Camping with the Summits

The week of July 4th was a whirl wind. Kirk flew in from Savannah, Georgia the next night at midnight.  On Friday, we went camping overnight with our new friends the Summits. I had prayed for a family that had a similar age range as our family so no one felt left out if our families were together.  Well, God has brought our two families together.  And the Summits have 10 kids.  So I think the age range is well covered. Kirk was deleriously exhausted but pulled himself together and helped load camping gear into the van for an overnighter at

Tony Grove Lake.

It was absolutely beautiful.

It rained......gorgeous.....

It was perfect......

Beautiful wildflowers in bloom.....

 Did I say it was beautiful?

The kids explored every nook and cranny.  In the water, behind a tree, under a boulder.....The boys took shots with a sling.

 The mountains were breathtaking.  Kirk was so tired from traveling that I would find him sitting every moment he could get.  He didn't mind though because we had great friends to share the day with.

 Can life get any better than this? Two smiling faces in a hillside of wildflowers? If God can bring us into our dreams for our family and have wonderful friends to share life with, then God does have an ultimate plan to bring a steady job for Kirk.  Either that or he knew that in this economy surviving on an artists wages, we needed something to sustain us.  Something to give us a reason to get up every morning and greet the day.  A change of scenery definately did the trick.  I love it here. It is peace for my tired eyes.

 By the time we got to the other side of the lake, the boys were already immersed in the water.  I think it was beckoning to them. It was COLD! But refreshing. Kaleb will always find an excuse to swim. He says the water is always so inviting.

 I like these two pictures of the girls.  I found great satisfaction watching them as they just sat on a rock, in their clothes, in the water. I think I remember Sarah attempting to teach Victoria how to spray water with her hands by cupping her hands just so.

When I was little, I experienced the mountains from jeep trails where not everyone could drive.  You had to have a vehicle that could get into those back roads and a Dad who was a skilled driver.  Now that most of those roads are closed, there hasn't been much hope to take my own children into some of those places that I experienced as a child.  I love the mountains, especially the ones in Monache Meadows.  Living in Logan is giving me a chance to share some of the beautiful green places that remind me of places that I camped as a child.  It gives me a chance to reflect back into my own childhood while I watch my daughter crouched in a rocky lake side chatting with a friend.

 Most kids find sticks and rocks to bring home.  Kyle found a log.  He is definately my sisters child. As kids, we would be crammed into the back of the jeep with all our gear bursting from everywhere.  My Dad would reach down to pull a tool out from under his seat and find rocks and sticks stuffed under there that my sister had found and treasured.  He would chuck them into oblivion like a Dad would do, not knowing that those rocks meant something more than what he saw.  My sister would be hysterical like they were some dear friend that was now lost.
 Anyway, we saw some of the healthiest lichen we had ever seen.  The grey is lichen, as well as, the lime green. And the little purple flowers look like little elephant heads.  We had our own personal wildflower expert pointing out the numerous flowers to us. Mr. Summit really knows his flowers.

We ended Friday night with warm clothes, and giant sized marshmallows that the camp host gave to us.  I think our camp host was fascinated that our families had a total of 10 kids with us. He managed to tell us his life story.  Very interesting man. He even took the weed whacker to the grass to make room for a second tent.  What a great way to wrap up our evening. 

Family, Friends and Smores.