Hiking and Birthdays and Graduation...OH MY!

Staying busy can really be exhausting, but deep down I think Will and I prefer staying busy- and packing our schedules...primarily if that means a long camping trip at the end of a busy week. But, OH, how the time flies when you are busy.

Last weekend we went hiking with my brother at Rocky Springs, a park that my family used to go camping at a lot when we were younger.

I feel like I practically grew up there. We started off tent camping and when my parents got a pop-up camper, and then an RV, we started going to other places. Rocky Springs is magical. It is still very untouched and primitive. There is a creek, Sand Creek, which runs through the park. Many fall and spring afternoons were spent swimming and wading in its waters. Glorious memories.

Sunday we decorated the apartment and celebrated WILL'S GOLDEN BIRTHDAY!! (i.e. he turned 23 on the 23rd of this month)

I love my family!

And we love our wonderful lifelong friends!

The whole crew working on hamburgers!

Birthdays are my absolute, favorite holiday. We had a potluck cookout and Will got a chance to grill out hamburgers for the whole family. I baked a really awesome cake. This was my inspiration for the cake. It was a lot of fun (and only slightly stressful) trying to make it. And much to my surprise- it actually came out pretty close to the actual cake! I predict this cake will make many more appearances at birthdays in the next few years...

This was definitely a very involved cake, but it was a lot of  fun to make!

It worked! I was incredibly excited when I finally got to cut into it.

This was the final product. 

Will and I both had brothers reach major milestones this week! Will's brother, Devin, graduated high school and my brother, Joseph, graduated elementary school. We are so proud of both of them.

The Berlin Brothers. (They are one day going to start their own clothing business, I swear)

The Three Berlin Gentleman.

Congrats St Joe Class of 2011!

Don't we look mighty dashing?

The Calhoun women. And my beautiful Mother-In-Love.

Slightly blurry, but great shot of my wonderful little sister.

Joseph receiving his diploma.

My papa, the model.

Let's see how many times it takes to get a good picture.

There we go!

Congrats St. Richard's class of 2011! 

 It's different being on this side of things having gone through each of those graduations. I remember being in the moment and being so nervous and feeling like it was the biggest day of my life. Perhaps it was at that point, but now I see it as just a day. I remember the anxiety and that rush of excitement when they call your name and you walk across the stage. All the pictures afterwards and hugging family members when all you really want to do is talk to your classmates and see if they feel the same mix of nervousness and excitement as you do. All the smiles and high fives and congratulations. College and Junior High, respectively, are very big steps for each of them. Defining moments, but not all determining moments. School becomes more difficult, but it also provides more opportunity for self growth and discovery. I'm really looking forward to being able to watch each of them take the next step and start this new stage in their lives.

On a different note- the work week is almost over and we are BOTH super stoked about the weekend! Because it's Memorial Day Weekend, we are planning a 2 night camping trip to a spot neither of us have been before. It is in the foothills of the Appalachian Trail. We have heard only good things about this spot and we are so excited about getting a chance to really explore!

Our cats like to play in the tub, and when we look at them surprised,  they always give us this look of, "What, isn't this normal?"

Here's to a good weekend! Cheers!