For the third year in a row, we went camping at Cultus Lake, about an hour and a half outside of Vancouver.
The three older kids are now old enough that they can pack their own bags, if given a list of things they need to bring. Here's Evelyn with her giant backpack.
We were so much smarter this year and had Chris take the day off before we went camping so we weren't up until the wee hours of the morning organizing and preparing and packing. Whew! Way better.
I'm not sure why it took us so long to figure that one out, but I suppose this is a case of better late than never.
A big creek runs through the provincial campsite, and the kids had a good time exploring in it and all around it.
Abigail has no fear at all when it comes to making her way in and around this kind of environment.
Chris liked exploring too! Even though it looks like he's sleeping while standing on this log.
John came with us again this year. So wonderful to have an extra set of adult hands. Also, he's good company. :)
This was the first time in three years that we didn't have a campfire ban while we were out, so we took advantage of it and - apart from the first night, when it rained - each night we lit a fire and kept it going as long as we could.
We roasted marshmallows and made s'mores - John brought his own gluten-free graham crackers - and also managed to get a few hotdogs roasted for dinner one night.
I noticed, with satisfaction, how much less we had to worry about the kids around the fire this year. It's getting easier. Slowly, but surely.
Ah, a "healthy" dinner of hotdogs and chips.
Note that there were vegetables on the table too, although, not all of them were cut up and/or eaten. Ha.
Chris reading stories around the campfire is always a hit.
John found a fun tree on the edge of our campsite to climb and lounge in.
Jonathan, of course, thought that that looked like a good idea too.
A little horsing around at the picnic table.
Of course we spent time down at the lake, wading, swimming, and trying to avoid the goose poop. (So. Much. Goose poop.)
Our days were fairly overcast and even, at times, cool, so it wasn't quite as fun to be in the water as it was last year when it was scorching hot and sunny.
After being in the lake, the playground amused the kids for awhile too.
The boys like to hang out with John. Literally.
Racing down to the lake to do some fishing. Or, at least, to stand on the dock and try to scoop some fish out of the water with these nets.
It was a venture of mixed success. Each child did manage to catch at least one - even Abigail! - but there was some frustration at times, with the process, with the nets, and with the sharing.
On the first full day we were there, we spent the day at the big water slide park that's a 5-minute drive from the campgrounds, and had a great time.
On the second full day, besides spending time down at the lake, we went back into the nearby town and checked out a little amusement park they have there.
I'm not sure why they have a statue of such a fierce looking donkey at the entrance of the park, but anyway, the kids climb on it every year.
Because we'd been to the big amusement park at Playland a few weeks earlier, we didn't go whole hog at this one, but instead said the kids could each pick a couple of rides/activities to go on.
Evelyn endures the boredom of waiting for Abigail to finish her activity.
While I was on something-or-other with the boys, Chris and John went with the girls on the bumper boats. John and Abigail got soaked in their boat!
One of the things Abigail chose was mini-golf.
Though it was less like golfing and more like hockey with her.
Chris and Evelyn on the roller coaster, and although it wasn't huge, it wasn't just a kiddie coaster either. Evelyn loved it!
All of the kids, and John, watching... something.
After the kids -and the adults - had had their fun on the rides, we made our way down to the community dock to hang out.
Relaxed.
Very relaxed.
But then our energy was renewed and we decided to rent paddle boats.
First Chris and John went out with the boys. (This series of photos cracks me up.)
Uh, how do you adjust these seats?
Mm, no. I think you have to move this.
Oops! Oh, wait. Got it.
Happy boys.
More happy boys.
The girls, on the dock, waiting patiently for their turn in the paddle boat.
Checking out the view from behind.
Back at the campsite, there was game playing.
Most of the time the kids still want to have an adult involved in the playing, but every now and then John or I can convince them to play without us. (Chris doesn't really get involved in the board games with the kids unless there's no way to avoid it. ;)
Every day we went to this roadside ice cream stand, where they had generous servings and lots of flavours.
If you played your cards right, you could taste more than just your chosen ice cream flavour on any given day.
Me with the girls. I think this is one of three pictures that I made it into. But I was there the whole time. Promise.
Chris took Sam, Evelyn and Abigail on a hike one afternoon on a trail called "The Seven Sisters," named for a series of seven very tall trees.
Jonathan was just not in the mood to go. And I wasn't in the mood to make him.
It was fairly steep at some points - lots of stairs to go up.
Here's one of the seven sisters.
And here is the crew on the way down. Sam, of course, couldn't just walk on the path. He had to walk down balancing on the fence rails.
Breakfast on our last day, before packing up.
Sam "helpfully" finished up a leftover cookie by using it to dip into his oatmeal. Endless creativity. (Also, anything for a good cause.)
Look - this picture was taken moments before we left the lake for good, and all three adults are still smiling!
(Now with sunglasses off.)
A sign of a successful trip.
