Beachin' it at Jackson Lake

We went camping at Jackson Lake to celebrate James' birthday and to spend yet another weekend sleeping (poorly) on the ground. Jena picked out a great campsite that was just a short walk to a perfect little beach.

We arrived Friday evening in time to set up camp, eat dinner, and roast marshmallows over the fire. We had brought the boys' bikes and they raced around the campground even after dark fell (we attached headlamps to their handlebars so they were somewhat easy to keep track of).  The fresh air hit the boys hard and after snuggling fireside we were able to tuck them into their sleeping bags easily.

On Saturday morning we made breakfast and lounged around camp while the boys rode bikes again. Finally we dug out the swimsuits and towels and headed for the beach.

We brought snorkel gear, sand toys and pool noodles, but the star of the beach was the little inflatable boat Jena brought. Once Ryan saw that, it was all he could focus on.

Jack spent some time in the boat (and ferrying his brother around) but he was also excited to practice his new-found snorkeling skills.

 David, Andrew and Jena enjoyed playing in the sand.

Finally the younger brothers conned the dads into securing the boat for their use and serving as their outboard motor. 

I wasn't sure how Jack would do nap-wise, but I shouldn't have been surprised when he got really cranky and then climbed on my lap for a snuggle. I held him tight and sang almost every lullaby I could think of; eventually he fell asleep and I was able to lay him down under our sun shade.

Heidi, John and their boys Sebastian and Oscar rolled into the campsite and joined us at the beach.

Unfortunately, after about 30 minutes the sun disappeared and a pretty hefty storm blew up. The other families high-tailed it back to camp while I gathered up beach supplies. Eventually Sam came back and scooped Jack up in an attempt to transfer him to his sleeping bag (which worked, amazingly, and he slept for another hour). I pulled down the sun shade (really fun with lightening flickering in the sky!), piled everything into the boat, and hauled it back to camp.

It was pretty awesome watching the storm blow across the lake, particularly as we had our easy up shade... though it turned into a projectile in a particularly strong gust of wind and just about took off Ryan's head as it flew across the hood of Heidi's car!

We wrestled it back into place and anchored it much more securely. The rain eventually subsided and the boys hopped back on their bikes while we pulled out snacks and started to work on dinner.

Ryan and Sebastian really wanted to go back to the beach but the temperature had dropped and it was getting late.

We had a huge meal followed by birthday cake for James. Of course the boys insisted that was not enough dessert for the kids (Jack said to me sweetly, "Mom, I haven't had enough sugar today!") so we pulled out the marshmallows and roasting sticks. The moon was huge and beautiful over the lake but it had been a long day and we were all pretty beat.

The next morning dawned far too early with the sounds of jet skis, chopping wood, and a very unhappy baby coming from the surrounding campsites. The boys were very excited to go back to the beach; the grown-ups were less excited about having to pack up camp. 

Sam packed up the gear while I hung out at the beach with the boys (it's a rough life, I tell ya) for a few hours, but eventually it was time to load up and head home. Ryan and Jack have another great camping trip under their belts and we're looking forward to our last scheduled trip of the summer, Labor Day weekend at Arapaho Bay on Lake Granby.