Family Camping!

  We just got home today from our family camping trip.  I always tell my family I'm good for 2 nights of camping a year.  It's way too much work to just stay one night - the fun to work ratio is way too low.  And 3 nights would do me in - the dirt, the bugs, the food prep/clean up - 3 nights and the fun to yuck ratio is way too low.  Two nights is the sweet spot.  And just once a year.  But I'm totally good for 2 nights - this year I even made it happen!  Usually we wait to get invited by Kim and Herman, who make the reservations and we just show up.  But this summer they weren't going camping - and so I made it happen!  Made the reservations and invited Tate and Angey's family - and I'm the least camping lover in our house!  I kind of surprised myself.

   The morning we were supposed to leave John got admitted to the hospital so Angey felt uncomfortable leaving him to go camping.  So just Tate and the kids came.  He was quite the sport to drive 6 hours for 2 days of camping!

   We met in McCall - my favorite place to camp.  The campsites are nice - good bathrooms, showers, water, tent pads, and right on Payette Lake.  We set up camp, had dinner and headed to town to hit Ice Cream Alley.  Did I mention the best part of McCall is the food?  They have fun food spots on every corner.  I love camping in McCall because the food can be as easy as you want - just eat out!

Logan and his massive ice cream

After grabbing ice cream we walked down to the lake

A morning cup of hot chocolate always hits the spot when camping

This picture sums up every morning with Emmy.

She couldn't and wouldn't eat breakfast without a book.

These 3 kept our fire going....and going.... and going

Our first morning we went on a hike to Louie Lake

Derek, Bailey and Johnna were brave enough to get in

This gross sight became the highlight of probably the whole camping trip.  Logan found

this snake eating this frog.  And the frog was alive.  And trying to escape. 

And we watched this wrestle for 10 minutes!  And it was so gross!  

The snake hadn't made much progress when we left.

Cutie Bailey crossing the creek

     The rest of our camping involved the water - so I don't have pictures.  We rented paddle boards and kayaks and headed out on the river trail north of McCall.  It was so fun!  There were water fights, and capsizing, and taking over of boats by our own pirates (Kotter and Tyler).  I'm sure I am the only one who stayed on my own paddle board the whole time, and never got thrown in.  We made very little progress in actual distance, but everyone had a blast.
     After the paddle boarding, we headed to the beach and the lake.  The kids swam and built castles and we enjoyed the beauty of Payette Lake.
    And then this morning, we had to pack up and head home. But not before we grabbed lunch at My Father's Place, and of course got shakes.
  It was our last trip of the summer - we start school in 16 days!   What a fun way to say good bye to summer!