{Camp out FAIL}

It all started out innocently enough. One last camp out before school started. We went to Henry's Lake, the fool proof destination for great fishing (at least it had been every other time we've ever been). Add a few relatives and a few friends, and good times should be had by all...

It was a little chilly, and a little (ok, a LOT) windy, but nothing that would stop a great s'more roasting!

The next day while the boys were "fishing" we killed some time at the campsite. Mel did a full pedi on Grandma. Her toes have never been so fancy!

The little girls were hard at work doing the same...

The boys? Not so much.

They tried to start a fire the old fashioned way -- flint and steel.

...until Uncle Todd schooled them with the tried and true propane starter.

"Ohhh.... fiiiiiiirrrrrrre!"

When Todd wasn't "fishing" he also gave rowing lessons. Elizabeth got really good at it.

Louis is still on "phase one" aka "dry land."

Then just as our five star dutch oven dinner was just about ready it started to rain. Then it started to rain cats and dogs.

Then the wind blew.

And it blew, and it blew, and it blew our tent down.

And over.

And over.

And over.

And the pop-up trailer leaked.

And leaked and leaked.

Like a friggin sieve.

So we did what any tried and true campers would.

We ran home as fast as we could. Left the whole mess and the"real" trailer campers there to fend for themselves.

We bailed.

Here's our ground zero when we came back the next morning: (we passed Mel and Brandon and their friends driving away on our way in.) Our tent frame was broken and bent to pieces and everything was soaked. The pop-up had an inch of water in the bottom. So we laid everything out to dry, Adam and Todd went out on one last ditch attempt to catch a fish, and I took the kids to the docks to swim.

The boys didn't catch anything. All weekend long. Not one fish.

Camp out FAIL.

Eh, at least the kids had fun!

Brings to mind a saying from each of my parents.

Mom, "We're makin' memories!"
Daddy, "That's why it's called fishing and not catching."