The best part about warmer weather returning, is the opportunity to ride in the hills above our house. When we mention a ride in the hills, every one of the kids (and the dogs) get extremely excited.
We also went for a hike and Russell found a set of antlers!!!
This weekend was beautiful...I can't believe the unseasonably warm spring we've been having. With temperatures in the mid 80s, we couldn't refuse a trip to the mountains behind our house. We all loaded up on the four wheelers, dirt bikes and Ranger, packed a picnic lunch and headed for the hills! We roasted hotdogs and had a delicious salad and chips along with some Muddy Buddies Grace and I threw together last minute.
David has been going to this same spot his whole life, and it is actually the location of our first date. Lily is standing by she and the kids' names carved in the tree in 2004.
Russ enjoyed riding his dirt bike, and he even let Shelby and Grace learn how to ride it!
June was so hot...she was so glad that we found a small creek of cold run-off water so she could cool down...
Grandpa brought all of the kids' archery equipment, and they had a blast shooting all of the targets they set up.
They are all pretty competetive (especially since grandpa has handmade them each their own set of personalized arrows), but Kate was super determined to hit the target (a water bottle)...
after archery, it was time to shoot the BB guns...
and by that point, everyone was pretty hot, so they decided to build a dam in the creek to back up the water.
even June helped with the effort...
as the water level started to rise behind their dam, the kids' pants came off...
as per his usual self, Russell decided to be brave and dive completely under water. He's crazy like that...
this photo just screams pure happiness to me. It doesn't get any better than this...
there was plenty of resting too...
ha ha...I couldn't resist!
this is the beautiful view coming home from the mountains...our beautiful farming valley below...
by the time we got home, we were covered in dust, so we turned on the slip and slide so that everyone could have a little pre-shower...
We spent this past weekend at one of our favorite places on earth...our family camping spot. It was a wonderful weekend of relaxation and fun for all of us...
There was plenty of swimming and playing in the river...
Fishing for the boys...
the girls painted rocks, and they made these sweet rocks to put around our fire pit..."We Love You Lisa"
cooking tin foil dinners...
rock climbing...
Gavin had a blast catching sharks and shooting buffalo with his bow...
spending time with cousins...
roasting starburst...
being silly...
noodle fights!!!
and of course, my hubby, the big tease, had to get everyone wet while they were in their clothes...
he would lay the kids down, head first, on the bank and tell them they could stay dry if they could get up...
hiding in a chair didn't work for Lindsey...
the kids all try to help each other...but it didn't work, because they all ended up in the water...
loading up the kids in the Ranger and taking them up-river to float down...
getting dirty!!!
Lindsey made the girls hula skirts with grass from the river banks...
chocolate licorice mustaches...
cheeseburgers over the fire...
tough chicks with their bows that uncle Paul made them...
mmmm...breakfast...
We made the girls little crowns, and Lily didn't want Sandi to feel left out, so she made Sandi a flower child headband...
what a nerd!!!
we had to try them on...
Favorite memories from our trip: Lucky went after a racoon in the middle of the night, and it ended up with the coon chasing Lucky, and Paul chasing them both in his unders and shoes; a thunderstorm one night and waking up to ice the next morning; the girls getting so excited about digging a hole for our porta-potty...they even made a TP holder out of sticks; Gavin spotting sharks, crocodiles and hippos in the river; the girls checking each other for ticks; Paul acting like Lily; the kids catching a crawdad; Lily telling Kaylynn she was beautiful; the boys setting traps for the coon.
