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Just wanted to let you all know that Kathryn had a wonderful birthday yesterday.
We left home about 10:30 in the morning, and headed over to Appleton. (About 90 miles away.) Appleton has the biggest mall in the area, complete with a Disney Store, so that became our first destination.
Kathryn purchased a Lilo & Stitch hula outfit with her own money. (She does the hula very nicely, and dances up a storm while listening to the Lilo & Stitch Soundtrack.)
From there we went over to the franchise restuarant, Chili's , and enjoyed a very filling lunch. A family favorite is the awesome blossom. (An onion deep fat fried, and served with horseradish sauce.) It did not disappoint.
Then it was onward to Kohler, which is the plumbing fixture of the world. Kohler is about another hour from Appleton, so we enjoyed watching the countryside fly by, while keeping cool in the van. (It was almost 100 degrees yesterday, so being in the van was not a hardship!)
Mozie... Did that WW2 plane leave Green Bay yesterday? If it did, we may have seen it as we were approaching Manitowoc. (It looked like a B-29 to me... but it was a way's away.)
We went to Kohler so Kathryn could choose a doll from a store called The Nursery Window. The Nursery Window is a wonderful doll store that has baby dolls set up in a nursery type setting. Kathryn went in to the nursery and chose a doll, a boy whom she named John Adam, and filled out a birth certificate, and a pledge of responsibilty. She was beaming from ear to ear, as only a new mother can. We also purchased an outfit to go with the doll. (The doll is about the size and weight of a 4 lb. baby.) She was also given a receiving blanket, extra diapers, certificate, and a little children's bible. She carried around the baby proudly, despite the steamy like conditions that existed outside.
We then went over to The American Club, One of the few 5 star resorts in Wisconsin, to look around, and had an ice cream come in a room called the Green House, part of The American Club complex. The green house is a turn of the Century building entirely made of stained glass, and was brought over piece by piece, from Sussex, England. They host formal teas in the building, and also is just a charming ice cream parlor.
From Kohler it was back on the road to Central Wisconsin. Coming through Waupaca we could see storm clouds building, and by the time we pulled into the driveway, the rains began to come down fiercely.
Last night, as we tucked Kathryn into bed, she commented that it was the "best birthday I've ever had!"
We had powerful storms that ripped through the area overnight, but the weather promises to be delightful for the next 10 days.
Thank you all for the pictures and sentiments. Thought you'd appreciate a rundown!
Jay