Life in the country!: Roose 3rd Annual Family Camping Trip

This year for the Roose Camping Trip we went to Rock Creek State Park in Kellogg, IA. This is our 3rd year of meeting at an Iowa State Park to spend time as an extended family camping, relaxing, playing yard games, canoeing, hiking, and eating great food. Jameson's parents, his brother Jordan and his family, brother Austin, and sister Jenessa were all able to be there the whole time (except when his dad went home to fed the cattle and check the water level on the flooding of his river bottom fields from the S. Skunk).

The weather was hot on Thursday when we arrived and a little rainy on Friday but otherwise beautiful. We were thankful not to have any bad storms like we'd had the last two years.

Here is our camp.

Everyone gathered around the fire.

Here we are eating one of many tasty meals. As we've done each year, each family cooks one meal a day. Jen provided us with 'coffee time' snacks and tasty peach cobbler.This year we contributed BLT's for lunch on Friday, BBQ chicken sandwiches for supper on Saturday, and Mountain Man Breakfast for breakfast on Sunday.

Washing Dishes

Playing some Ladder Golf

Alice spending time w/ daddy

Alice sitting on her lawn chair like a 'big girl'.

Waiting for the rain to stop so we can have lunch.

Thankfully the rain stopped and we were able to have lunch. However it started again after lunch so we decided a good 'rain plan' was to gp to Bass Pro in Altoona. Her is Alice in the cart. I still usually keep her in her car seat carrier when we go shopping so whenever she gets to ride in the cart like a 'big girl' she thinks it's great!

The boys (and men) had fun playing on the four wheelers.

Hike

This was the first time we used our hiking carrier with Alice and she loved being up high!

Alice loves swinging and laughs like crazy- it's absolutely adorable!

Bath time for the little girls!

Still trying to wake up.

Alice spending some time w/ Aunt Joy.

Canoeing!

Alice had more fun playing with the canoe when it was out of the water. First she had to walk down the outside and check it out.

Then she pulled the life jackets out of the canoe and put them back in.

Finally she decided it was time to explore the inside o the canoe, so she bent over and crawled on in.

Her cousins came and tipped the boat from side to side, keeping her entertained for quite awhile!

The beach was a disappointment as the water was very muddy and gross. We didn't want to risk Alice drinking any water or eating any sand so she stayed on the grass. Her cousins sure had fun though!

Jameson cooking some tasty supper in his new dutch oven.

This year we decided to have our own family worship service instead of finding a nearby church to go to (after a bad service last year). We sang songs together and listed to a great John Piper sermon on the computer. It is such a blessing to be growing in our walks with Christ as a family.

Packing up.

Timothy played with Alice while we packed up. It is so much fun to see him play with and take care of her. She is blessed to have such great older cousins!