Lots of Camping

Before the camping got started we celebrated my mom's birthday (which was due to take place on Saturday). I made breakfast for everyone and after a rather large dinner we had birthday cheesecake (so good!) and then mom opened up a gift from all of us. I left behind a "sound" birthday card which included a recorded message from myself. My dad gave it to my mom on her birthday on Saturday.


From Friday, July 25th - Tuesday, July 29th I spent my nights sleeping and waking up on the ground. The past 5 days I have been camping! It started in Devil's Lake (Wisconsin), just outside the Dells. Kathleen, Dan, and I met up with Nettie, her housemate Kristi, and a family group put together by someone Nettie knows at Indiana Wesleyan to do some camping and rock climbing. Everyone arrived late Friday night at Nordic Pines. Saturday morning everyone was up with the sun and ready to climb! While the family went out for breakfast, the 5 of us ate our breakfast bars and protein bars at the campsite. The weather was perfect! Us Phantom Ranch folk were excited to try out some new climbs. The family group met up with us after they were done with breakfast. One group member is a very experienced climber, so he was the one who introduced us to some new climbing spots. Dan and I got in a couple of climbs before we moved on to our next camping adventure. We were on the road for the UP (Michigan) at about 2:30 p.m.

Dan and I met up with his family Stefanie (sister), Thomas (brother-in-law), Kate (cousin), Jeff (cousin-in-law), Carol (mom), and Dan (dad) at a Culver's about 2 hours from our destination. We arrived at the campsite owned by Jan (aunt) and Bill (uncle) at about 9:30 p.m. central time. Up there they go by eastern time, but we stuck with central time. Jan and Bill recently bought 3 lots off of Lake Superior and they wanted to celebrate by having their family come together for a nice family camp out. It was so nice to site by a bonfire, watch the sun set, go on hikes, and fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves off of the lake. Dan's Uncle Bill even took me, Dan, and Stefanie sailing! That was a new experience for me and I had a blast!

I am super tired from all the traveling that I have been doing, so I am thankful that I have 2 weeks to rest before I'm traveling again. My next trip will be to California with Dan to visit his parents! Until then... I have a lot of laundry and cleaning up to do.