Banks Lake August 2008

DAY ONE
Heading out for Banks Lake was especially exciting this summer because we left super early in the a.m. and stopped in Leavenworth for breakfast with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa M! What a blessing!
Then we arrived at our site just after noon. Kate hung in her exersaucer while we unloaded:
Once camp was set up, we headed out for water fun! MANY THANKS to G&G J for letting us borrow your boat!! Notice in the pic below that Kate was not pleased to be zipped in her life jacket:
Owen spent most of the trip on the stern of boat with the wind blowing his tousled hair. Collin preferred the cabin, and Kate ended up strapped in her carseat during most of the rides because of her hatred of the life jacket!
We experienced our first wind storm on Day 1, so Kate spend some time inside the tent:
Owen refused to go inside:
Those of us who weathered the "storm" ate our dinner at a picnic table, carefully situated to use Jared's tent as a windblock:
That night the air was really cold. Owen climbed into bed with us, and Kevin climbed out and crawled into Owen's bed. Kate joined us soon, and Owen couldn't help but snuggle (seriously, I don't think he can help it; if someone is within possible reach, he'll touch/grab/pinch/snuggle them):
DAY TWO
The weather warmed the next morning, and the kids enjoyed yard games:
and exploring the beach:
We packed a picnic lunch and were off for water sports:
Uncle Jared rode the tube with Owen:
And then he rode with Collin:

Both boys loved the tube ride! Uncle Jared taught them the signs for "faster" and "slower" and "cut," and we were in for a speed-variating ride!

Then we found a private beach, backed by a sand dune that was great for climbing:
and for sliding down - sort of! The boys crawled down the dune on their bellies:
Then Uncle Jared joined, and they conquered the hill again:Collin really took to the water this trip in ways he never had before - he went in to his neck several times, floated with his life jacket on, and loved splashing! But "don't dunk my head, Uncle Jared! NO!!"
"Ha! That's silly!"
On the way back for dinner, Jared did some cliff diving:
DAY THREE
Boys and their toys: (Owen and Kevin are holding water shooters!)
Beach babe:
We're only in about a foot of water!
The boys did some drawing on the beach. Here, Owen is tracing his foot:
This time, I joined Jared in the cliff dive!
We did it! Exhilerating!
The boys napped in the cabin:
Kate napped in her carseat:
Our captain:
Grandpa Bob joined for two nights too!
One of Collin's new pasttimes is borrowing my camera and taking pictures. He's actually quite good, usually taking pictures of shoes, grass, dogs, other people. He took lots of pictures of the water, the sprinkler, his crocs. Then he took this picture of me:And, with just a little help, he took this picture of himself:Waking up from a late afternoon nap:
DAY FOUR

As he had the year before, Collin scoured the beach for treasures, while Owen trotted after him:Collin made Kate her first mud pies - yum! She loved putting her toes in the water, and Collin loved covering them with mud!Grandpa Bob grilled oysters on the beach; Collin waited patiently, but boy was it tough:

The boys (and my neices too) have a game with Grandpa. Inside every persons pocket, if you choose to bring it out, is a tickle finger! When the boys see Grandpa Bob, let me tell you, they choose to bring it out!! "I got my tickle-finger, Grandpa!!" says Owen:
Our last night the storm really hit. The winds started blowing and blowing. The rain was flittering down. So we started battening down the site - and Collin started flying his kite:
Notice in the pic below that the boat (not ours) had been blown into the shore. I ran over to rescue it (fell in the water on my butt on the way, hence the wet pants a few pics down) and could find no way to tie it off or away from the rocky ledge. The boat did not fare so well. Luckily, ours was anchored and secure and merely rocked to the rythym of the wind during the storm.
(I have no idea why this picture is turned ... it's an awesome picture of Collin's kite as it got darker and darker outside):
"I know it's stormy out here boys, but come out of the safey of the tent, where you were about to play a nice, calm game, and stand with us against the winds for a picture!!" (Yes, I am a nut. )
I held Kate the whole evening. In my arms, the winds were nothing. But if I tried to walk away, the panic set in. Made me feel wonderful.

DAY FIVE
We left the next day, again stopping in Leavenworth to eat and play! This is Kate at lunch:
And, ok, so I KNOW I should not "photograph and drive," but I looked in my rearview mirror as I was cruising up I-5 and saw THIS after we stopped at Arby's:Notice that his feet are crossed! He's done that since he was a baby!