Trout Lodge 2016 (Part 1)

This past weekend we all returned to Trout Lodge. This is the 3rd time we have been there. (Here are here are the posts about our first time visiting.) We drove up Friday afternoon and returned Tuesday morning. It was one of the best trips of my life! The kids had fun, and they all tried new things. Here is my best retelling with MANY pictures.

The camp fire was our first night. The councilors encourage you to get up and sing and dance to all the songs. Colin was not very interested that night, but he sang the songs the rest of the time there!

He was very pleased with the s'mores that ended the camp fire.

Sleeping arrangements the first night. My mom (Downtown Grandma) slept in the loft where we took the picture. Neither Kevin nor I got a good night's sleep since we rolled into each other.

We tried to do something new each day, as well as swimming. Archery was Saturday morning. Everyone tried it. Colin did not like it, and didn't want his picture taken. Here is the leftie Kevin. He was debating whether or not he was left-handed or right-handed. He should write left-handed, and does every thing else left-handed.

We talked Gwyneth into this by telling her she was going to do the same thing as Merida.

After archery we spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon on the lake. Kevin spent so much time in the kayaks and funyaks. (Kayaks went out onto the lake. This is the smaller funyak.) He wanted to go out on the lake on innertubes (he didn't like), canoes (he liked), and kayaks (he loved) over and over again. Colin tried this smaller one, which was only on the smaller, blocked-off area next to where we swim. It probably got to about 15 feet deep, and started at the beach. He went out once, yelled and screamed, and never tried again.

Saturday night was the luau. There were different activities and slushies.

Gwyn played catch with a water balloon. They got out the first round.

The evening ended with some epic games of tetherball, which of course turned into American Ninja Warriors for Colin.

Sleeping arrangements night #2. Again, not good nights of sleep. Apparently, Colin elbows people in his sleep, and Gwyn flipped somehow and ended up with her feet in my armpit. She kicked me hard enough to wake me up 3 times.

Sunday morning was zip lining and wall climbing. Kevin was excited to try both things. This is his face when he sees what zip lining looks like.

The hardest part was that we had to climb this pole to get up to the zip lining. Kevin just looked up and kept going. (This part scared me the most.) But once at the top he freaked out and said he wasn't doing it. The amazing councilor calmed Kevin down and told him that he either had to climb down or zip down, and climbing was way more terrifying. So he zipped!

He did it. Although he didn't smile for a few hours.

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Daddy checking the harnesses.

Next up - wall climbing. He was much more relaxed for this one.

Kevin struggled with the little hand grips. I did as well.

Before

During climbing. Colin got a bit higher than this and wanted to stop.

Gwyn before.

And during. She said she would only climb if I climbed next to her. She really didn't get much higher than this, but she tried it!

And then daddy made it to the top in about 20 seconds.

Back to the lake! The water slide was open for a bit and Gwyn loved it. Neither boy liked it. Kevin wouldn't even try since the water was not clear.

Gwyn went down the slide every time it was open until we left.

Then she went out in a canoe. A lot of the time was spent splashing each other with lake water using the oars.

When it got super hot we headed to the arts and crafts center to paint ceramics.

After dinner we played games. Catan was played. I won.

Night #3 sleeping arrangement.

I will finish more later!