Camp Week

Camp week started with me and another mom, Kate, driving 4 pre-teens to UNC Chapel Hill's basketball camp.  They were nervous but so excited.  I think it was the most freedom these guys have ever had and they loved every minute.

The car ride was loud and smelly.

We got them settled into their dorm rooms.

Bridges and Grady shared one side of the suite.

Max and Billy were on the other side.

Picking up their gear and getting ready for 5 days of pure b-ball.

Next up was Emma heading to Horse Camp.  She went to a local riding facility where she learned how to ride and take care of horses.  

Meanwhile, Myles and I went to Camp Kat.  We had 3 days of fun, just the two of us.  We started our first day out with a trip to Dollywood, second day was Chimney Rock and lastly we went tubing on the Catawba River.

Neither of us had been on a rollercoaster in a long time.  We were a little nervous.

Look at this cinnamon bread

I sat this ride out.  I don't like the ones that drop.

The log ride

Going on a Monday was awesome.  We rode every roller coaster several times without many lines.  We dubbed this photo the "hair sombrero"

Myles is such an easy kid to hang with.  He goes with the flow and doesn't ask for anything.  We are a great team.  

Emma with her favorite pony, Sushi.  She was thrown by this little guy but got right back on and kept riding.  That's my girl!

These dudes came home on Wednesday.

Grady and Roy Williams

Grady was so jealous that Myles and I went to Dollywood.  He complained until I told him I would take them back on Friday.  Here we are again.

Grady's friend, Brogan, joined us on this adventure.

We encountered some thunderstorms and they closed the rides for 2 1/2 hours.  Here we are waiting for the rides to open back up.

and we were back on again.

It was such a busy week but so much fun!

Ridin'

These two love their dirt bikes.  They don't get out as much as they would like but every now and then, they sneak out to ride.  

Meanwhile, Emma and I made a fairy house.

Siblings

The day after we got back from Wisconsin, Emma's biological brother and his mom came into town. We only had one day where we were in town at the same time so Emma and I met them at the Carl Sandburg House.  

It wasn't great timing as Emma has a hard time transitioning back from vacation but we only see them once a year.  This was also the first time they called each other "brother" and "sister".  Before this year, it was too confusing to Emma because she has brothers.  Jake is an only child so he has always thought of Emma as a sister.  Emma was calling him her "apart brother".  

I cherish our relationship with Jake and Tori.  

Playing with the Carl Sandburg goats

I love Tori.  She is the only person in the world that totally gets what I am going through.  She has adopted a child out of the exact same family.  We have so much to talk about.  We talk, we cry, we laugh and we understand.

Where Emma is tall and lean, Jake is short and stocky.  It's so cute.

I'm pretty sure Jake didn't want to sit in her lap.

Family

They really do look like siblings

They both like to talk to random strangers

They put on a play on the stage

This day was hard for Emma.  The rest of the week was filled with behavioral issues.  She told me meeting up with Jake was "confusing".  That on top of getting back from a trip threw her into a tailspin.  Poor girl.

Back home.  Now, that is a couch full

Siblings.