we celebrated another birthday, our "little" lizzie turned 7! we are often last minute with her parties, but i think i figured out finally that its ok to plan a midweek party during the holiday school break. most people are looking for something fun to break up the time the kids are at home. it doesnt always have to be on a saturday or sunday.
we have a tiny house, teeny weeny tiny, but we managed to squeeze everyone around our dining room table for pizza, cake and then we opened presents. it was a fast paced party the REAL event was going to the 3d movie
i havent been to the cabin in months and months, all this new work has had an impact on my weekends. we had to drive up late saturday and come back sunday afternoon, not enough time for me to really settle in but gets me excited for the next visit over new years. four whole days in the mountains, hoping for snow!
this is the 5th year we have walked in the local christmas parade... always hard to photograph!
we have come a long way since that first parade we walked in!! a no brainer now, five years later. even with 2 groups, we managed to have a great time. merry christmas!
for years i have heard about camp wasewagan (at leader meetings), a place we would go to in 4th or 5h grade... but little did i know it was the sister camp to camp yallani. that long lost camp i attended for many summers, working in the kitchen and as a counselor, a life guard and an archery instructor. camp yallani was one of the most defining experiences of my life, something i think of so much it's crazy. i take parenting too seriously, thinking hard about it and wondering how i can make the most of the responsibility i have for my girls, wonder if camp yallani was a clue to my life. going to camp is such a gift, teaching kids to get along and work together on a really nitty gritty level, getting dirty, playing and being in the world of nature. really, it's easy. just send them off... but how many parents do it? not enough. so back to wasewagan... i was stunned when i realized it was the camp next to camp yallani. all these years wondering what happened to yallani and here i am going up to it's sister camp. the one we stole off to, visiting the staff on the sly. i remember there were tv's and record players to investigate, all the wonderful things a teenager loves. new boys, new faces... spending 12 weeks a summer at camp, new was good.
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the caretakers cabin in all its glory!! sooooo, wasewagan with the girls was an adventure 
driving fast on curves with chris' truck, fun times! 
redwoods 
the same river i spent many summers splashing in 
my girls hanging at my "mosaic" booth, the craft that will not die!! 
food, fabulous food! 
leading songs 
so i got out my google maps and found out camp yallani was .4 miles away, yes we hiked through trees, brush, crossed ravines... and found it! 
the camp that so many years ago changed my life in so many ways... 
the old ropes course left from years past... 
ahhhh camp yallani! and what a weekend it was! 
so what an amazing trip... past and present mixed just right.
we had a halloween pumpkin carving meeting with rootbeer floats for snack:
