Really.

We picked up a certain 8 year old on Saturday morning after his two weeks at LLYC.  "I really did have the best two weeks of my life!"  

And THIS is why Laity Lodge is magical, despite my hubby laughing at my use of that word. :)

We talked SO MUCH (by Cole standards) on the way from camp to San Marcos to meet Peggy and Tate.  I can't even begin to do justice to the stories he had, his enthusiasm for LLYC and wanting to return next summer, and his pure exhaustion from two weeks of non-stop activity.  It was all I knew he would experience and more. 

Cabin 4 Studs! Cole made good friends with almost all of these boys.  I think a couple of them might have been difficult, but the other 12 of them were thick as thieves!  One of Cole's counselors thought they all knew each other beforehand.  I think some did, but I told him Cole had met Brody once and otherwise did not know a soul! But he made fast and lifelong friends.

The photos that I downloaded from LLYC's site only tell a small snippet of the story, especially after hearing the stories first-hand from Cole, but at least you get the idea... 

The giant slip 'n slide.  It was shower #1.  Showers numbers 2 and 3 followed. FOR THE ENTIRE TWO WEEKS.  Lordy.  Good not clean fun. ;)

C-Man showing off his moves at the River Dance!

Cole says this was Super Cabin Clean-Up Day. 

Brody, counselor Bradley (Cole's fave), Reece, Preston, and Cole

Good friend James and Cole being silly at the water's edge.  I sent Cole a care package with water pistols for the entire cabin.  Cole said he bartered with the cabin-mates and only gave them their pistols when they shared candy with him!! Well... he is the son of two lawyers. ;)

You get to choose your own activities at LLYC, two per week.  Cole chose Riflery and Field Sports the first week, and Fishing and Redneck (silly games/competitions) the second week.  He said Field Sports (think soccer, capture the flag, sharks and minnows) was his favorite.

He participated in everything except cliff diving at Blue Hole (because the water was too cold and the line to jump was too long, he said).  But he had a blast swimming in the Frio, getting hit with shaving cream, getting a whipped cream pie to the face, putting a t-shirt on a calf during rodeo, not dancing but drinking his first ever root beer at the rodeo dance, jumping on the Blob, and the list goes on...

Here he is with the Director's young son and cabin-mates Jack, Brody, and Luke.  Luke was one of his camp BFFs.  We discovered at pick-up that I went to camp with Luke's mom, Emily.  It comes full circle! So cool to see her -- they are a Houston family, and have two more boys coming up -- one whom is Tate's age.  It was awesome to see her again and even more amazing that our boys were such good friends.

Cole LOVED the Blob - he said he did this river activity over and over and over.  You jump from a platform onto a huge rubber "blob" filled with air.  When you land on it, you send the jumper in front of you flying in the air and then splashing into the river.  Cole said his friend George was the person who jumped on the Blob and sent him flying in this picture.

This is the dimple of a happy child.  Makes it all worthwhile.

Cole's cabin counselors said a few things to Mike and me as we picked him up.  Quan said that Cole was goofy, but slept well and fit in like he knew all these boys before camp.  John said Cole was always in the water with him, so much fun, always well-behaved, and that he would have him in his cabin every year.  We are beyond thankful for these college boys sharing their summer, their time, and a part of their lives with Cole.

Cole managed to write a single letter while at camp. He made it home with every personal belonging minus the cap to his water bottle.  

He also managed to come home with some battle wounds from the rock slide.  OUCH.  There is a matching one of these scrapes on the other leg. 

The drive down the Frio brings back such great memories, and I almost cried when Cole ran as fast as he could into our arms at pick-up.  We missed him.  He missed us. But now he knows the magic LLYC holds.

To view the super fun 2015 Session 3 Singing Hills video click here.  A special someone makes appearances throughout the video (mainly dancing) and at the end.  How could you miss those crazy TCU glasses and tan skin?!

Meanwhile, Little Brother didn't have it so bad the past two weeks.  Some alone-time with grandparents and Mom & Dad, time in the pool, time with friends, and lots of sweet treats. 

Here with Steele after Pre-K Popsicles in the Park to meet his new BH class and teachers.

Living summer for all it's worth.

Here with BFF Andrew for a swim play date one afternoon.

And dressed up crazy for WaCkY WedNeSDaY at school!

He really enjoyed the personal attention.  Maybe a little too much. But he was so glad Bubba came home.  They were inseparable today once we got home - playing, watching TV, swimming, reading, building Legos, playing basketball.  And fighting.  Just like that, we are back to normal!