The Great Outdoors - Closing

One of the other activities we all loved to particpate in was archery. This used to be one of my favorite things as a kid going to camp here, and I still really enjoyed it.

This again was Amy's first time shooting a bow, but she looked like she had been doing it for years as she nailed three bullseyes.

Of course the boys loved this activity.

And we have even talked about putting a target up in our yard sometime in the future.

Taylor looks like a natural here again.

Looking back at the trip, it was a wonderful chance to spend time together as a family and enjoy the outdoors, nature, and several activities that one may not get to do too often. We also enjoyed spending time with my sister's family and I had a ball being back at a camp where I still hold many wonderful memories.

The Great Outdoors - Part 3

Following set-up, taking a canoe ride, and climbing the tower, we had to make our way to the horses. Taylor had been waiting for this moment since we first discussed the trip. And she loved it!

Tay looked like a natural on the horse as she went a couple of different times.

Kinnick thought it was fun and enjoyed posing with the councilor referred to as "Boomer".

No matter what he is doing, Carver always has time for a picture with his mischievous smile.

Even Amy was able to take a ride at the end of the day. This was her first time on a horse, and they rearranged the ropes and saddle so she could ride around on her own which was nice.

The horses were absolutely beautiful as we all had a ball riding, petting, feeding, and even snuggling.....This is my nephew Logan playing around with one of the horses.

The Great Outdoors - Part 2

Part 2 is known as "The Tower". A new feature to Camp Abe Lincoln (since I was a kid) is a 50' high climbing tower, consisting of foot pegs, rope ladders, moving vertical logs, etc. It was REALLY cool, and difficult!


Of course, the first one of our family to go up was our daredevil son, Carver. Here he is with the classic pose before he goes on his journey.

Look how small he looks as he ascends up the tower. It was amazing how well he did!

Here is a picture as he repels down from his climb. The councilor, Pappa Smurf, was guiding him down.

Of course, he had to show how tough he was following the climb.

Well, Mom and Dad couldn't be shown up by our 4 year old kid, so we took had to take on the challenge.

Amy was awesome as you can see her victory wave as she reached the top of the tower.

Here I am ascending as I chose a different path to travel (three options w/ various difficulty).

This path included a rope ladder that moved as you climbed.

Once I reached the top, I took enjoyed a free ride back down to the ground via Pappa Smurf.

This was a great activity and we really enjoyed it. Taylor and Kinnick plan on trying themselves next time we visit.

The Great Outdoors - Part 1

So, as I posted previously with regards to Mother's Day, we all took a trip recently to Camp Abe Lincoln for their first annual Family Weekend. Camp Abe Lincoln is a YMCA camp located near Buffalo, Iowa, which is just west of the Quad Cities. As children, my sister and I used to go there annually for day camps, weekly resident camps, and special outings. My sister was even a councilor as we grew older. It has always been a special part of my life and I was very excited to go back after over 15 years.

Being that Amy and I love to camp and enjoy the rugged outdoors, we decided to tent camp with all the kids even though cabins were also available. Thus, Part 1 of our journey involved the unloading of gear and setting up the tent with our children's.....ummm......help.


The kids enjoyed a very bumpy hayrack/trailer (driven by truck) ride out to the tent location which was on the outer edge of the camp and located near the lake.


Once the tent was set up and ready to go, we decided to use our spare time wisely as we awaited the arrival of my sister's family so that we could help them get situated and their tent up as well. So, we did a little canoeing while we waited.

It was an enjoyable trip around the lake/pond, and we were then on our way to greet my sister and her family and plan the rest of the day.

Mother's Day Retreat

This Mother's Day Amy enjoyed the great outdoors with the family as we went camping at Camp Abe Lincoln.

Mom took on many firsts including archery,

horse back riding,

and climbing.

This climbing tower was awesome, presenting a great challenge and adventure.

Of course, my favorite part of Mother's Day was the view from below!

Hoping all the Mom's had a wonderful and well deserved Mother's Day. More posts to come regarding our recent camping trip. We had a blast!

Battle of the Sexes

So a couple of weeks ago, the girls decided to have a day out shopping together while da' boys stayed at home and took care of some house/yard work. Tay and Amy joined up with Grandma Sue as they toured the stores and of course bought new shoes.


Of course, the men didn't get new shoes but we certainly had fun getting ours dirty.

While the girls were out one of the our projects was making a birdhouse with some extra lumber we had around. The boys did a great job using the hammer, drill, etc. Once Tay was back all three of them painted the birdhouse and labeled it Tweetie's House'.

"Twin" Image

The fauxhawk (or faux-hawk) hairstyle is an approximation of a mohawk, made without shaving the hair on the sides of the head, allowing an imitation of the look of a true mohawk without having to commit to removing most of one's hair.

All the kids took a trip to our favorite hairstylist, Danielle, at Twin Image a couple of days ago. The result, the boys have some great looking faux hawks or mohawks, depending on how you perceive them.

Of course, we have to give our girl her "do" justice as well. here she is sporting her new short haircut which she just thinks 'the people will love!'.