It seems like yesterday that we were wrapping up kindergarten and second grade and gearing up for an exciting summer. We kicked it all off with a trip to the Bryson City, NC to celebrate Memorial Day weekend. We started the weekend off with a trip down the Tuckaseegee River. Parker and Jay kayaked while Ansel and Kristie rafted. The next day, we all rafted the Nantahala River. After a fun weekend, we returned back home to finish up the last few days of school.
The kids had big plans for the first week of summer. Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop drove down, loaded up, and the four of them drove south to Disney World. They had a great time and we enjoyed getting updates on all that they were doing. One day, they had a special visitor as Cousin Kyle and one of his friends drove up to spend the day with them.
Last summer, Parker had such a fun time at Camp Kanata that he was excited to go back for a second round. After a weekend of recovery from Disney, Kristie drove him up to camp and got him checked in and reunited with all his old friends. Parker had a really fun time and Jay enjoyed hearing camp stories all the way home.
After a few weeks of downtime, Parker was ready for his next adventure. Over the past few years, we’ve spent a lot of time up at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. This summer, Parker spent a week up there by himself at kayak camp. Kristie, Mom-Mom, and Ansel met him up there at the end of the week and Kristie joined his class for the family paddling trip down the Nantahala. Parker has turned into an amazing paddler. Kristie was so impressed with him that when Jay arrived later that night, she had already decided that she wanted the three of them to make another run down the Nantahala the next day. After a lap in our kayaks, we joined Mom-Mom and Ansel for a lap on the river in the raft. Mom-Mom had so much fun that she wanted to make another run the next day. Ansel woke up a six year old and we headed back to the river. Not a bad way to spend your birthday!
After a great day on the river, Jay headed home while Kristie, Mom-Mom, Parker, and Ansel headed to Damascus, VA. They had big plans. Mom-Mom had heard stories about the kids tackling the 17 mile bike ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail and was eager to give it a shot. They had a good time despite being tired from all the activities the previous week.
The next week, G-Daddy, Marfee, Catherine, Spanky, and Harper joined us to officially celebrate Ansel’s birthday. It was a nice get-together.
Before we knew it, it was time for school to start again. We managed to make one more trip to the Nantahala with some friends for Labor Day. All in all, it was a great summer that was filled with adventure. Parker and Ansel have settled into first and third grade and are ready for more fall adventures.
