Camping at Lily Lake

I haven't been camping in y.e.a.r.s. Since hubby doesn't like to camp, my sister invited me to go with her family to Lily Lake. I was so excited, I bought a camping chair and a tent. I know it's bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, but is it bad luck to pitch a tent indoors? Don't care. I was excited!

Niece, Kami, and brother-in-law, Neil, inspecting our handy work.

The original plan was for my nephew, Devan, to sleep in my tent with me but, luckily for me, he backed out. However, he did help me set it up (although I didn't need help, as I had practiced setting it up in my living room).

We couldn't have fires but Devan decided to chop wood anyway.

 This is our camp site. Just behind the trees on the left is the lake. There were no other campers around. It was amazingly quiet (until they all showed up during the day on their ATV's to go fishing and 4-wheeling).

 My tent is on the left and the big family tent is on the right, peaking out from behind the trees.

 Kim and Neil are setting up for dinner. We ate really well, even though we couldn't have a camp fire. We just roasted marshmellows for s'mores on the camp stove. It worked very well.

 The lake is called Lily Lake because of all the lily pads. Evidently we were too late in the season to see actual lily flowers on the lily pads. Still, very pretty.

This should be a pic of me and Ben, but he didn't want to come :(

Kim and her kids: Kami and Devan

 Me and the kids.

 Me and MY Pringles. Yum! Devan kept trying to steal them. Punk.

 Saturday morning we all went fishing. Well, Neil and the kids went fishing while Kim and I relaxed.

At one point the fishermen relocated to a new spot on the lake but Kim didn't want to. 

 

 Neil is helping Kami put a worm on her hook.

Kami was the first to catch a fish, and her dad caught one shortly after. Sadly, Devan never caught one. But he did shoot 2 birds with his bb gun :( Poor birdies.                          
                                     

                

Neil is gutting his fishy. Gross.

Sunday morning we decided to do some more fishing and also swim in the lake.

 That is me, swimming in the lake.

Why am I the only one swimming in the lake?!?

 Neil took the kids out on his little fishing raft.

 

Amazingly I am able to walk on water so I can walk out and rescue the kids in case the fall out of the raft. (Don't I look like I am walking on water?!?!?)

               

 This is how excited I am to be camping.  

This is my tantrum when it was time to go home.

   

Happy Birthday to me!

For my 34th birthday, Ben surprised me with a stay at a CASTLE!!!

The grounds behind the castle were gorgeous!

 The door was huge and thick. Ben wants to have a door just like this one installed in our house.

This castle is a bed and breakfast. So, in the morning we went down to the dining hall where we ate lots of yummy food. I was stuffed!

Our room was on the second floor where we had our own private balcony and a great view of the grounds.

                           

 

Since Ben HATES having his picture taken, I had to sneak pictures... of course they are of his back.