hunky dory.

top to bottom: the bf's entire fam, lake clare, and the lodge

i spent last week with the bf's family at the hunky dory resort near balsam lake, WI. yes it's actually called hunky dory. last friday we went to bed as early as we could and woke up early to leave at 4am to drive the 8 hours there. yes we woke up around 3am and yes it's an 8 hour drive. it's all SO worth it! this is only the second time i have gone up there. the bfs fam has been going for ages and it's his happy place.

hunky dory is a very unique establishment. it has literally stood still in time. as marvel, the 82 year old owner describes it - it's like camping with a roof over your head. it's very rustic. any animal you can think of lives up there - there are 2 bald eagles that live in trees on the other side of the lake, lots of chipmunks and black squirrels, turtles throughout the lake, beavers live in the bay on the other side of the lake, there was a black bear and wild turkey spotting too! it's like national geographic up there. there are several cabins around the HD campus - with cute names like Robert's Roost, Fisherman's Dream, Beachside and so on. they are definitely rustic but i even i can handle it and enjoy it and i'm quite the princess. you eat all your meals together in the lodge that are homemade by the owner, her family and staff. they ring a bell to let you know when it's ready :) breakfast includes your choice of cereal, oatmeal, eggs, bacon and pancakes or french toast. some of the lunches included homemade soups, sandwiches with leftover ham, beef or turkey, leftovers from the dinner the night before and a dessert like apple crisp. dinners included spaghetti, swedish meatballs, lasagna, ham and mashed potatoes and always more dessert. THEN later in the evening you always get ice cream in their little shop - 50cents gets you a gigantic single scoop. and sometimes we'd even get a pizza from there. you eat SO MUCH. it's great.

there are activities throughout the week - hayride, canoe races, kids games like limbo and sack races, ping pong tournament and a talent show-which i participated in this year. it's like camp for families. in addition to these planned activities we add in some on our own. i get really into doing jigsaw puzzles. everyone works on it in passing throughout the week and it's always great to see the finished puzzle after everyone contributed. we water ski everyday which is fantastic and reminds me of my late uncle who taught me to ski. we canoe and take boat rides. lots of floating in the water and sunbathing takes place. i ofcourse got sunburned on the first day. we play bags which i'm horrible at. and my personal favorite - star gazing. it's like a whole different sky. it gets so dark there it's unreal. me and the bf laid in chairs one night to watch for shooting stars and we saw several and made a wish on one that we saw together. and we wished for the same thing! darling.

hunky dory is also so special because of all the time i get to spend with the bf's family. i usually only get to see everyone all together around christmastime so it's so great to spend so much time together. i absolutely love his aunts who are great story tellers and absolutely hilarious. and his parents are so great. they always make me feel like i'm part of the family. his mom really knows how to take care of me. she remembered to bring a bath towel and a beach towel for me - both of which i forgot. she also got me a special bug repellent thing which was very helpful! i took a walk with her and his sister every morning after breakfast. this was one of my favorite parts of the week. i always love talking to both of them so it was good to get some quality time with each of them everyday. his sister brought me a birthday present all the way from the czech republic where she and her hubby recently visited. my first piece of bohemian crystal!!! i absolutely love it. we also got to spend a lot of time with his brother and his girlfriend - playing lots of games at night and taking boat rides together. i feel so lucky to have all of these extra family members in my life! going to hunky dory seems to make me love the bf even more. and his family. being part of their special place makes me so happy.

i came back missing my text messages, internet, work and my friends but i really miss hunky dory! it's hard to come back from a serene setting to a bustling city. but it's nice because i feel totally recharged and rested. i have been waking up easier in the mornings and more alert at work. it feels good to be back but i can't wait until next year!


oh and there is a theme song that you sing at the end of the week. really.

hunky dory here we come
right back where we started from
where bowers of flowers bloom in the spring
there's fishing and swimming and fun galore for everyone
so pack your bags and don't be late
we'll open up that old camp gate
hurry up dont make us late
hunky dory here we come!

i think that's right...