Quick Weekend Trip

This weekend we went on a short but sweet camping trip with our friends the Stiles and the Starkweathers.  Meliesa's aunt and uncle rent a piece of property in Copperopolis (pronounced Popperotsee according to Mikayla) with a man made pond/lake stocked with fish. John and Ashlee were finally able to catch some fish.  Neither one of them have ever caught a fish.  John caught at least 20 fish.  Ashlee and Mikayla caught about 5 each.  We weren't able to keep the fish.  They had to throw them back in.  That was probably a good thing, because none of us like eat fish!

 There was also a paddle boat.  The kids took shifts all day on the paddle boat.  With 11 kids and 6 adults you have to do shifts, otherwise no one would ever get a turn.

 As soon as the kids woke up Saturday morning they were out in the paddle boat in their pj's fishing.

Mikayla is in the purple shirt.

Ashlee in her pj's fishing bright and early in the morning.

Mikayla, Brooke, Ashlee S. and Taylor in the paddle boat. 

A snapshot of our camp spot.  Parked along the pond .

Saturday morning around 10am the kids decided they wanted to swim  Josh told them that whoever swam across the pond got to go to John's Incredible Pizza.  I don't think he knew what he was getting himself into.  Before long all 11 kids and John had swam across the pond.

 After they all made it across the pond, they decided to play games jumping off the dock.  And this is where they spent many, many, hours.  I think they spent at least 7 hours on this dock, throwing each other in, wrestling, holding hands and jumping in, etc.  Thankfully there where only a few minor cuts and some bruises.

Sarah, Mikayla and Ashlee.

 By the time we got home Saturday night, John could barely move.  He was sore, sunburned and exhausted.  When he went to bed, he said,"Hey Lib, I am not 14 anymore."  All day, I was thinking to myself, " he is going to be sore.  I was right!  I asked him why he kept doing it and he said "because it was sooo fun."

John de-hooking Mikayla's fish.

Mikayla and one of the fishes she caught.

It was definately a short, but sweet memory making trip.  Everyone had fun.  No one wanted to come home.  If we would've stayed another night, I probably would've been wheeling John home in a wheelchair!