Camping in Lake Chelan

I was shocked when Brad asked me if I wanted to go camping in Chelan this summer. Normally, it's like pulling teeth to get him to go, and the whole time we're there he's complaining about sleeping in a tent, or the bugs that are flying around his food, or the noise... and the list goes on.
I love to camp, but had resigned myself to the fact that it was probably not something our family was going to be enjoying. Don't you love it when you give up a desire, and it comes back around?...I was pleasantly surprised when Brad asked me what I thought about going camping with some of his college buddies and their families. It took me about two seconds to tell him it was a fabulous idea, and a few days later we were on our way! I snapped a bajillion pictures, thinking it could very well be our last camping trip. But we had so much fun, (the kids still talk about it), so I'm hoping there are more trips in the years to come! This picture below is by far my favorite! It was actually just a random picture I snapped as the guys were teasing each other... but I love it!
There were 10 children, and six adults...crazy but so much fun! It was a madhouse of sword fights, home-run derby matches, burying each other at the beach, and causing mayhem...

Here's the clan!

They spent almost the entire day at the beach, except for meals and naps!

What good is sand, if you can't bury somebody?!

Madelyn was probably the most enthralled with digging.
She loved having her own personal shovel!

Digging away!

Of course, Josiah became "friends" with a little boy
who had tractors he could play with! =0)

We stopped by Steve Shoop's place in Wenatchee on the way,
and he loaded us up with a huge box of amazing peaches!
Sooooo good! Madelyn enjoying her juicy peach on the beach!

Don't you love boys?! A little sword fighting before bedtime!

Brad doing a little sword-fighting himself! =0)

Not only did the kids have a blast together, but it was fun for the adults to just unwind. Every night after the kids were in bed, we met around the campfire, ate chips and salsa, and talked about life. We are all pastors and have 3+ kids, so this alone made for lots of stories and laughter. Good times.

Enjoying an awesome steak dinner! Sooo good!

Madelyn was exhausted and ready for bed,
so she curled up on this floatie!

Daddy woke us up with hot chocolate from Starbucks one morning...What a guy!

I love these "sleepy-head" pictures!

Reagan and Brad on the go-karts

Josiah and Brad on the go-karts
Yikes! Josiah needed a haircut badly!!!

Poor Maddy is crying because she's not tall enough to go on the go-karts!

We had a little surprise from Chad and Kristen on the last night of our camping trip. Each person (adult and child) were required to wear mandatory costumes...

Brad, Chad, and Brandon

The guys got way into their role as hillbillies!
They perched themselves right next to the walking trail
so they could heckle everybody that passed by!
I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time!

Josiah and Daddy

Jenean and Kristen

There is one advantage of being the photographer you don't have to be in any of the pictures! =0)