Labor Day Weekend!

We spent labor day weekend at the river and it was so much fun!  We came up Friday after school.  I opted to take Austin out of football just this once!!  The weather was amazing!  The older boys (Joshua, Austin and Jonathan) decided it would be a great idea to sleep outside one night...it wasn't!!  They got eaten alive by mosquitoes!  You could tell which body parts weren't covered because that's where all the bites were!  For Austin, it was his ankle and foot...I'm surprised he had one left after that night!  He also had a hand out at some point in the night because that is all chewed up too...it just gives me the willies!

 

 

Joshua actually had a cot to sleep on...the other two used cushions from various places!

 

Emily and the kids came up for a night.  Adam had to work.  Here's Alanna strapping in her Mini to give her some lunch!  She would get so frustrated with that darn tray...it's about as big as her! 

 

Kezzie caught another fish!  She is becoming quite the fisherwomen!  Dad just got back from taking Emily and the boys fishing!

 

I thought this was so sweet and a scene we saw often...Kez and Ethan fishing together!

 

Grandpa and one of his favorite people, Eden!  We are so blessed to be able to spend time relaxing with family!  Eden loves her papa!

 

The three boys (Ethan, Bennett and Austin) fishing out of grandpa's boat...LOVE this photo!

 

My boy is growing up...and so is the Joshua I held in my arms so many years ago!  Now Josh is driving and has his own boat and there goes my oldest baby with him out on their own, navigating the river!  Oh Lord protect them!

 

The water is soooo low that we are able to fish right off the bank.  Ethan pulled this log over for somewhere to sit!  We really didn't catch much (compared to the amount of tangles/snags) but it was so relaxing and the kids had so much fun doing it!

 

Here is our view from the bank...how could you not love this?!  And when the kids aren't fishing, they are looking for crayfish and clams!  Austin likes to boil them over the fire and eat them...I think he's crazy!

 

Here's my Aunt Cindy and Eden...again I can't say enough how blessed we are to have so many family members around to spend time with!  This is Eden's great Aunt and she is going to grow up knowing her quite well...what a blessing!

 

And this face pretty much sums up all the feelings that my kids get when we are here!  This is as big of a smile as Adah can give me!  She is such a sweet princess!

 

Mommy and Eden!  We get lots of snuggle time since there are a lot of rocks on the ground!  Sometimes I pull cushions out of the camper for her to lay out on in the sun and play!

 

And the little ones keep busy with this most of the time.  I don't think they ever take their suits off except to sleep!

 

Here's my Uncle Perry and his youngest boy, Jonathan.  They went out and caught these big Northern together!  They laid them out on the cement before cleaning them and they were a huge source of entertainment for all the kids!

 

Keziah and Leora always find ways to stay busy!

 

Keziah REALLY wants to jump off the dock like the other kids...she just can't quite convince herself to do it!!  Maybe next year!