7th Annual Camp Nagrenol

The Homestead

A few weeks ago, we all (that includes Daniel...yay!!!) loaded up and drove to the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri to attend the 7th annual Camp Nagrenol at Daniel's parents home. Every year, Tam and Cindy put on a "camp" for all the grandkids. The cousins always have a great time getting together. Tam and Cindy also invite Tam's brothers grandkids who also live at the lake. For the past few years, Cari has come with me, but since she was moving the same week as camp, she decided not to make the trip this year. Although I missed her terribly, it was SO nice to have Daniel there. His main focus was to spend a lot of time studying for his board exam in August, but he also managed to get in some fun, and was super helpful to me with the kids.

When we arrived, we were the only ones at the house, since Tam and Çindy had taken Aaron's 3 kids up to Chicago to go to the Old Church Meeting and to lay flowers on Aaron's grave. I have missed going to this for the past few years, but hopefully we will go next year. It was nice to have the house to ourselves for a few days to get settled in.

Monday: Was the first day of camp. It was just an easy going day. It rained in the morning, but we were able to get out to the pool for a little bit in the afternoon. That night, we had a camp fire (courtesy of Tristan...what a great boy scout!) in the backyard, and had s'mores. Every night there was a 10 o'clock movie for the older kids. Alicia really enjoyed the privilege of staying up extra late!!

Tuesday: It stormed on Tuesday morning. I think we went out to the pool for just a little bit before the sky turned very dark and started storming. Luckily it didn't last long, and we were able to still go over to some friends of Tam and Cindy, who have a lot of land with a fishing pond, to go fishing. (Small world....my parents actually knew the wife of this couple when they were youth in Calgary) Daniel and the kids, (and did I mention Daniel?) had a really good time fishing. I stayed in the shade with Avery and tried to keep her cool. It was really hot and muggy since it had rained. For dinner, they fried up some fish, fries, veggies, and turkey for us to eat. It was all really yummy. We were all so hot and sweaty that we couldn't wait to jump in the pool when we got home!! Daniel was even able to go water-skiing that evening....he was a happy man! Until Jared showed him up. A conversation with Tamblyn....

Tamblyn: Aunt Katie, Uncle Jared and Uncle Daniel were really good at driving the boat last night, huh?

Me: Oh yeah. Maybe we can do that again. They were also really good a skiiing too, weren't they?

Tamblyn: Yeah, but Uncle Jared was the best!

I'm not sure who actually caught this one...

Tristan's first catch!

I love how Alicia is barely holding on!!!

Madeline is a friend of Allyssa's. She came to camp last year also. We like her a lot, but Addi LOVES her!! Daniel had to talk to her into fishing, and then she caught the biggest fish!

I'd love to understand why my daughter often walks around looking like an ape....all hunched over with her arms dangling.... She does this on a regular basis....so weird.

Wednesday: Once again, we all just kind of hung out in the morning. In the afternoon we loaded up the troops and headed to Ha Ha Tonka State Park for a nature hike and picnic. Once again, it was super hot a muggy, so I was able to leave Avery home with Daniel while he studied. After dealing with her during fishing the day before, I was not up for trying to do that again...I honestly don't know how the pioneers did it. In the park, there are ruins of a castle that a guy built in the early 1900's. Apparently their was a fire, and then a tornado took the rest of it out...all that is left is the skeleton of the stone he used. Then we went on a hike down to a spring that comes out of a cave and into the lake. Nate drove the boat over to meet us, and Cindy drove the food over in her car for our picnic. Then, (lucky Nate) all the kids rode home on the boat....the rest of the adults had cars to drive back home!!! Luckily Grandpa had rode up with me, so he was able to provide assistance to Nate. When we got home, we couldn't wait to jump in the pool to cool off...again!!! We had another camp fire that night.

At the castle ruins:

l-r: Tristan, Max, Grandpa, Izzy, Saoirse (seer-sha), Allyssa, Ryan, Madeline, Tamblyn, Betsy, Timmy, Morgan, Alicia, Uncle Jared, Jack

I was trying to get Alicia to give me a model pose, but I got this instead...whatever...she looked cute!

At the trail head.

A view from the hike...I'm not a bad photographer. Aren't the clouds cool?? And who knew...Middle Missouri is actually really pretty!!!

Thursday: Was our nicest day! I think we went out to the pool around 10 that morning, and literally spent the whole day outside at the pool, on the dock, and on the boats. Tristan, Max and I enjoyed running and jumping from the dock onto big tubes floating on the lake and trying to bump each other off. I even ended up injuring my wrist...go figure. We also had the treasure hunt....that was an adventure. So we were riding on the big boat, just pulling out of the dock, when one of the engines decides to go out. Luckily the boat has 2 engines, so we just ran the one engine, but had to go a lot slower. Then, after we got to where the 2nd clue was hidden, somehow the transmission on the 2nd engine gives out. So we are stranded...in the middle of the lake.... It was a good thing Allyssa and Madeline were on the wave runner, so Nate just hopped on that to ride back to the house, to get another boat to tow us back. So, while we waited, we all jumped off the boat and swam. When Nate got back, we tied the 2 boats together and we very slowly were pulled back to the house. THEN....a few of us adults had to SWIM...the BIG boat into its slip at the dock. After that, I was TOTALLY over the treasure hunt. So I put my kids in the smaller boat to find the rest of the clues, while I ran in to check on Daniel and Avery. Here's the kicker, we had hidden the treasure chest on the BIG BOAT!!! So, they went out finding clues, only to end up back at the dock to get the treasure. Very ironic....and frustrating.

Alicia, Ryan, Izzy, Tamblyn, and the back of Addi's head, all highly anticipating the treasure hunt.

Morgan is helping Addi find the 2nd clue by the big tree to the left. Alicia is standing in the middle of the photo, and Izzy is coming down the slope.

Zoomed out shot....literally an island in the middle of the lake.

Being pulled back home by the little cobalt.

We needed someone with big muscles to carry up the treasure, so the task naturally fell to Tristan.....

Checking out the loot. Love the look on Alicia's face.

I have a theory on the treasure hunt gone bad: When pirates find a treasure, they always leave a little bit behind, for fear of being cursed with bad luck. Every year, we have left a small bag of gold in the treasure chest....this year, after everyone took their loot, I looked inside and the bag of gold was MISSING. Brenda said it wasn't there when she filled it. So, we've been cursed with bad luck because someone was greedy!!!!

Ryan (Jared's daughter), Adelaide, Tamblyn (Nate's daughter)

These cousins are great friends. And I love their blonde curly hair!!

On Friday, everyone started to go their separate ways. Jared took his kids back home, and Tam drove Aaron's kids 1/2 way back to Baton Rouge. We stayed an extra day to help clean up. So naturally, Daniel, Tristan, Nate, and Max went out to a movie.....no worries, Brenda and I got to go out for dinner and shopping later when the work was done!

We made the drive home on Saturday....Tristan quickly got ready for scout camp, and we sent him off on Sunday night. He came home Friday night and was EXHAUSTED. I think he slept almost the whole day! This week, he is off to Youth Conference, and then we will be going to North Carolina to spend the 4th of July with my Aunt and her family!! Can't wait!!!