Swimming

Indiana Adventures - Part 1

What a week and a half, what a week and a half. Gee whiz, that was fun.

I just returned last Saturday from a week and a half with the boys in Indiana. One day, the boys and I took a day trip down to beautiful Camp Palawopec in Brown County for some swimming, kayaking, bridge crossing, and tractor riding. And, I cannot wait for Hank and Tank to leave their mark on the valley.

It's an absolute privilege to watch these two boys explore the same trails that I got poison ivy on countless times. To have them jump off the same dive tower that I stupidly flipped (with the help of some campers... Tim Fuson and Tom Fell). To have them run through the same pastures where we played soooo much ultimate frisbee. And to cross the same bridges that I nearly fell off of every time it rained.

It was a circle of life moment where I was enjoying all the amazing things that Camp Palawopec has to offer but through my kids' eyes and through their smiles. Moments where I simultaneously wanted to protect them from potential hazards while also wanting them to make mistakes... as long as it doesn't hurt them too bad.

Myself and so many others were ridiculously lucky to have experienced the beauty, the trials, the relationships, the sadness, the joys, and the memories of Camp Palawopec. And my children, wife, friends, and colleagues have a better father, husband, friend, and peer in their lives because of it. Thank you, Nickels-es. Thank you sooooo much :)

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The Week that Was - 2017-04-23

It was a wild week between work, Sara's school stuff, and the boys doing crazy Hank & Tank stuff. But the weather has started to warm in Austin and we are in the habit of sprinting outside as soon as the boys get home. Next door, there's a new house going up which has made for very exciting times at Hank & Tank Studios. And, we were lucky enough to have friends stop in over the weekend for some wonderful play time.

It's incredible watching the boys grow up. In the span of a couple weeks we've seen Tank swimming completely independently, Henry losing his first tooth, and the boys continuing to deepen their friendship playing independently for large spans of times (sometimes hours). Don't get me wrong, there's stuff that isn't as fun such as Tank's lingering cough and cold and his awful sleeping patterns, or Henry's croup but those are minor. I need to remind myself of that when I get exhausted.

Have a wonderful start to your week!