Last Hurrah of Summer Break

I have a few piano lessons throughout the day tomorrow and knew we wouldn't be able to go adventuring, so I took the kids to town for a "last day of summer" adventure today.  

We had lunch at Moe's.  While we ate, we looked back through the blog and talked about all the many things we've done this summer and thanked God for each blessing and wonderful memory! There have been so many!!

And, really, this has been THE BEST summer, weather-wise!  It's been so mild, and we're grateful!  I even saw our neighbor's burning bush next to our garage is starting to "burn" already today--a sure sign of Fall!

After lunch, we went back to work on a puzzle cache Caeden and I had started at Maxwell Park.  We found another cache there first--one we hadn't been able to grab because a softball team was practicing near the field where it was hidden.

Then we started the puzzle cache at the beginning and let the girls find the first stage of it.  We came across this cute wooden bridge.

We followed trails through some pretty thick growth today...

I never knew this park was so wooded and sprawling.  It's right next to ISU campus.  

We walked a long way before we had to go off the trails and through very long grass to find the second stage of the cache.  Caeden and Annah found it even though it was very well camouflaged.  Cool find!

We walked a long way again, and into the trees, just a bit off the trail to find the third stage.  Annah saw it in a stick that looked out of place wedged up in a tree.

We walked and walked (honestly probably a few miles today!) and ran out of time when we had trouble finding the next stage of the cache.  We had to give up for today because we were really sweaty and had to get home to wash up a bit.  We had fun adventuring though!  I do love spending time with my kids!  They're the best!

We were a bit late because we stopped at home to change and wash up a bit, but we spent the evening at the R Fam's!  Jeremy brought us our group fav--Little Caesar's!  Dawn found this awesome D23 puzzle at a garage sale and we girls put it together this evening.  Addie made an awesome video with photos and videos from our trip and we all watched it together.  She added super fun music and we all loved reminiscing as we watched it.

What a fun way to celebrate our wonderful summer!