Starting the summer off right

As soon as the kids were done with school, we packed up and headed out for 10 days of camping. We went with Beth and Mike Clarke and their two kids Dylan and Sydnee. It all started out sunny and warm. We didn't get to camp until 9:30pm. We had to stop a couple of times for puking kids, first Ella, then Dylan. Great start. Great fun.

Our first full day at the beach started out warm, but not too hot. It was a little cloudy but it just kept the temperature just right.

At lunch the Clarke's headed back to camp for lunch and to see if the kids would take a nap. We brought lunch to the beach.The mosquitoes were pretty bad at camp so we wanted to stay at the beach were the mosquitoes weren't so bad. We ate lunch and played some more. When we noticed a dark cloud moving in, we weren't too worried, it looked like it would just pass over us, even when the first crack of lightning struck. As the rain began to fall we thought we would just wait it out in our beach shade, to avoid the mosquitoes at camp. Kathryn and Tansley played Frisbee in the pouring rain while the rest of us sat in the beach shade to keep dry. But then the wind started to pick up and the rain really started to come down and Kathryn and Tansley joined us in the beach shade. We had probably been sitting in the shelter for 20 minutes or so, when the hail started, so we zipped up the door and got all cozy together while James and Ella cried through the noise of all of the thunder, rain and hail beating down on the tent.

What an adventure. After nearly an hour, it finally let up enough to make an escape back to camp...only to find that the window in the tent had been left open and Mine and Daniel's bed soaking wet. We ended up making a trip into Kalispell to the laundromat to dry out our bedding.

Later that day Lorne and Jakki Harty showed up with their crew. And the next day we spent an awesome day on the beach.

 Daniel spent a little time looking for his wedding ring he lost in the lake two years ago...a lost cause.

The next couple of days were rainy and cool. We spent some time in Kalispell, said good bye to friends, hung out around camp and went for a drive to the Flathead tunnel.

 Sunday the weather started to look up, we even enjoyed a beautiful rainbow that evening!

Monday brought beautiful weather and family to play with! Daniel's brother Spencer and his family showed up and we got to enjoy the next couple of days with them. They brought some kayaks and a motor boat. Cousins are always fun to play with!

 All set up to enjoy an amazing Canada day at the beach with family! This day was the most perfect day for enjoying water play! We would have loved to stay and enjoy more days like this!

 Wednesday morning James was up early, and it so happened that Barrett was up early too, so Angela and I took the boys for a walk. We ended up down at the beach, and the boys wanted to play in the water, so off came the PJ's and into the water they went in their undies.

 It was a beautiful morning, but it was our day to say good bye and pack up. No regrets here. It was a perfect start to our summer. We are looking forward to many more adventures this summer. Creating memories in whatever circumstances head our way.

 The obligatory visit to the big green truck in Sparwood.