As the summer ran on, we quickly realized that we were missing it. We had dreams of doing all sorts of family fun, but in the joy of sleeping in, lack of schedules and sunny days, we forgot. So we planned a quicky family get away camping at beautiful flowing lake for the week before school started. We
planned delicious camp food, packed up our two tents, tarps, and my dad's row boat and off we went. We had reservations at one of the best sites in the area. We were all so excited! Then the rain began to fall. We bundled up and read books in the tent. Then the rain began to pour from the sky like heaven's ocean was emptying on top of us. Matt kept saying that this was how memories were made. We spent that first very long day huddled under the tarp, trying to cook food on a fire that only flickered. Matt used his inventing skills to rig up a special contraption that kept the fire somewhat sheltered from the rain with tin foil, sticks and ropes. It's the only reason we had a fire at all! Only Lucy and Alex were brave enough to stay out, under the tarp, with Daddy. The rest of us hid in our sleeping bags and played games. It was crazy! That night, though we didn't think it was possible, the rain fell even harder. It fell like a hurricane storm! We all tossed and turned listening to it ROAR outside and the waterfall falling in continual torrents off our tarp. Moving everyone away from the sides of our tent, we finely fell asleep muttering prayers that we wouldn't all wash away. You are probably wondering why we even stayed. The problem was that we REALLY wanted this family vacation. And Matt and I are super resilient. We will push through alot before we are willing to give something up. Well, the Lord really blessed us. All of us shouted for joy when the sun shone through the trees the second morning!
The kids kept taking pictures and pointing out how the sun made beams of light through the trees. It was truly beautiful! While Matt and I hung everything out to dry and mopped up puddles in the tent, the kids played hide and seek in the forest around us. I'd run out in the trees occasionally to help Lucy find a good spot while she called out, "here I am!"... completely defeating the purpose of my great hiding spot. The kids found a trail in the woods and we pulled Matt away from wringing things out. We followed the trail to all sorts of amazing finds. Like a whole tree blown over in the storm. And another whole tree will all the pine cones blown right off in huge mounds of pine cones. The kids were excited to take them all home. Apparently, kids collect them at their school and they had the idea to sell this jackpot of pine cones at recess!
We found a beautiful place for a picture and set up the camera. Say, "sunshine!!!!" everyone! Later, we all took a break from nature and went to the state fair. We got back to the campsite full of junk, free shows and rides. That night we sat around the fire and read a "pick your own adventure" together. It's one of those books that tell a story, then come to a choice. Depending on the choice you make, it tells you to go to a certain page number, where it continues the story. The first time through, the kids picked all the wisest choices and we ended the book happily with no untimely deaths! After that we all picked random stupid choices and enjoyed all the funny ways we died or somehow lucked out. It was a lot of fun!
The next day we went out on the lake with Dad's boat and rowed for hours! Matt and I house hunted (dream houses) all the lovely vacation homes around the lake and the kids looked for fish, frogs and took turns joining in our dream house hunt. Some of the houses had elaborate kid areas which were pretty awesome! It was so peaceful rowing through the quiet lake with the sun shining on the water. We had the lake mostly to ourselves. After we rowed around for a while, we parked the boat at the beach and played for a while. Matt and Lili fished while Lucy, David, Alex and I played in the water. Later we all joined Matt and Lili out on a rock in the lake. We got pretty wet each time the waves hit us and we had more fun laughing and trying to all balance on the rock. I'm sure we scared all the fish away, if there were any. In the end it all lived up to Matt's assertion that this was how memories are made. It was a wonderful way to finish up the summer!
planned delicious camp food, packed up our two tents, tarps, and my dad's row boat and off we went. We had reservations at one of the best sites in the area. We were all so excited! Then the rain began to fall. We bundled up and read books in the tent. Then the rain began to pour from the sky like heaven's ocean was emptying on top of us. Matt kept saying that this was how memories were made. We spent that first very long day huddled under the tarp, trying to cook food on a fire that only flickered. Matt used his inventing skills to rig up a special contraption that kept the fire somewhat sheltered from the rain with tin foil, sticks and ropes. It's the only reason we had a fire at all! Only Lucy and Alex were brave enough to stay out, under the tarp, with Daddy. The rest of us hid in our sleeping bags and played games. It was crazy! That night, though we didn't think it was possible, the rain fell even harder. It fell like a hurricane storm! We all tossed and turned listening to it ROAR outside and the waterfall falling in continual torrents off our tarp. Moving everyone away from the sides of our tent, we finely fell asleep muttering prayers that we wouldn't all wash away. You are probably wondering why we even stayed. The problem was that we REALLY wanted this family vacation. And Matt and I are super resilient. We will push through alot before we are willing to give something up. Well, the Lord really blessed us. All of us shouted for joy when the sun shone through the trees the second morning!
The kids kept taking pictures and pointing out how the sun made beams of light through the trees. It was truly beautiful! While Matt and I hung everything out to dry and mopped up puddles in the tent, the kids played hide and seek in the forest around us. I'd run out in the trees occasionally to help Lucy find a good spot while she called out, "here I am!"... completely defeating the purpose of my great hiding spot. The kids found a trail in the woods and we pulled Matt away from wringing things out. We followed the trail to all sorts of amazing finds. Like a whole tree blown over in the storm. And another whole tree will all the pine cones blown right off in huge mounds of pine cones. The kids were excited to take them all home. Apparently, kids collect them at their school and they had the idea to sell this jackpot of pine cones at recess!
We found a beautiful place for a picture and set up the camera. Say, "sunshine!!!!" everyone! Later, we all took a break from nature and went to the state fair. We got back to the campsite full of junk, free shows and rides. That night we sat around the fire and read a "pick your own adventure" together. It's one of those books that tell a story, then come to a choice. Depending on the choice you make, it tells you to go to a certain page number, where it continues the story. The first time through, the kids picked all the wisest choices and we ended the book happily with no untimely deaths! After that we all picked random stupid choices and enjoyed all the funny ways we died or somehow lucked out. It was a lot of fun!
The next day we went out on the lake with Dad's boat and rowed for hours! Matt and I house hunted (dream houses) all the lovely vacation homes around the lake and the kids looked for fish, frogs and took turns joining in our dream house hunt. Some of the houses had elaborate kid areas which were pretty awesome! It was so peaceful rowing through the quiet lake with the sun shining on the water. We had the lake mostly to ourselves. After we rowed around for a while, we parked the boat at the beach and played for a while. Matt and Lili fished while Lucy, David, Alex and I played in the water. Later we all joined Matt and Lili out on a rock in the lake. We got pretty wet each time the waves hit us and we had more fun laughing and trying to all balance on the rock. I'm sure we scared all the fish away, if there were any. In the end it all lived up to Matt's assertion that this was how memories are made. It was a wonderful way to finish up the summer!
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