Fam Fest 2008

We had our annual family git-together a couple weekends ago. I took so many pictures it was hard to choose which ones to post. I tried to whittle them down to a reasonable amount, but in then end...I just couldn't.

In the past we would rent a big house at a resort and all pile in for the weekend. It was fun but expensive. Now we all bring our camp trailers and meet at this great piece of property owned by someone in our family. It's right on the river in an oak grove. There's no electricity but we all manage for a long weekend.

Aunt Avis brought this beautiful can of Sweet Williams to garnish one of the picnic tables.

There are a few main areas where people congregate. Food. Fire. Fun.

Food:

We have one main 'table' which I think is some plywood nailed onto a tree stump...I think? This always has some snacks, condiments, plastic silverware and water jug with paper cups. This is where the main meals are served as well. We do our own breakfast and lunches and then share the costs for the dinners that are served as a group meal. There is also a couple of picnic tables for eating, visiting or cards (or knitting).

Fire:

This is by far the best part of camping...the campfire. There is always someone at the campfire, all day long.

The great thing about this campfire is it sits overlooking the river and the beach area. You can sit and visit, while watching the kids playing on the sandy bank. Our science teacher brought some rockets made out of 2 liter pop bottles and there was plenty of shooting them off right between those two trees into the river or more often, onto the other side of the river.

Fun:

This brings us to the river.

Yup.

We had a paddle boat!

It was so much fun for everyone.

And a little inflatable canoe.

There were lots of buckets and shovels working.

The boys spend most of their time catching crawdads...

and salamanders.

Jacques Cousteau and his camera man exploring the creatures of the river.

Meet Bart. He'll love you forever if you'll just through a stick for him. Look at that face! How can you say no to that?

This dog is amazing. You can throw a white PVC pipe into the water, pretty deep water, and he will swim around the spot endlessly looking for that pipe. When he catches a glimpse of it, he dives down like a seal and will come up with it everytime.

You have to see it.

Here Sadie and Denver are having a lesson in the shallow end of the pool on diving for the pipe. Bart has to be held back because he is such a superstar, no one can beat him.

Jack does NOT like water.

He hates it.

He's terrified of it.

He sat in the sand at a safe distance and watched the class.

Eventually, Papa was able to get him into the water with food.

He had him going after hot dog pieces.

On the last day of camp, he was actually swimming. Seeing Jack fully emerged was astonishing to us.

Back for his reward.

The foxgloves were in full bloom.

My aunt and uncle have their garden here by the river bank. It floods every winter making the soil very rich like the land on the Nile was very fertile after the flooding every year.

We had a great time, ate WAY too many chocolate chip cookies (thanks Mom), came home with more than our share of mosquito bites but already looking forward to Fam Fest 2009.

Say goodbye Sadie.