Memorial Day/Brian's Birthday Camp Out

Uncle Bryan was tired of looking at our old tent. I don't even think I have a picture of it. I gave it to Artie the first Christmas we were married. It has been kept together with duct tape the last couple of years but still has a good bit of hard camping left it in... So, Bryan sent us a new tent - a condo lodge!!

Brenda helping to set it up

Wow, it's big. 3 rooms - boys, girls, mama and daddy

Bobby showing off on the dock.

Brian's girlfriend, Lauren came. She thought she "didn't do lakes" - she found out differently. This was her first ever camping trip, first s'more and the first time she caught a fish.

Daddy teaching Emily to shoot ... what is it you call those things?

Brian helping Artie tear down the tent. Brian turned 20 on Sunday. I made his spaghetti for his birthday dinner. The kids loved their presents to him - a flashlight, basketball cards, a chess set, a green water bottle, and a dice set to play "Greedy" with.

Going home

Terry's Sixth Birthday Party

Terry picked riding 4 wheelers for his birthday. So we all went to Uncle Bryan's for the day.

Hunter and Jacob also came with us.

Granny met us there...

Emily

Granny got Terry a Spiderman video game - he loved it!!

The children got him a baseball, bat, and bases.

Granny played baseball with them and got a hit :-)

Artie and I got Terry a punching bag and gloves. He's so funny with them!!!

It was a beautiful day and they had a great place to ride.

It's time!!

Gotta wear your helmet right!!

WHOOOO!!

Troy

Brenda and Terry

Brenda, Stephen and Hunter sitting on the dock

Hunter and Brenda took the little children for a canoe ride (the water was so brown from the big rain we had the weekend before)

Bobby and Stephen

Elmo came too

After the hot of the day, the big kids decided they were getting wet

It was freezing cold!!

We all had a fun day. Looking forward to going back when it's warmer and we can swim some.

Camping

We had such a fun weekend camping.
 

The sun set was very pretty the first night there. Artie, Marshall, and Ryan got most of the tents set up before we got there. I brought all the children a little later (we had been at Emily's Girls Scout program in Spartanburg - Artie left and went straight to the camp and I went home and got the other children and finished packing the car)

We stayed busy playing all weekend. Brenda's baiting someone's fishing line - she's definitely her daddy's girl - didn't get that from me~~~~ My Papa Troy would have been proud!!

Bobby had a lot of fun swimming in the lake. He would just get off in his own world floating in his life jacket. He reminds me a lot of Troy when he was younger.

Troy spent most of his weekend playing with Ryan. They canoed all over the lake and swam all the way across a couple of times. I wish I could have taken more pictures, but my camera wasn't cooperating.

Stephen had a good time swimming and fishing in the lake. (Adam is canoeing with Troy in the background)

Emily fishing. She said she had a good time even though she didn't catch anything this trip.

Terry caught his first fish, then he caught a snapping turtle and then another fish. All right in a row - every time he threw his line in the water. The other children were all screaming!! It's amazing any fish stayed nearby. Stephen and Bobby also caught their first fish - but my camera didn't want to take any more pictures~~ 10 children kept the dock pretty active all weekend. I'm sure the fish were ready for a break after we left!!

Artie and Emily, Terry fishing, Troy and Adam coming in from canoeing.


Cassie, Brenda and Emily always have a good time together!!!