Family Camping

As you know from this post, the kids and I did some camping without Shad for the very first time ever. He was so great to drive the trailer to the camp spot for us and set everything up. He really is an amazing husband and dad! We didn't have any problems and the trailer was so comfy. Thank you Shad.

It was so great to spend some time with my family and unofficially official family. And I must say that when Gavin shot Shad's hunting rifle and got scoped right between the eyes, he took it like a man. I would probably have crawled into a hole and died first from the pain and then from the embarrassment. Not Gavin, he went back up there and shot the rifle two more times (tucking the gun up in his shoulder farther and keeping his eye farther away from the scope, of course). And when Shad came back up on the weekend he took Gavin and my nephew Jeremy on a hike in the dark. I was very proud of him for taking them and the boys for actually going. I'm just glad they didn't get eaten by the (imaginary) cougar that they heard growling in the dark. The woods in the dark can do some strange things to a 14 and 15 year old boys' imaginations. Ever seen Blair Witch Project?

I got to spend a lot of time sitting around the camp fire with my sister and parents and a little time with two of my brothers also (but not enough). And my dad did a lot of the cooking in the evenings. We had some awesome shrimp paella and brawts with sour kraut. Josh and Hannah got to spend lots of time playing (fighting) with each other and their cousin, Lilian. Josh and Lilian spent a lot of time fighting over who got to be the leader and who got to play with which sword. This was quite annoying at the time, but now I can look back and...no it's still annoying. My mom taught Hannah how to throw a Frisbee and she's pretty good. It was a fun week and I am so glad we did it. I imagine it will become an annual event.

One of the days my sister's friend took us out on a friend's boat. What a treat! I just can't figure out one thing...

Which one is cuter?

Hannah, Josh and Lilian's smiles, or...

their little buns?