Calvin, Josie and Jon Commune With Nature (and a Jet Ski)

While Pie and I were off gallivanting around Steamboat, our children were left home to fend for themselves. Actually, Sid was left at his best friend Addison's home, to begin his first two days of 7th grade without his parents. He seemed pleased with the arrangement. Tommy stayed with Nana, Papa, and unlimited ice cream cones. He too was happy. But the kids who made out the best, by far, were the three middles, Calvin, Jos and Jon, because they got to go part way up to Steamboat with us. In Hot Sulphur Springs (sounds delicious, doesn't it?), Aunt Janna and Uncle Matt graciously hosted our three (plus their three) for two days and two nights of fun, Fun, FUN! I am not kidding you that my kids went on an adventure holiday while we were gone that began with:

Jet Ski and tube rides around the reservoir. They did this for approximately 5 hours the afternoon that we dropped them off. To say they enjoyed it is a gross underestimation. They loved it! They begged to go back. Still begging, actually.

The next morning the kids and some friends went on a nature hike. I laughed when I heard this, because our kids whine and demand to be carried half way through any walks we take around our neighborhood, which we find infuriating and embarrassing. But apparently the lure of nature caught them off guard and they managed the whole thing without a complaint.

Maybe it was the ready availability of sticks.......

And water..... Later they went swimming at the Hot Springs. Mostly they swam in the non-stinky pool.
But they also hung out in one of the "springs". Here we have Jon, Casey, Annabelle, Cally, Josie and Calvin.

Later there was a weeny roast back home in the back yard. Apparently there were marshmallows and chocolate involved.

Casey and Cally

Uncle Matt along with some very trail-weary kids. I cannot imagine what the bathtub must have looked like after they hosed these kids down.
The story goes that Jos set about 5 marshmallows on fire. And each time, she panicked and shoved her burning marshmallow into the dirt. My brother and Janna are very good sports.
The last morning. I don't know if this was a compound or impromptu garage sale they set up, but the recipe for fun seems about right: kids, toys, dirt. More fun. The 4 wheeler. Wisely, Janna used her child labor force to plant crops out in the field.
This is the skull of some dead bird that Josie is balancing on that stick. The skull and the stick were left along the trail.
This is Calvin's arrowhead that he deftly caught in the butterfly net.
The waterfall/pond that Matt and Janna built on the side of their yard. When you go to look at it, Casey informs you that you cannot fish in it.
Holy. Cow. Can you believe the fun things my kids got to do? Can you believe that Janna did all this with SIX KIDS? Can you believe that I was able to wrangle my kids into the car and away from all the fun? I hope this will become a yearly tradition for the cousins--I just don't know how I'm gonna compete here in suburbia when we switch and the cousins visit here. Let's see, we've got lots of DVD's.......