Nebraska National Forest

Returning to the house in Omaha after a week in the Nebraska National Forest in the north central region of the state, we are regrouping, touching base with friends, family and business before hitting the road by Wednesday, August 1^st.

The boys had a great time at the State 4H camp near Halsey and want to go back again next year. Kolton was voted by the counselors as “Most Likely to Return”, so he must have left an impression as someone who really enjoyed himself there.

While at camp the boys went tubing down the nearby Middle Loup River, which went right past our camp site. It looked so fun that Ken, Kalista and I rented some tubes and went down the river both Thursday and Friday. With temperatures in the upper 90’s it was especially refreshing to float on the cool river after hiking in the forest and touring the tree nursery there.

On our hike we went to the fire watch tower and climbed to the top where we could look for miles at the rugged beauty of the sand hills and the forest around us. Kalista was a trooper as we trekked across the sandy trail, watching lizards scamper on the path and drawing Ken and me to crouch with her to examine them more closely.

We picked up the boys on Friday afternoon, where they gave us a tour of their favorite features of camp. Kane liked the water slide and Karson enjoyed the zip line. Kolton’s favorite part of camp was “pranking the other cabins” – why am I not surprised?

In our desire to travel to national parks we are preparing to head up to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. From there we plan to go west to Glacier and Yellowstone in Montana and Wyoming.

Recently I have run into different friends who have asked me if I’m ready to send the kids back to school, which starts in Millard Public Schools on August 15^th. It is such a relief to not have that deadline hanging over our heads. It’s very liberating to know that we’re heading in the opposite direction of the rat race that goes along with school, sports and activities schedules when the summer ends. Ken and I are looking forward to spending this time with our children and sharing the experiences that will create lasting memories and forge stronger familial bonds.