Friday, October 4, 2013

Families on the Mountain!

     Friday  afternoons on the mountain saw a transformation take place.  The girls would board their busses; some sleepy, some with  tears in their eyes, and some with shouts of joy as they head home to soft, comfy beds, and long, luxurious showers.  We would wave goodbye to them often with tears in our eyes.
     The magical hour of 2pm would come, and with it a stream of cars coming through the welcome center and down the parkway,  These cars were filled with families and groups coming in to use the camp on the weekends. Families of all shapes and sizes would come for reunions.  Groups of every description would come for retreats, father and sons outings, relief society retreats, youth conferences, etc.  The 2500 teenage girls would be traded for 2500 new campers ranging from newborn babies to young adults to grandmas and grandpas.
     Down at the Lake the squeals of teenage girls were traded for the sounds of small children and babies.   Children filled the sandbox and sandcastles were soon created.
 
 
Little boys could always find fun things to do with a stick. . .dreams of catching that "big one".  And what day could be better than being at the lake with your buddies.
 

The families were soon lined up at the dock, ready for their water adventure--to go on a canoe or paddle boat.
We loved seeing children boating with their grandparents . . .
 
 Families having fun together on the lake.. . .
 
Cousins boating with cousins...
 
 And of course those, adults always followed the rules like, "Please don't stand up in your boats".
Families and groups brought many challenges, they were much less structured than the girls.  They would pretty much show up whenever, (not on time). But they wanted the same thing, the opportunity to experience this beautiful lake, have fun, and have opportunities to bond together.  One grandmother celebrated her 92nd birthday by going in a paddle boat.  A couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there on the lake. Young men tipped their canoes in their efforts to prove how "expert" they were.
When the day was done we would return to our RV"s knowing we had done a good job, that our boaters had been safe, they had a wonderful time, and we had brought some joy into their lives. 

 
 

2 comments:

Tracy said...

Love the pictures! You captured some sweet moments.

MikesDork said...

looks like a blast.