Separate Vacations

 This was the first summer that we didn't all vacation together. Victoria came up for that day at Riverbend, but since she didn't actually sleep with us, it doesn't even count. There was just enough color guard practices/camps, physical therapy, and work for Kai and work for Victoria, that it wasn't in the cards this summer.

Victoria had her own vacation in Utah for AFY (Adventure For Youth) and Cougarette Camp. She got to zipline and do a high ropes course, mountain bike, and kayak at AFY. She met a lot of amazing youth from all over, but especially from Utah. The couple of days before she went to AFY, she went to the temple with kids from my mom and sister's stake. So when AFY was over and she was in her rest week before Cougarette Camp, she had plenty of friends to hang out with between all the new people she met and family/cousins who live there as well. She also got to participate in an awesome family history scavenger hunt with the youth in the Stake. I think she got some rest before Cougarette Camp, which she said was just about the hardest thing she has ever done! She got to stay in Helaman Halls on BYU's campus and eat dinner there. They had catered lunches in the middle of their 6 hours of dance practice and got to attend dances and activities on campus in the evenings. She was with some pretty amazing dancers, I'm sure, but she held her own and managed to make it to the finals in the hip-hop competition, even though the only experience she has had with that is through Tiktok! Her improv group did really well also. 

AFY Group

At the dance.

Victoria with the Cougarettes

Coach's daughter and Victoria's friend.

Cougarette Campers

Kai went to Away Camp for band/color guard at Camp Friedenswald in the-middle-of-nowhere Cassopolis, MI, about 2 1/2 hours from our home. It's on the way to Lake Michigan from our house. For Kai, it was also a very strenuous week full of warm-ups, stretching, hours of dance practice, flag tossing, and coordinating with the band. They had some fun night activities like dancing and games as well, plus swimming in the beautiful lake nearby (not Lake Michigan). I got to pick Kai up and see a sneak peek of their performance entitled "Band to the Future". It's going to be awesome! Kai's best friend's sister is the Drum Major, so that's pretty cool.

Kai's on the right.

50's dance part

The week Kai was away was the week Jason took the boys to Amarillo to visit his parents who have just moved there, as well as his brother Thomas and his family, who happen to live 15 minutes away! I would have loved to have gone and missed seeing our Mercado family, but I wanted to be near in case Kai got injured (like last year) or sick (as what happened during 5th grade away camp). They couldn't go the next week because Austin is a WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) leader and they had their training the week after. So it was just Victoria and me at home that week. She mostly went to work and hung with her friends, but we did have some good times together as well. With everyone else gone, it was very easy to have quality time with Victoria and plenty of time for everything else. I had no idea what I could accomplish without shopping for and preparing food for everyone and driving them everywhere they need to be. I even still watched Jacob each day from 9:45-4:15 because his mom was desperate, even though there were no kids here. I was a little worried at first that he would be bored or that I would have to entertain him more than I would have liked, but that was not the case. He played so well on his own and we would interact when he wanted and I still got a lot accomplished. I made sure to organize something at the park each afternoon with friends so he could play with kids and I could talk with mom friends. I still had all evening to organize, relax, and hang with Victoria a bit. Jacob got more comfortable talking to me since Erik wasn't around and he really opened up! (It's too bad they're moving, just like too many of our beloved friends...)

Out with friends.

I took care of a friend's cats for a bit while she was out-of-town.

Meanwhile, Jason, Austin, and Erik drove the 20 hours to Amarillo and had a great time driving in the truck for the first long road trip. They listened to lots of Harry Potter on the way there and back and got very good gas mileage! They helped Gramms and Abuelo with some things around the house, went for a hike at Palo Duro Canyon State Park (the 2nd biggest canyon in the US), swam with Thomas' kids, played on the Switch with them, and enjoyed good food and great company! I think they enjoyed the responsibility of helping more in the car on the road and being with just Jason for a while. 

Almost taller than Gramms!

Cousins like the same things!

Austin helped Abuelo put this grill together.

Erik helped Jason change this fridge door from the other side.

Palo Duro hike

Hot!

Gramms and Abuelo's back-door neighbors!

I have to say, though, it was a happy reunion to have us all back together again, more than a week later. This just gave us a sneak peek as to what it will be like when Victoria leaves for either college or a mission or whatever else could happen next year.