Sun, Water Fun, and Shaved Ice... Just what our Easter needed! Part 1

It's no secret that spring has sprung and with it the spring fever slowly begins to fade as we are teased with those few warm, sun soaking, days that come scattered among those cloudy, thundering, raining, days.  

I'm okay with rain... So long is it doesn't freeze into that white stuff.  

(not even going to say it's name... It's like a curse word in my house)

Unfortunately, those few (and I mean very few) warm days have not been enough to ease my irritability caused by lack of sunshine and being cooped up in-doors since OCTOBER!

Six months is just TOO much!  

I decided, though we spent Easter with Bill's family last year meaning this year was reserved for my family, we needed to get away.  Sorry to my dear family, but my sanity depended on it.  So for the second year in a row we headed south.  Last year we camped out with Sister Steph and her Circus at Sand Hollow (HERE and HERE).

It was great fun, but lets just face it... I'm just not a good camper.  Granted if we had the set up Sister Steph has, camping might not be all too bad, but we don't so we have to tent it.  Me and tents aren't friends.  Rather than tenting it out at Sand Hollow, we decided to stay in the comfort of my in-laws house instead which is close enough to still enjoy the beach, water, and sand with the family who spent their Easter camping out.  

We headed down early Friday morning and hit the parents house just before noon.  We quickly scarfed down some lunch and headed back to the road to visit our family at Sand Hollow.  Sister Steph didn't have her whole Circus with her this time around, but Sister McKell was up there with her beau and two of her youngsters along with some friends who had a couple kids.  My kids were content in playing with them and excited to hit the beach running. They immediately stripped down to their suits and soaked in the sun.

My girly girl quickly transformed to not so girly as she dug in the mud with a slew of boys.  It was her and a bunch of boys... that didn't even phase her.  She fit right it... muddy face and all.  In all honesty I think she may have been enjoying getting dirty far more than any of those boys.  Sam enjoyed digging in the mud with them for a great while too, but eventually just wandered off on his own really soaking in the heat.  We were in Heaven. 

Okay, not heaven... I hope that in heaven we don't have to deal with sand in not so desirable places, but you get the idea.  We were where we SO DESPERATELY needed to be at that moment.  

Sanity, semi-restored.

We sat for a few hours and enjoyed the company of some wonderful people... Bill and our nephew Bryce went for a ride in the dunes in West's four wheeler, not the most successful trip out, but at the very least Bryce was left with smiles and I believe the words "Lets do that again!" did come from his mouth.  The rest I will leave up to the others to spill.  I'm still just clinging to the good (that there was enjoyment) of that ride... the rest I will not speak of.  Simply because may husband my not forgive me.

Sister Steph however... is free to speak. ;)

While we all sat and enjoyed conversation... the kids were a short distance away enjoying all the wonderful things the beach and water had to offer.  This included burying each other in the sand. 

This burying each other in the sand business also took a not so good turn like the four wheeling had, only us parents were completely oblivious to the severity of the sand burying situation. 

Our first problem was relying on the information from a not so urgent five year old (Sam) who walked up to us and simply said...

"Aiden is stuck."

To which Sister McKell quickly replied "Oh, yeah he loves getting buried!" 

To this Sam gave a simple shrug and walked away continuing to enjoy his time there at the beach.  

It was later discovered that Sam's little announcement of Aiden being stuck was truly meant to be urgent.  As in, maybe an adult should go help him get unstuck.  Turns out the kids had buried Aiden a bit to close to the water which meant that the hole he was buried in acted much like quick sand.  The more he moved... the more he sunk.  My little Brenna and another kid stuck by his side the entire time committed to digging him out without having to impose upon the adults fun and coming in between the conversation time we were having.  Once it was realized that Aiden truly needed help... the adults pulled together in getting him out.  While I on the other hand, grabbed my camera and started to photograph it.  I'll allow Sister Steph to tell the story of how she became the heroin and saved this boy's life.  After all she is the master story teller...  I will offer up these few pictures of the moment though...

This boy is REALLY stuck

Poor boy defeated by the sand...

Sister Steph saved the day!

Needless to say it was a very eventful day.  

Two guys were left feeling a little defeated, but that's ok cause Sister Steph made it all better with a card game with those two defeated guys...

And in all reality, we truly enjoyed being out there in the sun and with our family.  Our family is just one of a kind and I wouldn't trade them for anything.  

We left there shortly after this card game ended and headed back to the parents house for some much needed rest.  Mom made us a DELICIOUS Chili Verde for dinner and after the kids piled into the hot tub cause apparently they hadn't had enough water yet.  

Day One of our little mini-vacation was a success... though the first night was a little rough.  Sam woke up screaming from a dead sleep at about 11pm.  He had apparently acquired swimmers ear and was in dire pain for a good couple hours. I tried to console him back to sleep, rocking him, rubbing his head, but the second he would fall back asleep he was awake within seconds crying again from the pain.  I was left to head out into town at 1am to get some ear drops and pain medicine.

I was pooped.

My Friday started just before 5am and I didn't get settled into bed for sleep until 2am.  

It didn't matter though cause I knew I got to wake up to another day full of sun, warmth, and family.

Easter/Sand Hollow Day 2

Wow, notice how I made it through Easter weekend Day 1 and have slacked on getting this day 2 post to you all?  Yeah, this shows just how BAD of a blogger I am.

Day 2 (Saturday) started off perfectly with some delicious breakfast burritos...

I tell you what, those trailer things sure do come in handy. Had Sister Steph and Uncle West not been with us, I am certain our breakfast would have consisted of meals more along the lines of cold cereal and breakfast bars.

I slept amazing that night, though it did get a bit cold for my liking. My wonderful husband allowed me to use his tent set up which includes a VERY comfortable sleeping pad and an amazing, soft, squishy, warm sleeping bag. I am so glad that he did cause I think I would have gotten cold without it. I checked on both kids around midnight and they both had their heads tuck up under their covers, I then covered them with another blanket and layed worried about them until I dozed off myself. When I asked them if they got cold the next morning they both said no, which I am happy about. I was really worried that they would. NONE of us wanted to step out of our sleeping bags in the morning either because that cold was lingering. We all know that when duty calls, ya gotta do what you gotta do so eventually we HAD to brave the brisk morning air.

Sister Steph and her Circus woke not much longer after my little rug rats drug me out of the tent. I was thankful because it gave me a warm place to hide out until the sun started to warm up the outdoors.

We hung around camp for just a little while, until the kids started with their swimming requests.  Saturday was a much warmer day than Friday so I wasn't so hesitant about letting them go before lunch.  Grandma and Grandpa T. came up Friday evening, but they stayed in a hotel so not long after their arrival we round up the chillen's and went for a swim.  This time we went over to the submerged day beach near the boat ramps to swim.  They have these beautiful red rocks that you can wade over to and climb around.  Grandpa T. brought up his scuba diving gear and he and Bill had the intentions of making it out into the water to scope out the sunken plane it the lake.  Grandma T. headed over to the rocks with us and the kids.

Most of the kids... Minus Sam. 

Though most everyone decided to brave the water, Sam was still not quite sold on submerging himself all the way. Grandma T. was kind enough to cart him around the water and rocks.  

Grandma T. Playing water Taxi

I opted to stay on dry land and just take pictures.  Sister Steph had this same plan initially, but after witnessing all the fun everyone else was having she decided to just head out in her clothes.  

Sister Steph made it across!

The whole gang spread out among the beach.  

Now there was this picnic table submerged in the water.  The initial goal of the kids was to make it out over to that table.  First the older kids made it out....

And after awhile they helped the littler girls out to the table too...

We hung out for a good hour or so.  While the kids (and adults played)...

I sat back and just watched.  I spotted my handsome husband out in the water way out yonder.  He was trying to get use to the water before taking the plunge and heading out to the under water plane.  

The water was COLD, I did put my feet in and quickly pulled them back out.  Slowly the kids (and dogs) began making there way back to the rocks.  

We then decided to wonder over to where Bill and Grandpa T. were attempting to head out for a dive. Bill sat out in the water waiting for Grandpa T. to gear up, only to find that Grandpa forgot some of his gear (really important gear) and couldn't go diving after all. 

Grandpa was pretty bummed about this, but Bill was okay with it.  He said he wasn't really looking forward to getting his head in the water cause his wet suit just wouldn't warm up.  Well, this was all fine and dandy of course until Bill decided he would throw a frisbee out into the water for the dog and it sunk.  He then had to suit back up (after he had already put on all his dry clothes) and search for the frisbee.

 He spotted the frisbee and attempted the little dive several times... But he wouldn't sink.  His suit was full of air and he wouldn't go down.

It wasn't until after several attempts that Grandpa T. advised Bill to raise his arm and let the air out...

After locating the frisbee again, first dive down he snatches the thing and heads back out of the water freezing cold... that head of his ended up getting wet anyway.  

We headed back to camp for some lunch where Grandma and Grandpa Eldredge joined us for a few hours.  The kids played and dug and played and dug... Grandma Eldredge worked on a quilt and us adults just sat back and talked for a bit.  Brenna thought she was being sneaky and was hiding from my camera.  She thought that she was doing a good job at avoiding me attempting to pull away just before I took her picture... yeah, she failed miserably.  

Ha, and I just think this next set of pics is funny... not sure Jaymee was happy about me snapping photos of her eating.  

This kid is just cute!

Notice the brightly painted nails?  And it almost looks like Bill is drinking the fingernail polish.  Sister Steph had the girls out at the table painting their nails like Easter eggs.  It was a really good time passer for the kids... Though Bill would have opted for other entertainment.

After Grandma and Grandpa Eldredge headed back home from visiting us, we went out for another swim.  This time we went back over to the sandy beach where the kids enjoyed the sand, sun, and water once again.  The guys all went out four-wheeling so it was just the kids and the ladies.   

I don't think I have mentioned Suzanne yet.  This is Wests mom, and her dog Cedar.  Sam really took a liking to Suzanne.  He even ended the weekend calling her Granny like the other kids. 

Steph and Wests dogs decided to take a jog down shore, so Grandma T. and Steph had to go chase after them.  After this they ended up tied to the picnic table.  

Apparently it is a normal thing that at least one of Sister Steph's kids get buried when they come to Sand hollow.  Sean started the getting buried thing, and some of the others quickly followed.  I didn't get a picture of Sean, but he was a muscle man.  

Snowman Sam

Mermaid Brenna

And Mermaid Cali

It was only appropriate that Brenna and Cali were maid into mermaids considering they were pretending to be mermaids the majority of the weekend.  Those little girls have quite the imagination.  

We went back to camp and had some dinner. Being Saturday, the day before Easter we had some eggs to dye.  I am not sure how I didn't end up getting pictures of the egg dying, but I didn't.  All the kids had fun being creative and surprisingly enough with eight kids we didn't have any spills or much of a mess at all for that matter.  After the egg dying, Lindy and Sam (Wests sister and brother in law) put together a glow in the dark Easter egg hunt for the kids.  It was really neat.  They filled Easter eggs with little glow bracelets and there were little glowing eggs scattered all over camp.  Again, I didn't get pictures of this either... I can't believe that!  You can see some pictures from the egg dying and glowing egg hunt at Sister Steph's easter weekend post HERE.  We let the kids sit around the fire for just a little bit before sending them to bed. Steph and I then put baskets together and I headed to bed myself where the rest of my little family was sound asleep.