Letterboxing

I forgot to mention that last Friday my friend Farrah and our children and I went on a little mission on Skilak Loop Road, to hide Farrah's Letterboxes.  Farrah introduced me to this fun little treasure hunt of sorts a few years back, and this is the summer that I think we are finally going to do it!  Anyway, letterboxing dates back to the 1800's over in England and you can read all about it at http://www.letterboxing.org/ if you would like, as well as look up places to find some that have been hidden in your area! 

On Bottenintnin Lake....the kids loved the lake and wanted to go and touch all the lillie pads!

Mason and I waiting in Hidden Creek Campground while the others found a spot to hide one of the letterboxes on top of  very large rock....which is why he did not go up! :)

The gang after hiding a letterbox up high

A nice little black bear walking across the road as we headed home!

Across the Lake Swim and Other Water Activities July 5, 2011

Tuesday was a gorgeous day and the kids and I had fun doing water activities.  Chad watched the kids for me while I swam across the lake, which is a 900 yard swim (1/2 mile) and then the kids went swimming for the rest of the afternoon.  I got some great pictures of my friends going off the blob and the rope swing, showing flair while in the air! :)  We all had fun and were tuckered out by the time bed time rolled around!

These are my friends, and we decided that the winner of the across the lake swim would get coffee from everyone else!  Catherine, who is on the far right won, and is happily sipping coffee from the rest of us! :) 

This is Catherine jumping onto the blob!

Farrah being blobbed into the air :) 

Craig, about to blob Catherine

she goes up....

and she fell down.....hard!

Then Catherine decided to do the rope swing

Perfect rope release and jump into the water!

Madison and some of her friends riding the wasp

Mason thoroughly enjoying the water

Fourth of July

 Every year for the 4th of July we have our Family Camp, and on the 4th we have the country fair, which my children look forward to every year.  They are fairly certain that if we were to miss the country fair that the world just might come to an end.  One of their favorite things to do when they get to the fair is to get their faces painted, and this year was no exception.  Other fun things to do are the fun jump for the kids 5 and under, the bungee run, the climbing mountain, funnel cakes, ball toss, ring toss, horse riding, carrige rides, and of course dinner, to name a few!   

One of my favorite people who came up as a councelor from Montana! :)  My kids love her to death...literally!

Heidi and Mason walking to the country fair.  I alwyas love the balloon archway that greets you so cheery like.

supposed to be a cheeta....

also supposed to be a cheeta.....I think it looks a little like a yellow dalmation! LOL

Heidi went with a simple heart....and Mason wanted nothing to do with the face paint!

He went fishing for a toy instead!

This is what Chad does on the fourth....He cooks the burgers and brawts.  The other two guys facing us are the camp cooks, and the guy with his back to us is the camp director! 

Climbing Mountain

see even adults can have fun on the bungee run!   Although it is not fair when one has a leg over their rope so they can not reach as far!!!

A balloon that was lost

Mason and Heidi spent a good amount of time jumping all day

Adventure #3 Hidden Creek Trail

Today...yes today I got all my pictures to load in about 2 hours!! I know it is still a long time....but we are seeing some improvement! :)  Anyway, today Crystal and I took the kids to Hidden Creek Trail to hike and the day was mostly beautiful for it!  We did get a down pour once we were at Skilak lake, but we found a wonderful tree that kept us all dry.  The kids threw rocks in the lake for a while, and then we continued on the loop back up to the van and headed home!  The trip was about 2.6 miles this time around, and the furthest that we have taken the kids on a hike.  Most of them did very well, and while we had squables and the occasional youngster wanting to be carried, they all did very well!

Most of the group

The group minus me and Elijah, who was in the stroller

we are not sure why this milage is given, since just a 100ft down the trail it says 2.6 miles....

being silly on a rock

Eli

staring into a pond

friends!

Ahh the walking stick....Crystal and I are not so fond of the walking sticks....in fact we pretty much hate them!!!  Many fights are caused by walking sticks, and then there is the constant finding of new walking sticks that make us stop every 3 seconds!!!

Heidi

Skilak Lake

Throwing rocks.....

sitting under our "protection" eating while we wait out the rain

that little mark by his eye is a wound from the rock throwing....one was accidentally launched in his direction :(  He is fine though, as long as you don't bring it up!

Hiking buddies

At the end waiting for the others to catch up

Had to get a picture of me in there too, just to show that I do go on the hikes :) So here is Crystal and I still smiling after finishing another great adventure!

Emma stole Zechary's hat and she looks quite cute in it!

That looks sums up how the kids were feeling after the hike....They were very tired!  I think they will sleep well tonigh!