East Lake Annual Adventure

Last night, John and I awoke to an eerie siren. We were cozy in our sleeping bags, in the middle of virtually no where - but, somehow a siren had gone off. Was it an alarm to indicate a forest fire? My heart was beating like crazy and my mind was racing. When you are cut off from civilization, it's amazing what ideas you can come up with with what is happening in the rest of the world. Eventually, since the noise did not repeat itself, I fell back asleep, determining it was some crazy car alarm from a neighboring campground. Then, perhaps a half hour later, the noise repeated, but it was a little more erratic...., and then softer, and not as exact, and then loud again. We weren't talking sirens, I finally deduced, but the sounds of animals - coyotes. Now, that was a new camping experience. I actually thought it was kind of neat, in a wildlife sort of way - and knowing the world as I knew it wasn't under attack or burning up - I easily fell asleep again.

That was one of our camping highlights - others included:

1. The boat parade with all the kids hopping in, first, my dad's boat, and then another couple's.....

2. A surprise visit by Pete - that could have only been made better by Hollie and the kids' company as well (promise us you'll come next year!)

3. Mikayla's first caught fish (that she wisely chose to release as she has no interest in eating seafood....)

4. The waterfall - again -

5. Lounging on the East Lake shoreline with all the dogs and kids playing.

6. Finishing, from start to finish, the book, RELENTLESS. Omigosh - loved it!!! If you like all of the twists and turns, mysteries, and suspense of Alias or Lost - this has it. The best part, is that it's part of a trilogy, the next two books due to come out in 2007 and 2008.

7. Hanging with Mom and Dad. We get all sorts of flack for positioning our campsite in an area a little more removed from the rest of the group, but it allows us such quality time with Mom and Dad and the Schillings. Brayden said he was most excited, when considering camping, to go fishing with Grandpa. Considering there were 18 boys under the age of 10, that is saying a lot that hanging with his grandpa would be favorite. I love that!!!!

Here's a few pics of the highlights: