end of a big, big summer

we aren't much for just staying home, not making plans, and not finding big adventures, so this month has been a new challenge. instead of road trips and vacations and family visits, we decided to stick close to home and keep on a home routine in preparation for ramona's new school start. by staying home--well, in madison and the area--we met the challenge and had buckets of fun. the end of the summer is always both welcome and unpleasant, and i always feel a sense of urgency about getting to all the things we wanted to do before the summer ends. this month, we did them, SO SO many of them.

like starting the day by wearing 4 pairs of underwear and going a little bananas,


and camping with our buddies.
 

there was a lemonade stand and a garage sale,

 

and david got a haircut.


 there has been rainy morning bowling
 

and sunny afternoon hikes.
 

there was exuberant hugging in the capitol building


and quiet corn shucking in the back yard.


we discovered a new park full of old quarry walls and big trees and muddy hills


 and we visited an old favorite park (orton) for the annual orton park festival. ramona and sam made a valiant attempt to climb an un-climb-able old oak tree.


we got our teeth cleaned,


and we got our toes wet

picked tomatoes at our csa farm (and keep picking tomatoes at home, every. single. day.),
 

and had a bratwurst at the shoe box.


we even had a family train ride and bumper boat session at an amusement park.
 
 

man, we are SO ready for school to start, for fall to arrive, and to maybe take a quick nap.