The KOA

After celebrating the fourth of July, we settled into a camping routine of swimming, playing and sitting around the fire.

By far, my boys' favorite was the swimming. And the cherry on top of that?  Riding in the back of Uncle Conrad's pick up down the gravel road to the KOA pool from our site.

Jack was immediately comfortable in the pool, jumping in.

Even Wyatt jumped in and "swam" around in his Puddle Jumper life jacket.  We were so proud!

But poor little Logan took a while longer to warm up.  He was the monkey on Julie's back for much of our pool time.

In fact, the morning after we arrived he asked, "Mom, are we going to swim in the pool where I almost sunk?"  I told him that indeed we were, and that his almost sinking is what prompted us to get their life jackets.  I think because of that emotional scar, he wasn't as fearless as his brothers.

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We also jumped (well the kids anyway) on the giant pillow at the KOA.

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Spending so much time in the sunshine left most of us quite sunburned.  Poor Samuel's head was so sunburned that he took to wearing my sunhat.  We were all cracking up!  He was a good sport about it.

We adventured a bit,

exploring some trails around the KOA.

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In addition to swimming & smores, one night we sprung for takeout.  Pizza.  It was epic as you can see here.

We also started a new family tradition of camping pinatas!

Now whenever Wyatt sees a pinata (they sell them at our grocery store) he asks me teasingly, "What are those?!?"

I am so blessed that all three of my nephews are so great with my boys. 

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Bedtime stories happen wherever we are.  Camping is no exception.

Love those boys all snuggled up with their daddy!

 The third morning Logan woke up with a fever, so he hung back at camp while Julie and I took Jack, Ethan & Isaac with us to the Activities Barn.  They were doing tie dye shirts.

 So Jack and I (with Ethan's help) made tie dye shirts for ourselves, plus Wyatt & Logan.

 Then the boys finally got to rent what they call "the four wheelers".  They were so excited!

 Ethan was a saint and rode around with them.

 They were completely (happily) exhausted when their hour was up.

 We completely lucked out with the weather.  

For early July at the coast, it was gorgeous!  

Sunny and hot all weekend!

 Which of course meant we spent a little time each day in the pool.

I love this little goof ball of mine.

 He's such a happy little fish.

Again, the favorite part was riding in the back of the pick up on the drive back to our site.

 Happy boys!

 For campfire Josh bought these fire-changers at the KOA store.

 It was hard to capture with our camera, but you can kind of see the different colors.

 It was really beautiful!

 Mesmerizing.

 My boys *adore* their cousin Ethan.  

He's got ten years on them, but they get along anyway.  

And his mom and I are so glad!

 Look at those boys together.

Aww!

 Back in the truck!

I think we were pruned from the pool for days!

 Every time we were in the pool, this little buddy wanted nothing to do with me.

 He was all, "Daddy, daddy, daddy!"

 He's such a sweetheart!

 {Alvin}

 Our sweet baby guy.

Swimming wore us all out, but perhaps him most of all!

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Aside from smores and swimming, another camping tradition of ours is to visit Battery Russell.  

It's an old barracks that is fun for the boys to explore.

I love taking pictures there.

{Wyatt}

The Cunningham Family

{Summer 2014}

Josh & Shelly

{est. 2003}

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Camping at the KOA is, without a doubt, one of the highlights of the summer.  It makes me so happy to look back on these pictures and remember all the good times we had.