BACK FROM CAMPING!!!

I'm Still Unpacking....
It seems like it always takes at least as many days to recoup from a camping trip as it did to pack up the car and spend the two days in the great outdoors, but it is surely worth it. I've made a little slide show with my favorite pictures. Thank you Streeters, Thompsons, Budd-Welges, and especially the Greens (for driving so far to meet us). We had a blast!

We've been getting together with Corey, a good friend from Jeff's childhood, once a summer (minus maybe one or two)since Zoe was about two (so for 11 years). It's been the same group of us off and on over the years, and we've added to the bunch by inviting some of our OK friends also. The last couple years we've taken turns planning the location. Last year was our turn and we went to Alta Lake. This year's trip was the Thompson's pick, and what a fabulous spot!

And some of the photos close up....

The Canoe got broken in this weekend for sure. We stayed at Hunter's Campground on Lake Roosevelt, which is really part of the Columbia river (dammed up by Grand Coulee Dam). The water was crisp and cool, and the view was breathtaking. We slept both nights with the top off the tent so we could watch the stars. The weather was perfect, and it was so nice to get away from the darn mosquitoes that have taken over our backyard.

The kids had fun playing in the little swimming area right by our group site, and the playground was within eyesight. It was the perfect location. We split the kids into three groups of three for a fun scavenger hunt that had them all over the park looking for things. My favorite photo from the weekend is this one of Zoe, Jonathan, and Lyndsi with their stack of five rocks (a required item on the hunt list).

Between the five families, we had tons of prizes for the kids to pick out. The winning team picked first, and so on until all the fun stuff was gone! Thank goodness for the Dollar Store~! Here's Max jump roping behind his pile of loot!

April and Jill brought goodies for making Father's Day frames. They turned out really cute, and the kids had fun gluing nature items and other do-dads on them for decoration.

In the evening the kids had a blast catching and releasing frogs, making smores, and playing hide and seek adorned with glowsticks.

And even though our group was minus 5 kids and 5 adults from last year's gathering (we missed you guys!!!) we still had quite a challenge trying to get everyone to pose for a group shot. I was cracking up over the attempted photos on my camera after using the timer setting! This was the closest we got to all being prepared. I've got a layout (and a fun template) in mind for that little photo session, stay tuned. And then, here's one of the kids all together also.

O.K. Corey and Amanda, you're on for planning next year's location!