Swimming with the Fishies!

 Waking up at 6:45 (our 4:45!) was not as brutal as I remember it being as a kid, but it was still hard to get going in the mornings! Thankfully camp breakfast made it worthwhile!

 

 

The kids liked to climb on the rocks while we waited in line.

 

 

And on the way back to the cabin.

 

 

After Lou's first day spent with us I took her by the preschool area and showed her the playground and asked if she'd like to go there the next day. She said "Yeah! Tons of fun." So Tuesday morning I had T take her over there, knowing she likely wouldn't go if I tried to drop her off. She was ready to head out with the big kids!

 

 

So cute!!!

 

 

Baby J got to stay with us...sweet boy.

 

 

A lot of dominoes and cards were played during free time!

 

 After lunch on Tuesday we headed to a swimming spot. The little ones got a little car nap.

 

 

 

It is a natural spring that they turned into a pool area and there are fish and turtles that you swim with. It was a little chilly but not too bad.

 

 

The pool bottom is covered with mossy algae though so it is really slippery and hard to stand up on! It was kind of exhausting because you had to keep moving. Your feet would just slide around and you could never get a good grip.

 

 

There was a standing area but most of the place is deep...like 25 feet! In the standing area there were all these little tiny fish that would nibble at you, but in the deeper area I saw a big black fish that was about a foot and half, and other people saw a catfish. The kids enjoyed the diving board.

 

 

 

 

Looking for fishies.

 

 

We ended up having to leave suddenly when it started pouring down rain. We had seen lightning way off in the distance, but the wind blew the storm in quickly.

It was nice to cool off!

 

We grabbed Sonic since we missed dinner at the dining shed and made it back in time for church. Speaking of church...Bug and Boo sang in the choir with Aunt J! Every night an hour before church starts the choir meets for practice. They did some really difficult songs that they had to learn very quickly but the girls did great and had so much fun! When we went swimming Boo barely had time to make it to practice and she went all by herself! She had left early in one of the other cars in order to make it in time and no one else was ready to go so she just went by herself! We were very proud of the girls for trying something new! You can't really see them very well but they are in the very front facing the crowd.

 

 Great job girls!

Volleyball!

 Monday at camp there is a volleyball tournament for anyone who wants to participate. The girls got together with the extended family (there were 39 of us altogether) and formed a team. Daddy and Uncle S also played.

 Peaches took these videos of them playing.

 

 

T is really good at volleyball! Bug is not so bad herself! She had some great shots.

 

 

Uncle S for the point!

 

 

 

Bug going for the save...

 

 

 

And she must have made the point because everyone is clapping in this picture.

 

They ended up playing three games. Thankfully we had the mule and found some shade so we were able to watch in relative comfort.

 

 

Lou found this little chair. :)

 

 

Peaches wanted a selfie.

 

 

The little ones started getting antsy so Uncle A began giving them challenges: run to the tree and back, run and touch the building, hop to the building, etc. 

 

 

 

And they had SO much fun running back and forth in the sun. It was around 95 degrees and humid but they didn't seem to notice at all!

 

 

 

 

 

 Zig-zagging.

 

 

 They lost their first game, won their second, and lost their third. I think they ended up being 5th place out of ten or so teams. Not bad!

Great job Team "Here for Fun"! :)

Camp! - Part 2

 A big part of camp is the rocks. Climbing the rocks is a tradition and a natural playground. Lou was slightly terrifying on the rocks. She had no fear and was ready to just go leaping form rock to rock with no thought of falling or how sharp some of the edges are! We had to keep a tight rein on her.

Peaches navigated them with skill and sensibility so it was easier to let her climb.

 Pretty girls!

 

 

 I think these were from the first dinner. I found them later. :)

 

 

 

Daddy had challenged Peanut to photo bomb as many pictures as she could that week and she rose to the occasion. Haha.

Unfortunately we didn't finish our whole cabin-to-do list until the day before we left camp, but we tried to take breaks and enjoy the week. Here's T and Peanut playing Skipbo while the younger ones did some coloring.

 

First breakfast! One of the best parts of camp is the breakfasts!

 

 

We had to use two tables to fit everyone in this year.

 

 

I was so happy that Peaches and Cousin M are in the same grade and were able to go to day camp together! This was the morning after he took his tumble so his poor lip was all swollen.

 

 

Peanut was super excited about day camp too and jumped right in with the rest of the 5th graders even though she didn't know anybody in her group. 

 

 

I didn't attempt to send Lou to the preschool class the first day because most weeks she won't even go to Sunday School at our church even though she is super familiar with it and all the people. She came to the classes and services with us and did just fine but was definitely a little bored.

 

 

I didn't get any pictures of the big girls going to the middle/high school day camp but they loved it! They said it was like a big youth group party.

 

 

Uncle K brought his mule for us to use all week and it was really nice when we needed to get somewhere quicker or had things to take between cabins! And of course the kids just like going for rides for no reason. :)

 

I felt like I did a really good job not taking too many pictures, and I actually didn't even have my phone with me most of the week and I still ended up with tons. Lots more to come. Haha.