Happy Campers

I am not a natural camper, but I am evolving. This was the 5th year we have joined the Jones family for a long Memorial weekend in the White Mountains. We've only missed a year or two due to sick kids. This was my favorite camping trip so far (since we've had kids - they complicate things). The kids were so excited to be there and generally behaved themselves really well. We are so lucky the Jones continue to consider us family and invite us every year. Thanks for another great round of memories!

And mad props to my husband who went out of his way to make sure his pregnant wife and kids were comfortable and happy during the entire weekend. What a guy!

Ty's ultimate camping activity is riding the quads. When his dad told him no more, he started begging other adults (complete with puppy dog eyes and hands clasped together) if they would "Pweese, pweese take him on a mo-cycle wide." He found a few pushovers amongst the crowd who made his day.


Trent kindly passed up the chance to go fishing with the other guys Saturday morning so that I wouldn't be left alone to entertain the kids. In hindsight, they did so much better than I anticipated - I should have let him go. Later that day, everyone went back to the lack to fish from the shore. At least he got a little fishing in this year.
I'm not sure Ty was helping much, but he was sure excited to get his hands on a fishing rod. He sang his favorite fish song from preschool over and over to anyone who would listen.
Trent got a few biters, but most of them got away. Then he reeled in this guy. It was the 2nd biggest fish caught by our band of fishermen that day.
Back at camp, the kids stayed entertained playing in the dirt, throwing the football, kicking the soccer ball and playing with the dogs. They hardly sat down to rest.

Ty tried to play with the other kids but Brooke was more interested in playing with the dogs. There were 5 dogs at camp, all (or most) some kind of lab. She was in heaven.
Sunday afternoon we snagged our nephews from their nearby camp and hiked our way to the Look Out Tower. The kids surprised me again by cheerfully hiking the trail (over a mile total), only asking to be carried towards the end of the hike when we were approaching the cars. In order to get to the tower, you have to climb 3 flights of rickety stairs. It was a VERY windy day, winds going at 65mph, but we ventured up anyway to get a good view of the entire Big Lake area. We've gone to the tower nearly every year we make this trip, but this time I was actually nervous because the wind was so severe. It didn't even phase anyone else.

Dylan and Ezra in the tower.

Scary picture, but the only one that proves I was there! I love the expressions on my kids' faces - so typical. We are excited to go again next year!