We usually visit my sister Rose and brother-in-law Gary at Hume Lake every summer, but this summer's visit was different: Lukas went to summer camp while we were there! He had a few days with us before camp started, and we walked a lot...
And talked a lot...
...and ate a lot.
Then it was time or Lukas to go to camp (the last home-cooked meal for a while).
Wagon Train is the camp for 8-11 year olds.
There's Fort Logan for the kids to run around on. Lukas kayaked on this lake.
All the kids stay in covered wagons, named after eastern and midwestern states (since the wagon trains went west to settle new land).
My sister knew someone who was teaching archery, so Tom and I volunteered to help with the class so we'd get to see Lukas. Tom helped on Monday, and he saw Lukas from a distance as his dorm walked by for another activity. Lukas (blue shirt in the middle) never saw Tom.
After archery, lunch and naps, we went down to the lake and played. That was our afternoon activity at least three times during the week. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack my bathing suit, so I got to watch from the beach. It was an unusually hot week (mid 80s), so it sure would have been nice to get wet.
Konrad thought he would get me wet.
They're cold after swimming in the lake and it feels good to warm up!
One of several picnics.
Tuesday was my turn to volunteer at archery, and that was the day Lukas' group came. Here he is talking to the trail master, before he knows I'm there. Rose and I helped put the arm guards on the campers, so I walked up behind Lukas and said, "which hand do you write with?" (since we put the arm guards on the other arm). He immediately knew my voice and gave me a big hug! It was so good to see him...we definitely missed him a lot.
Then I got to watch his archery lesson.
Lukas with Aunt Rose.
Wednesday, Tom took Konrad on a hike while Rose and I played with Natalie and Dominik. They saw the General Grant tree, the second largest tree in the world (after the General Sherman tree, in the southern part of the park).
Konrad in the cabin (we have so many pictures of Lukas with the same pose).
Quite the pensive four-year-old, don't you think?
Back at the cabin, Natalie likes to rub noses.
Pretty serene setting, right?
I couldn't believe the color of those flowers, and what a precious photo of Dominik.
Natalie got tired of walking and is happy in the stroller. We are considering getting a jogging stroller that might work on trails better, and will still carry her as she grows.
This is the last trip for our baby backpack...four Happy Ones have used it!
Natalie was happy to get out of the stroller to read for her little brothers.
Thursday, we drove to a different part of the park. Here Natalie is performing a song, or something. She belongs on a stage!
Signing "tree."
Natalie is still performing, but Gary and Konrad are ready to come down the log.
Natalie with Uncle Gary.
More signs to read! They are motivation for her to keep walking.
Konrad and Dominik are playing hide and seek around the base of the Colonel Young tree.
Konrad's left hand is touching a baby giant sequoia.
Rose and me.
Tom's van passing under the tunnel log.
This kid got carried a lot!
Uncle Gary and Dominik at the base of a dead giant sequoia.
Back at the cabin, it's water balloon time!
Saturday morning, Tom and Konrad went to pick up Lukas from camp. Konrad snuck up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
Lukas gave a heartfelt hug!
In Lukas' wagon, Indiana.
Lukas is showing where everyone slept. The campers brought a sheet and sleeping bag and slept on these bunkbeds.
The three musketeers are together again!
We had such a relaxing time in the mountains! And Lukas has so many good memories of camp...although we sure missed him a lot! This was definitely one of our best vacations ever.
This post is a little out of order, but I had to be time-sensitive because we made the switch last night: everyone in a bed, no one in a crib! New readers may not be aware that we have all three boys in one bedroom: Lukas and Konrad in bunkbeds on one side of the room and Dominik in a crib on the other side. Every furniture purchase we make is with the thought of how to get more space out of our tiny home, so when we started talking about Dominik's big-boy bed, we decided to get another loft bed so we could put a desk below it.
