Hanging with Ella

While Connor was at summer camp, Kaitlynn was ecstatic for a very special play date. Her friend Ella from Dubai was in town for the day and was able to spend the entire day with us while her Mom Chelsea was at appointments. In preparation for the special day, Kaitlynn made a list of activities a mile long that she and Ella could accomplish together.

First up: CRAFTS. These girls love their crafty projects and I was happy to let them pick out some fun things to work on together.

Kaitlynn then chose her favorite spot for lunch: Freddy's. She loves their food but is obsessed with their frozen custard treats. It was Ella's first visit and she loved it. Fun fact: Freddy's actually opened a location in Dubai Mall about a month after we left Dubai. How random and cool! Kaitlynn was kind of mad - why couldn't Freddy's have been there while we still lived there, ha!

The highlight of Kaitlynn and Ella's day together by FAR was their afternoon activity: roller skating! They were squealing with delight and couldn't wait to get their wheels on. It was a bit bumpy at first but they both got the hang of it and had a blast. Ella eventually moved to roller blades while Kaitlynn preferred the skates, and we were there for HOURS enjoying the music and skating. Random thoughts: is it just me or do all roller skating rinks still seem like they're stuck in the 80s? And do they all come with the random creepy skater dude? Ha!

Connor at Carolina Creek

Almost as soon as we returned from Florida, it was time for one of Connor's favorite summer activities: camp at Carolina Creek in Huntsville, TX. He has been going to Carolina Creek for several years now and he just loves it. He and his buddy Benjamin have gone together for a few years now and this year was the best so far. When we dropped them off, they were excited to recognize some faces from the prior year of camp. We snapped a quick photo before saying goodbye, but not without Connor rubbing it in that he was taller than me this year!

With the water sports, outdoor activities, good camp food, and great worship experience, Connor's week at Carolina Creek is such a fun experience away from home. I always miss him when he's away, but I sure love seeing all of the fun camp photos posted throughout the week.

At the end of the week, I was SO ready to see the boys. It was so great to hear that they had an awesome week with their cabin and all of the fun activities. Their counselors were complimentary and had such nice things to say about Connor and Ben. The boys seemed to really grow in their maturity and spirituality from their week of camp, which I was so happy to hear. We celebrated with Ben's favorite Mexican food on our drive home. Connor was already excited for next summer's camp!

More Fun in Florida

Our favorite activity in Florida was something that we had done during our last visit: touring the Mount Dora Canal and riding on the CraigCat boats. We were excited to try the boats again, this time with Justin, Christina, and Cash as well. It was a blast and such an awesome afternoon together as a family!

The coolest part of our trip to The Villages this year was our accommodations. Since Justin and Christina were temporarily living with Cheryl and Jerry, there wasn't a lot of extra room in their home for us to stay. Instead, they set us up in their beautiful motor home at a local RV park. It was our first experience staying in an RV and it was a really neat experience. We were a few steps away from the restroom facilities, where we got ready in the mornings and showered at night. The RV was super spacious and had all of the amenities we needed, although we didn't spend much time there except at night. The only thing I struggled with was my equilibrium - anytime someone turned over in bed or walked across the room, there was a rocking motion that ended up sticking with me for days, ha! It was an unexpected adventure and we really enjoyed it.

Our family visit in Florida was such a fun and special week. We loved reconnecting with family and making so many new memories. Until next time!