched each experience out as long as I possibly could - just trying to savor each and every moment.  I don't think I will ever take for granted the "simple" life ... it's the life of watching your children laugh and run and just "play" - and also having a blast as adults.

Neighborhood campfires

Late nights in the 'hood

Sheer joy of playing in the lake

One of my favorite summertime activities!

Wisconsin sunsets

Neighborhood "tent night"

Helping neighbors break in their new pizza oven....yum!

Great friends & great times in the 'hood

Simple pleasures of playing games

...and savoring Grandpa's BBQ dinners

"Summer should get a speeding ticket" - unknown

A large part of our early summer was spent at Katie's softball games.  She rejoined with her team from last summer and they all had a BLAST!  Not only did they have a blast, but they won their 2 tournaments and took home the prized trophy.  It was a great season and had some of the best times watching the girls play so well and work so hard.

The Ducks...

The supportive sister...

The softball moms...

The first tournament win...

Shortstop & 3rd base duo

Katie does not know what a single is....she refuses to stop running until she hits 3rd base, and then only sometimes stops!

Congratulations to the other team on a good game

Dousing Coach Tony with a cooler of gatorade after the final tournament win

The proud girls with "the trophy"

We were thrilled to join back in with our "Adventure Club" as we ventured around the lake...and "around the world"

First stop was "Wisconsin" and second stop "Ireland!"

A quick layover in "Mexico"

The boys of the 'hood

And ending in "Thailand" with a beautiful night under the stars

I recreated the dishes I learned to make while in Thailand

Good times.....

Good friends!

"Where we love is home.  Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

I was fortunate to be able to spend 2 memorable "girls" weekends with friends from college and from the neighborhood.

Santa Barbara roomies...wow, how long ago???

A perfect weekend in Chicago!

Blackhawk Farms gals....and we've been there for how long???  9 years....how quickly the time has gone!

Another picture perfect weekend - this time up in Wisconsin Dells

Another favorite part of my summer are family book club nights.  We managed to squeeze two in this year and for the last one we studied the US Constitution!  It was a fabulous learning experience - we were all surprised by what we learned!

You girls will rock US Government in school!

And in between all of these wonderfully fun and exciting things, we squeezed in a whole lot of family & friends time on the lake.

Catching fireflies

Sailing lessons

First summer on skis!

"Why does it take a minute to say hello and forever to say good-bye?" - unknown

Eight weeks back on US soil and my emotions were all over the place.  I fell right back into our life in WI and I found myself not wanting to leave that.  I was a mess about t-minus 10 days to our flight back to Singapore.  I was so unprepared for my sadness that I pretty much scared poor Mike into nearly booking a flight back to the US to "escort" us back to Singapore!  

Even though we have a truly amazing adventure going on in Singapore, we have an even more amazing life adventure going on every day in Hartland, WI.  It is easy to not see that sometimes.  I saw it loud and clear on this first trip back home.  We have an incredible life at home built upon a strong and supportive family and an equally incredible foundation of friends.  I can't begin to tell you all how much I appreciate you and miss you.

"Where is the good in good-bye?" - Meredith Wilson, The Music Man

And so off we went to join Mike in Singapore (no...he didn't end up holding my hand and pulling me on the airplane:)) and to reconnect with our friends at our home away from home.  I have to admit that I remained in a funk for a few days....but we enjoyed our last few days of summer vacation together and I got busy planning our second year of Asian adventures!

A very hot & humid day back in Singapore at East Coast Park

Followed by a "cool-down" at indoor mini-golf

Yep!  We are officially back in Asia!!