4th of July Camping

Camping has definitely become of our families favorite things to do. 
We love it! 
The boys love it! 
And now, Olivia loves it!
The kids love it because it's a perfect way to just be outside and swim, fish, and get dirty all day...
Jay and I love it because we know we are creating great family memories for them that will last a lifetime. 
This 4th was no different.  We went to the same resort up north for the 3rd year in a row now. 
It's small and quiet and the fishing and swimming is great so it's perfect for us.

This year Tyler caught his biggest fish to date.  It was a bass that weighed in at 3 1/2 pounds and he was beyond excited! 

All the boys did some fishing and had good luck....both off the dock and out on the lake. 

Livi had so much fun in the water.  She wasn't too fond of the idea back when we were camping on Memorial weekend, but the freezing cold water probably had a lot to do with that time.  This time....she was all fish. 

We had gone up with some friends of ours this year.  They had a camper too and have 2 kids...twins.  Tyler has been in school with their daughter since they were in kindergarten together so we've gotten to know them that way.  The other dad had a good catch like Tyler....pulling in a 4 pound Northern.  The two of us decided to go ahead and fillet them up and cook them for dinner that night.  I did Tyler's bass and he did his Northern.  Between the two, we came up with enough meat for all 12 of us to have a good size piece that night. 

 On Sunday, we headed to Bay Lake where we had reserved a pontoon to rent for the afternoon.  It was one of the best weekends we've spent up there for weather.  The sun was out every day and it was just beautiful.  The water was warm......it was perfect. 
We spent 5 hours on the lake on that pontoon.  We drove it to a sandbar and stayed there for the first 3 hours or so.  Just swimming and hanging out on the boat. 

We took the next 2 hours to just go around the lake and try some fishing.  The fishing wasn't that great, but the view was beautiful and that 5 hours flew by. 
There was a radio on the boat and we had the music playing while we swam. 
At one point, Livi was over by Jason and he started to dance with her.  It was the cutest thing ever!
All I could think of was that Steven Curtis Chapman song....Cinderella. 
Made me want to cry.......This small child, never knowing a daddy before......will now grow up having one.  How precious.

That evening, back at the campsite, some of the other people staying there had brought a ton of fireworks. All the people there pulled up a chair on the beach and watched.

Monday morning came and we took our time leaving.  We weren't in a hurry to get home and wanted to get as much swimming and fishing in before we had to head out. 
The night ended with us going to fireworks.  We only had to go about a mile from our home where people lined the streets for a great view of the show.  It was Livi's first 4th of July and her first as an American, so it was pretty special. 
What a great weekend!!