Summer Vacation. Part 2: Mike's parents' house

Henry and his Uncle Tim. Because the weather was so mild, Henry was able to wear long sleeves and long pants for the first time since he was about 4 months old.

(Yes, this really is an actual puppy. Not a toy. They are just that cute.)

Every summer, we look forward to our visit with Mike's family in the beautiful rolling hills of Southern Wisconsin. This summer, Henry enjoyed meeting and spending time with his cousins, and aunt and uncles, his Grandma and Grandpa, and, of course, puppies!!!

Henry loves dogs of all ages and sizes. This puppy is only 8 weeks old, and he and Henry became instant friends. Henry also became instant friends with Sophie, the Great Dane, Fred, the rat terrier, Maggie, the Scottish terrier, Lucy, the West Highland Terrier, and Jake, the Collie mix.

The weather in Wisconsin was cool and light, almost autumnal. During our visit, we were able to celebrate cousin Isaac's 10th birthday and meet new cousin William.

It was a rare treat to see the three brothers - Pat, Mike, and Tim - together at the same time. Seeing Henry brought back a lot of memories of baby Mike for the family. Apparently, Henry is a mini-Mike with regards to physical traits and personality (i.e., a lot of ENERGY).

During our visit, Mike was able to enjoy his favorites like brats, chicken wings, and Pat's Huli huli chicken (a family favorite from their time in Hawaii).

Summer Vacation. Part I: Madison

Mike and Henry with the Wisconsin State Capitol in the background.


Henry sneezing at the Memorial Union Terrace

We returned from our annual summer pilgrimage to the homeland last weekend. It has been busy, busy, busy this past week while we catch up with work, the laundry, the yard, the house, etc. It seems like I hardly have a moment to even transfer photos from our trip. Since the trip was nearly two weeks long and we saw so many people and places, I will just have to hit the highlights and I am breaking up the trip into the three main components: Madison, Mike's parents' house and my parents' house.

We began our journey in Madison, obviously a place that is very near and dear to our hearts. We were there for fewer than 24 hours, but we packed in as much as we could with an infant while we were there.

The highlights for Mike and myself:
A visit to McArdle
Catching up with good friends
A lovely afternoon break at the Memorial Terrace
New Glarus Spotted Cow and Leinenkugel's Original (Mike)
Fried cheese curds at the Blue Moon! (me)
Watching Henry play on the grass at the Capitol

The highlights for Henry:
Slamming the dresser drawers shut repeatedly in the hotel room
First taste of locally made Babcock ice cream