We drove straight up to Wisconsin from Missouri. It was only about a 1.5 hr. drive longer than it would have taken us to drive back to Indiana. We rolled in around dinner time and, once again, it felt really good to get off the road.
Our first big outing was mini golf! 
It was a hot day.
We broke up into three teams of four. Tyler was the low-scorer in our group with Gaga in a close second. Graydon and I tied for third.
As we were finishing up the last few holes, some big drops of rain started to fall.
We tried to take cover and stay as dry as possible.
We soon realized staying dry was a lost cause and just embraced that we were all going to get soaked!
At least we weren't hot anymore!
That evening we were dry and warm around a fire as we roasted marshmallows and made smores.
The boys went out fishing the next day.
And I drove out to La Crosse to have a fun reunion with some college friends. We live in five different states and this visit was the first time I'd seen some of these girls since we graduated in 2002!
We didn't let a little bit of rain stop us from exploring our old campus.
We also enjoyed a lovely dinner together at a restaurant in downtown La Crosse.
Meanwhile, back in Verona the group gathered at Uncle Tom's for a movie night.
The next morning in La Crosse, we went to the top of Grandad Bluff because, when in La Crosse. . .
You can see Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa from up there.
Afterward, we went to The Pearl - a beloved ice cream shop downtown. Just about all of us had the exact same order: Cappuccino Oreo ice cream in a waffle cone. Ever since my college days, this flavor of ice cream (formerly known as Espresso Oreo) has been my favorite. But you can't find it many places. I can't believe I didn't know it was literally the favorite flavor for most of us!
While I was driving home from La Crosse, everyone back in Verona was having a great time at a restaurant called Rookies.
It comes complete with its own baseball diamond!
The OG Kilps kids.
We met up for ice cream when I got back into town. I didn't end up eating any since I just had a huge cone earlier in the day. And these three decided to try Boba tea.
I guess we'll just call that an interesting experience.
Later that evening, we played games and told stories around another campfire. I didn't get any pics of that, but I did get one of Curtis resting in the hammock below the deck.
The next day was a BIG day: Curtis's 11th Birthday!
Andy and I treated him to Starbucks that morning. He loves frappuccinos and he got a Venti!
We also took him shoe shopping. It was hard getting him to ignore the price. He's definitely my kid!
He chose a pair of black and gold Nikes. The price was something he felt comfortable with (even though we kept telling him not to factor price into his decision) and he liked that they were black so he wouldn't worry as much if they got dirty. Always so practical!
We met up with cousins and Uncle Tom later in the afternoon for some bowling. That's always a favorite activity. It took him a few turns to warm up, but once he did, he was in the zone.
Andy's mom bought a bunch of water balloons. We had some organized activities with those, and then the kids just came up with their own ideas. It doesn't matter how old you get, water balloons are always a good time.
The birthday boy all ready for us to sing 'Happy Birthday!'
Curtis really likes angel food cake, so we did strawberry shortcake this year instead of traditional birthday cake.
Gaga and Papa in their beautiful backyard. It's like a flower sanctuary back there - so beautiful.
Present time!
He really is such a silly goose.
Our last day in town was a little rainy. No problem though - Gaga had purchased a bunch of Lego sets and a puzzle. Plenty to keep these kids entertained indoors.
While that was going on, I snuck away for another visit with a friend - this time my friend, Jenn Flowers. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture with her.
Gaga also had a pong game to play. She and Andy played a game - I'm pretty sure she won. Then I played Bella. Bella won (of course). Then Curtis played Charlie. Charlie was superb at this game and won pretty easily. Such a simple game but also so fun!
The next morning, we got going pretty early. Graydon had a baseball game that evening and Andy needed to be back to support a church family. Our time in Wisconsin was amazing. It's always a huge blessing for us to spend time with the people we love.
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