VanLochTurff Camping--Beaver Creek

Okay, I think there are a MILLION pictures here, and believe it or not, they only capture a BIT of the fun that we had camping right before July 4th with Julie and the Van Pickles.  We were able to go up with Julie on July 1st to secure three spots, and the five Pickles came up the next day.  This was the year for the World Cup, so I am sure that we'll remember--for the record--that Julie and I came up with the Lochhead three while Jeff watched the US play Belgium.  It was a sad ending to the US's World Cup, but a fun beginning to our weekend.

The kids helped Julz set up the trailer.  I held Micah.  I was pretty worthless as a camping helper on this trip.  It was hard to do much else when I was a full-time Micah-perch.

Sometimes he sat in his car seat.  This was probably when I had to go to the outhouse.  :)

 Okay, sometimes other people gave me a break.  Isn't he cute all slumped over in his pack?

 The lake was cool and refreshing.  The kids could've stayed in all day.  It was certainly hot enough to do so!

Julie, picture-taker in the back…

 …Ellie, picture-taker in the front.

Alea loved feeding Micah.

Auntie always brings fun ideas for hair-do's.  I think this was the beauty parlor.

A STAR for the 4th.

Movies?!? Who watches movies when they're camping?!?  Apparently two boys do when the girls are having beauty parlor time!

This is Micah the Velociraptor.  Or Pterodactyl?

I love this picture of my guys.  

Notice the empty bottle--Micah was weaned at the end of June!

"Let's go take this TWO MILE HIKE." -Jeff

Walking…

…walking…

…resting…

…resting…

 …taking selfless…

 …walking with help…

…resting…

"YAY!!!! We made it!"  Turns out it was THREE miles one way.  We stayed at Upper Priest for quite a while to forget how long the hike home was going to be.  :)

And this picture is proof that Daddy was embarrassing the kids long before they were teenagers.  It'll be nothing new in 2024.  Just more polished.  :)

And the way back went WAY smoother than the way there!  We were SO impressed with these six hikers.

We left that night, on the way to Cousins' Camping.  We didn't get very far down the road before they all crashed.

It was such a fun few days, we are convinced that we have to do that again next year!