One of the Beautiful Sunsets
Well, here it goes...our wonderful camping experience. It was actually rather enjoyable. I was anxious about the trip; and now realize that there was no need for that. Everything went rather well...Thanks to Grandma (the Lily put to sleeper), Boo (wonderful picture taker, and helper with the kids), Aunt Samantha (documentor of trip-->she videotaped alot), Uncle Jerry (wonderful Breakfast maker-->sorry about the hard boiled egg or "deviled egg" as you call it), Katie (wagon puller, and picture taker), Brooke (wagon puller, kid occupier, etc), and Jerilyn (wonderful Chex Mix maker, and laughter)....and how could I forget the most important person, Jed (child walker through the night, happy waker-upper to walk with me to the bathroom in the dark, great setting up tent person, and actually getting it back in it's bag) You all made my 1st camping trip an excellent one with the promise of another camping trip to come.
Dakota was so excited to go to "the yake" (he says "y" for every "l"). He actually woke up on Friday and I told him, "No more sleeps, today we are going to the lake." and he said, "I need a shirt and shorts, momma, I can't go to the 'yake' in my PJ's." And he was even more excited when he got there. We pulled out the wagon (Thanks, Marg) and his bike...and he rode around while we started to set up camp.
When we first pulled into the park, I thought, wow! we are staying close to the lake...and then I look closer and we see that there are picnic tables and grills out in the lake.
our campsite...see the picnic table and the top of the grill?
We had heard that there were some campsites under water from the rain...but I didn't realize that the water was as high as the picnic table top. We still had a place to camp...in an area with a road around us...the road was blocked off due to the high waters and the other campsites closed...so it was like we had our own little campsite...with the road for Dakota to ride around the campsite on his bike. The tents were put up and I was impressed with how fast they did it all. After that, we sat around and ate with (great) Aunt Georgia and Uncle Leonard....after that, we moved our chairs closer to the lake and watched the sunset...beautiful. Then we all headed to bed....to sleep, or that was the intended plan.
I seriously think that we all (Grandma, Boo, Jed, myself, Lilyann, and Dakota) only slept for all of one hour combined. Grandma got Lilyann to sleep and Dakota slept on our air mattress for the time he did sleep..and Kota woke up every time he had to urge to potty. Lilyann woke up around 3 or 3:30am...and wanted to play, she would walk from cot to cot to air mattress and give kisses. It was so sweet and somewhat cute. After awhile, we just let her go and prayed for morning to come quickly. At 6am, with the sun peeking through and the birds singing "good morning", we got up...not from sleeping but from lying there wondering what would get our tickle boxes going this time. Let me tell you, the coffee had never tasted better that morning.
Saturday started out well--> coffee, breakfast, sitting by the lake (some reading; me, talking; Dakota and Jed skipping rocks)
and waiting for the others to arrive. First came, (great) Uncle Millard and Aunt Sue and then came (great) Uncle Wayne and Aunt Gloria. By this time, Dakota is in the lake with Brooke playing and having a good time. After we change and get everyone together, we head to the pavilion (next park over) for Uncle Leonard's 80Th surprise birthday party (even with all of us there, he was still surprised that the get together was for him).
Happy 80Th Birthday, Uncle Leonard...a horseshoe cake
Yummy food, fun time with family...what more can you ask for? oh! that's right!!! Rain!! The rain started while we were at the pavilion...but it stopped for awhile and then started again, when we all got back to camp. Grandma brought a canopy for us to sit under ...and then Jed and Grandma put up another tarp for us to move the food table under and to have extra area to stand. We had fun all huddled under the canopy/tarp eating cookies, junk food, talking about this and that (for some reason, Jerilyn was the topic...much to her dismay), and waiting to see who would be the next person to get dripped on.
Aunt Sue, Lilyann, Uncle Millard, and Katie
After some late evening snacking on what was left from the party, we once again sat by the lake watching the beautiful sunset (thankfully, the rain had stopped). And then on to bed, with hopes that everyone would get some rest that night. Lilyann was so tired and fought sleep...but Grandma worked her charm and got Lilyann to sleep. We did rather well getting sleep that night...it was a cold night, thanks to the rain. But we all snuggled down and woke to the birds singing.
Camp Breakfast tastes so much better than breakfast made at home. Lilyann gobbled up all the eggs and Kota went after the bacon and had 2 cups of cereal (cereal for kids, as he calls it..aka Trix) Sunday morning, as Uncle Jerry was finishing up on the bacon and getting ready to start scrambling the eggs, we got the brilliant idea to trade out a raw egg for a hard boiled egg. Grandma does the quick switch and then stays close to help him crack the eggs so he doesn't notice anything suspicious. Jed is standing over there taking pictures, but also recording the egg cracking episode. And then you hear, Uncle Jerry saying, "I can't get this one open" he tried his best though...and then you hear all of us laughing and I end up with hard boiled egg in my lap....to which Uncle Jerry says, I knew you were behind that with your deviled eggs. He kept calling them deviled eggs since I told them that I had brought some hard boiled eggs for us to make deviled eggs or to use in potato salad. It was quite funny...trying to crack a hard boiled egg.
After breakfast, we were told that Severe weather was headed our way and would be there around afternoon time. So, we made the decision to take down the tents while the weather was dry...and to head back a day early...with plans to stop over in Beaver's Bend for a picnic lunch. Taking down the tents wasn't nearly as much fun as putting them up...but it had to be done. Jed got our tent all back in the bag it came in...to our surprise. Excellent!
All in the bag!!
Dakota playing Frisbee with Uncle Leonard...this was while we were all taking our tents down.
We get all packed up, and say our goodbyes...and then head out....on a scenic tour through the mountains on to Beaver's Bend. Fun times.
At Beaver's Bend, we stop near the park and have our picnic which is followed by a cool walk through the creek. Lilyann and Dakota both loved being in the creek even though the water was cold. After the creek walk, we headed up to the nature center and then on to a walk by the lake and around the campsites and back to the park.
Once again, we are on the road, but this time, we are headed home...a nice 2 hour trip and we are finally home...well, it was Grandma's house for us...and then home..but still, home. In my book, Home is where you rest your feet! :)
I can't believe that I forgot to tell you all about the Geese that were at the lake..and it wasn't just a few...at times, there were more than a dozen or two. Jed took this picture of the geese all swimming along.
Dakota was so excited to go to "the yake" (he says "y" for every "l"). He actually woke up on Friday and I told him, "No more sleeps, today we are going to the lake." and he said, "I need a shirt and shorts, momma, I can't go to the 'yake' in my PJ's." And he was even more excited when he got there. We pulled out the wagon (Thanks, Marg) and his bike...and he rode around while we started to set up camp.
When we first pulled into the park, I thought, wow! we are staying close to the lake...and then I look closer and we see that there are picnic tables and grills out in the lake.
our campsite...see the picnic table and the top of the grill?We had heard that there were some campsites under water from the rain...but I didn't realize that the water was as high as the picnic table top. We still had a place to camp...in an area with a road around us...the road was blocked off due to the high waters and the other campsites closed...so it was like we had our own little campsite...with the road for Dakota to ride around the campsite on his bike. The tents were put up and I was impressed with how fast they did it all. After that, we sat around and ate with (great) Aunt Georgia and Uncle Leonard....after that, we moved our chairs closer to the lake and watched the sunset...beautiful. Then we all headed to bed....to sleep, or that was the intended plan.
I seriously think that we all (Grandma, Boo, Jed, myself, Lilyann, and Dakota) only slept for all of one hour combined. Grandma got Lilyann to sleep and Dakota slept on our air mattress for the time he did sleep..and Kota woke up every time he had to urge to potty. Lilyann woke up around 3 or 3:30am...and wanted to play, she would walk from cot to cot to air mattress and give kisses. It was so sweet and somewhat cute. After awhile, we just let her go and prayed for morning to come quickly. At 6am, with the sun peeking through and the birds singing "good morning", we got up...not from sleeping but from lying there wondering what would get our tickle boxes going this time. Let me tell you, the coffee had never tasted better that morning.
Saturday started out well--> coffee, breakfast, sitting by the lake (some reading; me, talking; Dakota and Jed skipping rocks)
and waiting for the others to arrive. First came, (great) Uncle Millard and Aunt Sue and then came (great) Uncle Wayne and Aunt Gloria. By this time, Dakota is in the lake with Brooke playing and having a good time. After we change and get everyone together, we head to the pavilion (next park over) for Uncle Leonard's 80Th surprise birthday party (even with all of us there, he was still surprised that the get together was for him).
Happy 80Th Birthday, Uncle Leonard...a horseshoe cake
Yummy food, fun time with family...what more can you ask for? oh! that's right!!! Rain!! The rain started while we were at the pavilion...but it stopped for awhile and then started again, when we all got back to camp. Grandma brought a canopy for us to sit under ...and then Jed and Grandma put up another tarp for us to move the food table under and to have extra area to stand. We had fun all huddled under the canopy/tarp eating cookies, junk food, talking about this and that (for some reason, Jerilyn was the topic...much to her dismay), and waiting to see who would be the next person to get dripped on.
Aunt Sue, Lilyann, Uncle Millard, and Katie
After some late evening snacking on what was left from the party, we once again sat by the lake watching the beautiful sunset (thankfully, the rain had stopped). And then on to bed, with hopes that everyone would get some rest that night. Lilyann was so tired and fought sleep...but Grandma worked her charm and got Lilyann to sleep. We did rather well getting sleep that night...it was a cold night, thanks to the rain. But we all snuggled down and woke to the birds singing.
Camp Breakfast tastes so much better than breakfast made at home. Lilyann gobbled up all the eggs and Kota went after the bacon and had 2 cups of cereal (cereal for kids, as he calls it..aka Trix) Sunday morning, as Uncle Jerry was finishing up on the bacon and getting ready to start scrambling the eggs, we got the brilliant idea to trade out a raw egg for a hard boiled egg. Grandma does the quick switch and then stays close to help him crack the eggs so he doesn't notice anything suspicious. Jed is standing over there taking pictures, but also recording the egg cracking episode. And then you hear, Uncle Jerry saying, "I can't get this one open" he tried his best though...and then you hear all of us laughing and I end up with hard boiled egg in my lap....to which Uncle Jerry says, I knew you were behind that with your deviled eggs. He kept calling them deviled eggs since I told them that I had brought some hard boiled eggs for us to make deviled eggs or to use in potato salad. It was quite funny...trying to crack a hard boiled egg.
After breakfast, we were told that Severe weather was headed our way and would be there around afternoon time. So, we made the decision to take down the tents while the weather was dry...and to head back a day early...with plans to stop over in Beaver's Bend for a picnic lunch. Taking down the tents wasn't nearly as much fun as putting them up...but it had to be done. Jed got our tent all back in the bag it came in...to our surprise. Excellent!
All in the bag!!
Dakota playing Frisbee with Uncle Leonard...this was while we were all taking our tents down.
We get all packed up, and say our goodbyes...and then head out....on a scenic tour through the mountains on to Beaver's Bend. Fun times.
At Beaver's Bend, we stop near the park and have our picnic which is followed by a cool walk through the creek. Lilyann and Dakota both loved being in the creek even though the water was cold. After the creek walk, we headed up to the nature center and then on to a walk by the lake and around the campsites and back to the park.
Once again, we are on the road, but this time, we are headed home...a nice 2 hour trip and we are finally home...well, it was Grandma's house for us...and then home..but still, home. In my book, Home is where you rest your feet! :)
I can't believe that I forgot to tell you all about the Geese that were at the lake..and it wasn't just a few...at times, there were more than a dozen or two. Jed took this picture of the geese all swimming along.
1 comment:
Love it Joy!! Wish I could have went with yall! Our families would have a blast!!
Sharon
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