And They're Back!

 

My world is complete again! 

So glad to have thsese two (and all their amazing stories) home after two weeks at Pilgrim Lodge! xo 

This Weekend In Maine

On Saturday we picked the girls up from their first week at PL and spent the next 36 hours in Freeport before brining them back to PL for their second week there. While we were in Freeport my dear friend and soul sister Jannine and her family (who live up in Maine) joined us for swimming, dinner and ice cream. Jannine and I have been the best of friends since we were sixteen years old and it was a dream come true to be able to have all our girls meet this past weekend as well)! It was as if these four have grown up together! 

On Sunday, we had some time to pass before bringing the girls back to Pilgrim Lodge. As luck would have it LL Bean was holding a 10th birthday celebration for the bootmobile! We enjoyed cupcakes, whoppie pies, pinewood derby races (LL Bean style) some bubbles and some free gifts from the Wyman's berry truck (ex: super cool Maine themed playing cards). 

After a lunch of lobster rolls it was time to bring the girls back to PL. Harry Potter shirs on and they were ready to begin their final week there (Harry Potter theme week)! 

We can't wait to hear all about it! xo 

Yesterday's Journey

 

When dancers go to camp (for two weeks) and need a bigger bags you break out the Rac N Rolls! 

Our trip to bring the girls to camp, was slow and long. So much traffic (and I am pretty sure we saw the entire state of New York on our journey). I have to admit, I do miss the days of the pandemic when the world (and roads) weren't so crowded. We arrived, almost four hours after we left and it was the quickest drop-off ever (due to Covid protocols). No pictures of the girls, sadly, but I did manage to snap one of the sign as we were on our way out. 

On our way home we stopped in Great Barrington for dinner (and a bit of exploring). Loving the vibe of this town (and dinner, at GB Eats, was beyond delicious)! 

After dinner, Dave and I really began our journey home. As we made our way toward the Pike we saw a sign for Route 20, and instead of taking the Pike we decided to take Route 20 the whole way home. It wound us through some gorgeous towns in the Berkshires (Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lenox, Lee) all of which I have decided we should consider moving to followed by some towns that could use some love. With the GPS off, DMB on Sirius and the windows down on a perfect July evening, we couldn't help but feel like it was twenty years ago (when we really didn't have GPS or phones and would just get in the car and go on a drive "just to see what we could discover." It was a little piece of heaven and a lovely way to begin two weeks of "just us". xo

Silver Lake At Home Tie Dye Day!

Last Thursday the girls joined the Silver Lake at Home crew on Zoom for tie dye day! 

 Because, let's be honest, it's not camp if you don't tie dye something! 

 They prepared, 

 and dyed, 

 and dyed, 

 and dyed some more. 

 And then we waited for 24 hours.....

Last year at Pilgrim Lodge the girls tie dyed pillow cases. They loved it so much they decided to do some this year too! Emma's came out great! 

 And so did Grace's!

 The bullseye on Emma's camp t-shirt is even more stunning in person! 

Grace chose to do the swirl on her camp t-shirt and used red and yellow all over it to create this gorgeous orange color! So impressed with how their creations turned out! 

Originally I was going to have them tie dye cloth napkins for us as the ones we made back in 2011 (when they were toddlers!) are looking pretty raggedy but a storm was rolling in on Thursday so I didn't want to chance it/ Hoping to get the napkins done this week! xo

Cooking With Chef Lynn

In which the girls attend Silver Lake at Home's Cooking with Chef Lynn this afternoon and wear their fun July aprons made by Aunt Gail! And yes, Grace did help with the mixing. I couldn't believe I didn't have any pictures of her doing so. Clearly, I was not on top of it today! 

This is also the day that they first experienced Golden Grahams and margarine for the first time. They deemed the Golden Grahams "yummy" but both said that they can see why we don't eat them any other time. "They are just pure sugar, mama!" both decried. xo

Silver Lake At Home

Dave and I had the most incredible summer planned for the girls this summer.  In addition to a week at Pilgrim Lodge in Maine (at the end of July) they would also be going to Silver Lake for Conference Center in Connecticut for the first time this summer for a week (at the end of June). Before heading to Silver Lake, Grace would spend a week at Metrowest Dance Academy in Framingham at their Senior Summer Intensive (immersed in all things ballet) and Emma would also attend a week at MDA in July. The pandemic, of course, ruined all those plans but we are happy to share that Silver Lake decided to figure out a way to hold camp at home! Thus Silver Lake at Home was born and it began today! 

 After watching this week's chaplain's message they made their wood cookie name tags. 

Because really, what's camp without a wood cookie name tag?! 

 Today's project was making a pollinator garden! 

After they were done with their gardens they each went to find a spot that they will use to do their journaling in each day. It was a wonderful start to camp! xo 

Pick-Up Day!

And now back to catching up on pictures I never shared!

 Happy to be reunited with my babies at the end of their week at Pilgrim Lodge! They had a blast (though Grace did say she was homesick for the first time this year). 

 On our way home we stopped in Freeport for doughnuts ("It's our tradition, mama!") and to stop by LL Bean and the other shops there. 

 We absolutely loved this tea cup at the British Goods shop in Freeport. We sadly didn't come home with it but we did buy some British chocolate (yum!) which is better than American chocolate. 

After we had walked around, window shopped, and had lobster rolls for lunch we continued out journey back home. It didn't take long before both girls were asleep. They slept the whole way back and then for thirteen hours that night! The sign of a good week, indeed! xo