Ellis And Alaire Fnally Get To Go Camping

A camping we will go!  Packed up the grands and Michael.  Said good-bye to the chickens, rabbits and Ella and headed for the Bluegrass State.

First stop....breakfast at Crackerbarrel!  Can you believe the theme for this word search...Could not have planned this any better.

With pappy you never know what you are going to get.  Alaire chose a battery operated dog.  We even bought batteries but then realized we didn't have a small screwdriver.  Oh darn!  And Ellis loved the BINGO game...winner, winner, chicken dinner.

We met up with Uncle Mark, Aunt Kate, Doug and Peanut.  They are campers extraordinaire!  Nice camper, fast boat and tons of fun! And we didn't waste anytime getting to the lake.

Aunt Kate had new goggles for everyone.  Peanut looking good in his.

Matching ensemble for Ellis.

Doug is kind of looking like a creature from the bottom of the lake.  He is such a swimmer too.

This one is also a little fish...

Crack me up these two.

She loves it!

Ellis thought it was the best thing since sliced bread!

Double trouble!

Permanent smile

HOLD ON TIGHT

Michael had the best time.  Said tubing was the best thing he has ever dome.

Can I go again, please?

 

New driver.

Youngest driver.

He is too cool for that vest!

Cooking some good old hot dogs over the campfire for dinner...or was it lunch?  Aunt Kate made sure none of us went hungry.

We played corn hole at the campsite.

Doug decided that he would sleep in the hammock...not sure how long that really lasted.  He wasn't there when I got up in the morning.

Pappy enjoying the chair swing.

Somebody is starting to crash...but not hard.

Peanut fell and scrapped his know pretty good.  Our boy scout used his First Aid skills to fix him right up.

We watched a movie in the amphitheater and Alaire went up on stage to sing and dance for some free popcorn.

 

The Chicken Dance.

 

That night she and Peanut traded beds. 

 

When I checked on them in the middle of the night, Peanut had slid off the mattress and was using Alaire's bag as his pillow (it was unzipped and the clothes were everywhere.  His little head was right in the middle of her clothes)   I'm thinking that she might have gotten the better end of the deal.

 

A grapevine for swinging.

We got to use our cook stove once before something happened and it wouldn't work.

Getting ready for the hike to the top of the mountain.  This boy is a hiker.  He can walk forever.  He just goes at his own pace and enjoys being out in nature, as he call it.

Doug was a little upset with Uncle Mark.  Mark and Mark were teasing him all afternoon about some Michael Jordan trading cards.  Little did he know that Uncle Mark got them for him.

 They had the best time playing together.

 

I'm guessing this to be an owl house...

 

...and this a house for bats. 

 

And the hike begins.

Stopped to look for some toads.

A little hanging.

The little girl and her dog...well Aunt Kate's dog.

We made it to the top.  Ellis took a shortcut straight up the mountainside and ran into two young bucks...'Wammy, they had antler's.'  It was so hot and muggy.  But we rested in the cool breeze that would blow by ever so often before heading down.  Someone (Ellis) found a turkey feather which we forgot at the top. oh shoot, we'll just have to go back again.

 

Ellis, Doug, Peanut, and Alaire took the shortcut straight back down while Michael and I took the trail around and around the mountain.  And on the way they found...

...three toads, one big one, one little one, and one really little one.  It was a great find.

Aunt Kate and Peanut had to start a little later on the hike so we meet them as we were coming back down.

Michael actually let me get a few shots of him on the trail.  This is very unusual!  We even had a little mother/son time and he told that one of the things he wanted to do when he was an adult was to hike the Appalachian Trial with two of his scouting friends.  I think that is a grand idea...wonder if he would like to take his dear old Dad along...that is one thing of Mark's Bucket List.

 A cherished little memory I hope I never forget.

 

Peanut found an awesome walking stick and another magic stick for Doug...Doug is reading the Harry Potter series.

 Uncle Mark snapped this one for me.  I was sitting under a tree in the shade at the beach with family catching up with everyone and exchanging good book titles.

 



Papaw Creasy, Christine, Jeremy and Sharon came down for the day.  It was so good to hug them all.

Walk-about tacos for dinner.

 

Saturday night they were expecting rain.  We got as much packed away as we could.  But with the first big crack of thunder and lightening and rain we headed to the camper.  Thank heavens it is huge.  If they hadn't offered to give us shelter, we would have spent the night in the van.  Big storm!

 

When it rains there are lots of puddles!  And what fun!

Michael teaching the others about cleaning up the area.

 

Headed to the bathhouse one last time.

Drinking from the awning!  Gross!

You are going to think I have really lost it when I tell you that this little hole in the wall had the best food!  SERIOUSLY!!!

 We were able to cook breakfast int he camper but by the time all was said and done it was lunchtime.  Mark and Kate had been saying all week how good this little place was so we all had lunch one last time before hitting the road.

 

And I gotta say it was delicious!  We even beat the Sunday After Church Rush!

This is the weirdest chocolate ice cream cone I have ever see,  But it was good.

 

We decided that we needed to do this again sometime.  The kids got along great and it was so good to be with old friends...and I mean old!  We might even consider an adult only trip sometime.  Thanks Mark and Kate for showing us such a great time.  Thank for making memories with my grandkids.  Like the good old days with our kids.  Makes me smile!

 

Bug bite tally...Ellis had the most with 23 I think...poor kid.  And some chiggers too...but no ticks this time!