Okoboji

Ahhhh, the annual Okoboji adventure never disappoints. When Mag and I compared calendars in May to get a weekend scheduled, the first one that worked was late August, nearly the last one available. We are so happy it worked! 

We stayed at an Inn not to far from the Olivers', golf cart distance away and spent as much time as possible with them... boat rides, fire pits, a hot hot sunny Saturday with endless fun for everyone. From fun to fun to fun, its no wonder the kids ask when we can go back on the drive home! 

We are thankful for the opportunity to join them at one of their favorite places and that they do the heavy lifting so we can soak up the fun ;). Until next time! 

Squad.

sis pic

Tubing, not for the faint of heart. 

S, G, P

Back to school!

Here we go! Sully moves to Edison Middle School, Greta moves to the top of the heap at Sonia as a 5th grader, and Piper moves upstairs at Sonia as a 3rd grader. The kids all have great teachers and are going to be in the best hands. The biggest change is definitely Sully moving to middle school, we anticipate sharp learning curves, but we are in this together and look forward to his success. His go-with-the-flow attitude will help the transition tremendously. Another exciting new adventure is Greta being a part of the Los Lobos Leadership Team. She joins a selected group who participate in extra activities throughout the year. She had to nominate herself last year and was so excited to be selected. We are so proud of all of our kids.

First Day! 

Locker practice, he mastered it! 

Greta and the other leaders signing 
their contracts.

 

Squeezing the most out of summer.

We're back into the summer fun thick of things with lots of fun happenings... my dad's birthday, the Pro-Am Jam at The Country Club, a welcome to middle school pizza party with buddies, and Riverfest. I'll let the photos do the speaking. Next up...school! 

Grandpa's bday with a few of the grandkids. 

Fam.

I love this photo of my dad and I. 

Pro-Am Jam with Al and Mag

Mag, Mandy, and I. 

Riverfest with this crew. 

Back to school, Sully and buddies. 

Last day of summer, forced family fun. 

Braces x 2

We had a quick turn around from vacation mode, we jumped right in to our braces era. Sully and Greta got braces on the same day, both are expected to have them for about 2 years, their removal will coincide with Piper's turn. Here we go! 

Before!

After! 
(Sully needs a haircut!)

San Sebastian and a brief stop over in Madrid

San Sebastian wasn't even on our radar when we began planning this adventure, but it was definitely a highlight. Based on the reviews of a trusted teacher, we worked it in. The scenery, food, and culture was second to none, and the smaller city slowdown was welcomed by all of us. 

We took a 6+ hour train from Barcelona, raced to the bus stop and walked to our AirBnB which was fantastic. It was on the top floor and overlooked the crescent shaped beach, and major bonus, it was partly air conditioned. By the time we found dinner, it was nearly 10pm and the restaurant we found had just finished their dinner service. We panicked slightly but found Piedra Pizza Tijera, a pizza take away spot nearby and put our order in just in time, any port in a storm. The kids ate and we fell fast asleep. 

On Saturday morning, walked along the boardwalk to the Aquarium de San Sebastian and spent a couple of hours exploring, finishing up at the life size aquarium just in time for them to feed the fish. Everyone was engaged, it was a great introduction to the seaside town. After, we walked into the Old Part of town and had lunch at Plaza de la Constitucion where we watched people and street performers. We followed our noses and ended up on a hike to the high point overlooking the town below, it was more than some of us (me) were interested in tackling, much to everyone's delight, there was a spot at the top called Urgulleko Polborina Bar which offered tables, refreshments, and views. We found our way home, regrouped and went for dinner at La Cerveceria del Antiguo where we dined on pinxos and the kids played at an at adjacent park, popping over bites as needed. It was a full day and we saw so much of the city. 

We spent the following day Mont Igueldo, a theme park at the top of the mountain overlooking San Sebastian (opposite the hike we did the previous day). It was toasty hot but had just enough attractions to keep us busy for a couple of hours. The highlight was definitely the rollercoaster that took us out over the coast. We had a lite lunch and opted to hike down the small mountain, which turned into a hot walk, but we made up for it with an evening swim at the Ondarretako Hondartza beach. It was the exact cool down we all needed. We cleaned up and went for dinner at Trattoria La Mila.

Monday, our last day, was a beach day, allllll day. Dave and the kids swam as the tide gradually went out while I snoozed and read, we had no agenda and just let the kids run the show. We stopped for a snack and a drink on our way back the condo and enjoyed a beach side dinner at La Perla, it was a great way to end our stay.

We had a 30ish hour stopover in Madrid on our journey home and enjoyed what we could in spite of the dreadful heat. All we really wanted to do was stay in our sort-of air conditioned apartment and watch the Olympics, but we also wanted to explore. We were able to accomplish both by meeting some past interns for an afternoon. They played tour guides, ordering great food and drinks and showing us some of their favorite spots. We ended the day and our adventure with a near miss allergic reaction for Greta, yikes. We were happy to return but sad for the amazing experience to come to an end. 

Where to next!? 

Late night pizza upon our arrival. 

Lunch time at the Aquarium

Beach views from the Aquarium.

G.

Plaza de la Constitucion

 

Urgulleko Polborina Bar 

Sand art. 

Meandering home.

Mont Igueldo

The best rollercoaster yet. 

Quattro Formaggi pizza rating, the blue cheese
drops the satisfaction level drastically. 

Beach evening

Everyone is happy and refreshed.

Cheers to San Sebastain! 

Tunel De Loretopea.

Pip

Soooo happy to find this pizza spot in Madrid. 

800000 steps up. 

Touring with Antonio and Teresa.

That's a wrap! 
Thankful for this adventure seeking crew!