Campin'

Kenny and I took a 1/2 day at work and headed up the mountain ahead of the group. We wanted to grab the trailer and ensure we got a spot for the holiday weekend. It was slim pickins' but we got a spot that would work. After we set up we headed back to Forest Lakes and had dinner at the restaurant in Forest Lakes. Sarah and I had some Rocky Mountain Oysters. It was my first time trying them and I wasn't a fan...

After dinner we waited at the Cabin for my brother, the boys and Krissy to show up. Kenny took me back to camp so there would be room for everyone in the truck. We turned it kind of early on the first night since it was such a long journey up the mountain (traffic was horrible because of the holiday)

Saturday morning we got up and I decided we should take out the play dough set. The boys got this set for Christmas from my brother's work, but he didn't want to let them have it at home so we brought it up camping! 

Jacob and his Spider 

My Monster 

Jacob trying to take Little Brian's seat (love his face!) Also, gotta love slim jims and donuts for breakfast  

ah the tables have turned 

He won 

Brian back from his ride 

Kenny terrorizing the boys (they love it!) 

Jacob, Krissy and Hope 

We were tired of waiting for Blair's crew so we went out Yard sale shopping. I love the holiday weekends in Forest Lakes because there are usually a few fun yard sales.... there was only one good one, but we all found treasures we couldn't live without.

Brian and Hope 

Kenny got lawn chaired (and let me take a picture of it) 

Jacob and Krissy 

Blair, Allan, Matt and Hannah FINALLY arrived that afternoon. We helped them set up their tents and get settled. Kenny took Hannah on a ride and she was in LOVE (with quad riding) and wore the helmet the rest of the day hoping for another ride.

Hannah and Kenny 

Camp! 

Jacob got a ride too 

Kenny and Jacob 

Brian and Krissy 

Little Brian and I took one quad and Blair and Matt took another for a short ride up the road. It was Blair, Matt, Allan and Hannah's first time on quads. I decided I should start letting Little Brian learn how to control the quad.... I let him push the gas on his own. We putted going probably 10 mph... I told him he could go faster but he was content... content until he saw the mud puddle... then he gassed it up, full throttle and we splashed threw the mud. It was FUN! Little Brian yelled and squealed with delight. He is going to be just like his dad when it comes to riding... put a Helmet on them and they think they are invincible...

We set up some horseshoe pits:

Kenny and Krissy 

Brian 

Krissy 

Allan 

The kids LOVED playing in the 'kid' tent. I peaked in the side and snapped these pictures:

Little Brian, Hannah and Jacob

Hannah and Little Brian 

Hannah and Little Brian 

We all cooked our dinners on the fire. Blair's bunch had hot dogs cooked over the camp fire.

Matt and Hannah 

We had 'pizza' sandwiches. Italian bread, pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese shoved into a sandwich maker iron. It was the funnest time making dinner. Brian and I were the cooks.... I prepared the food and he cooked AND BURNED it. There was lots of commentary from the peanut gallery  Allan even commented it was great to have free entertainment while they ate their dinner.

Allan, Blair and Brian 

Brian 

We brought supplies for Little Brian to preform his Pepsi/mentos trick. It was adorable how excited he was to 'perform' for the group.

And then he drank a liter of soda.... again.. Everyone was cheering him on... watch out college Little Brian is ready. ugh.

Matt hula hooping 

Hannah 

We made GIANT roasted marshmallows that night.

Jacob

Allan burning the popcorn 

Krissy 

Perfect 

chowing down 

Allan, Blair and Matt 

Brian, Hannah, Matt and Jacob in the tent

The next morning Kenny and I started the day on a long ride. Forest Lakes is just beautiful -

big hill 

Hannah and Little Brian were dying to go on a ride and they got their wish.

Hope with the football 

Hannah and Allan 

Little Brian and Big Brian 

Uncle Kenny playing horseshoes with Jacob 

Jacob found a caterpillar 

No one else would touch the caterpillar, but Jacob played with it and watched it for a good half hour if not longer.

Matt wanted to ride a quad on his own. He is 12, however he has no experience on quads so Kenny and I didn't think it was a great idea, but agreed if someone would go with him for the first ride. When they were loading up we decided he really shouldn't go solo since he wouldn't know what to do if something happened.... he was already on the quad doing toward the road. My brother was quickly trying to get the other quad ready and meet him at the road. Blair yelled to him to wait and he said, ok.... but then he decided to go. A car was approaching. He panicked and the quad must have stalled and he pushed it into a ditch on the other side of the road. It was not a good situation... everyone was up set. Kenny pulled the quad out of the ditch and told him he couldn't go alone. Matt of course was upset. Then we all shared stories of our first times on quads and dirt bikes... the first time I was out riding with Kenny I panicked hit a rock and drove the ATC right into a ditch. My brother jumped off my dad's dirt bike and had to lay it down.... we all have experiences like that... thats why you need experience (at least riding double) to ride and be safe. I wish that would have went differently. But it is what it is.

Once that blew over we discovered the blue quad wasn't running well! The engine was working but it wouldn't propel the bike forward... It already had another problem (which I am sure Kenny could tell you all about) and it needs tires.... The guys loaded the quads up and took them back to the cabin since it isn't much fun to ride solo anyway.

It really bothered me about the blue quad.... the Trail blazer was my dad's quad. I had just though that morning when I was riding with Kenny that it was sort of a way that he could still be with us out there.... and now it is need of TONS of repairs. Is it worth the money? I know it is just a thing and not actually my dad, but it feels bad to get rid of it, especially now : /

That afternoon we loaded up and went to Woods Canyon Lake. We brought the Canoe... I don't think anyone but Blair's kids even wanted to go out on the canoe.... Little Brian and Jacob didn't want to go out for a ride, but still had fun playing on the beach.

Jacob swimming in the freezing cold water. 

Kenny and Brian took Matt and Hannah out for a ride:

Blair and Allan begrudgingly gave it a try

goofy Brian and Jacob

Krissy want to go out with me... to be honest I didn't want to because I wasn't sure she would pull her own weight... She far surpassed my expectations and did a great job! It was a lot of fun! We took Hannah out with us too. 

Jacob and his low rise swim trunks 

Hope chasing down the ducks... we didn't let her get one

Kenny and I 

For some reason my husband takes after his grandfather, Bubba, and loves to tease and torment children.... The usually love it for a while and then either get hurt or cry. Hannah was loving this until she banged her knee.

That evening was awesome! It rained on us while Brian cooked our steaks and I burned the potatoes.

Hope wanted to be inside 

We played a lot of horse shoes after the rain stopped. 

Kenny 

Blair 

Allan 

The kids played in the fort that Blair made- 

and in the tent

We played LCR which was new to Blair and her crew and they loved it! We played an adult game that was $3 per person and we played with everyone and that game was 75 cents per person.

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Blair and Matt

We roasted more marshmallows-

Can you find Little Brian in the smoke? 

handsome boy

Little Brian's black eye... Blair accidently hit him with a horse shoe  

Jacob, Krissy, Brian and Little Brian, Kenny, Hope's butt, Me, Matt, Hannah, Allan and Blair-- always take the group pic on the last day when everyone is gross : ) 

After we got the trailer back to the cabin and were packing up it started to hail. It was crazy!!

It cleared up once we got out of Forest Lakes and then we got into the lovely holiday traffic. It was all worth it though! Great weekend with friends and family.

FB Status:

Had a great weekend! Everything did not go as plan and it was still wonderful. 1/2 day off, holiday traffic, finding a spot, waiting, HAIL, play dough fun, quad rides, yard shopping, ice runs, more waiting, hanging out at camp, friends FINALLY arriving, setting up, horse shoes, children running around like manics, laughter, camp fire, pepsi/mentos experiment, watching Blair build a fort, laughing 

historically while preparing (AKA burning dinner), roasting marshmallows, burning popcorn, sick kid : ( , waking up too early, more quad rides, transmission problems on the quad, crying child, canoeing, more horseshoes, another camp fire, burnt potatoes, delicious steaks, getting awesome, 2 ringers!, kid with a black eye, camp fire smoke, burning trash (TRASH Brian not toys), more marshmallows, 5 year old melt down, deep conversations around the camp fire, life long friendships, packing up, pouring rain and hail, traffic, traffic, traffic, McDonalds, traffic traffic traffic. Home ♥ We really know how to relax huh?