Camping

Last Thursday, we, along with 23 of our friends and relatives, hit the road to the Sleeping Bear Dunes for our annual camping trip. Overall, the weather was nice the entire weekend, with the exception of a two hour downpour on Saturday morning. (I never realized that golf umbrellas were such fabulous devices!) We sat on the beach, went canoeing, ate, drank, and spent time hanging around the campfire. Some of the heartier in our group went on a grueling hike across the sand dunes to Lake Michigan, and back again. The "Bear Hike" is a yearly event that I avoid like the plague ever since I participated once a long time ago. In my opinion, it is a brutal experience that just leaves you in a sunburned, fatigued, aching state. Which is why I was skeptical about allowing Jacob to go even after he nagged me incessantly to give him permission. To make a long story short, Jacob did make the trek with nine others and apparently had no problems at all. In fact, he had a wonderful time. Jacob was the youngest (or at least one of the youngest) to ever complete the hike and earned himself a new nickname - Spike. The weekend was a blast, and was made even better with the return of some friends who have been absent for quite a few years. Welcome back Fatty, Cobra, May, & Hollie!

Jake slept in his own tent again this year.

Muffin climbed a tree.

A nighttime bandit came searching for food.

A big group took off on the 6-hour hike. A few of the wiser ones only went partway.