The Family Vacation

Is that snow or hail?

How can I not write about our family vacation this year.  It has become a tradition for us to go on a camping trip for our family vacation.  We have, in fact, become quite good at camping.  We have all the gear in our garage organized and in bins so we have easy access to it.  We also borrow a friend's trailer because we can not fit all our gear in our van.  This year was no different.  We were packed to the gills and headed off to Grover Hot Springs (about 3 hours away).  We left on a nice summer Sat. morning.  All was right with the world.  The gang was happy and looking forward to the 6 days of camping bliss.  As we traveled farther into the mountains it began to look stormy.  We didn't pay much attention to it it was summer after all and it didn't storm in summer right?  We get our campground and we were informed at the ranger's station that there had been mountain lion and bear activity even during the day.   Tom and I had to "act" brave because the ranger said all this loud enough for the gang to hear.  There were plenty of questions as we began to unload.  We had just started on the tent when the hail started.  Yes, hail.  We hadn't had time to put the rain fly over the tent so soaked we got and some of our gear got soaked.  We have a waterproof tent so there was a lake on the bottom of the tent.  I was cooking dinner during the downpour and we decided we could eat there so into the little town we went and found a picnic table with an overhang to eat under.  Everyone was wet and cold.  Tom and I did not want to stay there that night so we drove 30 min. into a town in Nevada called Minden where we got the last hotel room at the casino there.  The next morning we washed and dried clothes at the laundry mat and then went onto setting up camp.  I was a little skeptical of how fun our trip would be after all the rain, but we had a ball.  Scott, Kelly and Ali came on Sunday and stayed for a few hours with us and brought us fried chicken and bread.  Just what we needed as it also rained on Sunday.  Monday we went to the hot springs and pool.  After we spent a good amount of time there we went back to camp and Grandma and Grandpa came to visit with us they stayed until Tuesday around noon.  We went looking for a lake to swim and picnic by.  Wednesday we went into South Lake Tahoe and had a picnic and swam.  Thursday we came home.  The kids rode their bikes and joined the Jr Rangers.  They made friends and played in the dirt.  We had smores, campfires and went to the campfires put on by the rangers.  It was great and we are even talking about going back next year.  Here are some of our photos from the week.  Notice the hail it looks like snow.  BRRRRRR!

A changing tent and a sleeping tent.  I'm a mom who doesn't like footprints on her pillow. 

Henry was trying to channel a bear.   The rest of us were enjoying the campfire.

Henry enjoying a smore.  Are those glasses to keep the smoke out of your eyes?  :)

Macie do you love marshmallows or the chocolate to go with?  Am I the smore making station?

Thomas found a fishing line at Blue Lake.  Macie got into the ice cold water.  The lake was a beautiful blue.

The gang playing at Lake Tahoe.  Juli is behind Macie digging in the sand. 

Ali, Scott, Macie and Stacey playing cards, and trying to stay dry.