Swimming with the Wims

Last weekend I spent some time in Houston and finished the weekend off swimming at the Wims' house with the Hanna's, the Wims and Kathryn and Kaitlyn.
Callie loved playing "water horse". I would swim under the water while she rode on my back.

Callie and her daddy sharing a laugh.
Kaitlyn and Callie on the diving board.

Me and Callie.
Jack
Jumping off the board with Zeke. I would jump then throw him in the air really high. He thought it was "awesome".
Me and Jack.

Kathryn, Lisa and Jenny.

Sunset at COTH

I have been at Camp of the Hills serving as a cook all week. It is always fun to come back and work at a place that has so many great memories. From being a counselor here in 1996 to taking weekend trips, Spring Break work weeks and AFC retreats. Everytime I turn around at COTH I have a different memory of great friends and great times. One of the best things to do at COTH is sit on the back porch and watch the sunsets. Tonight was another great showing of God's beauty. I am always reminded of Psalms 19 when I am at camp - "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Enjoy!

This was the first pic.

This one was only taken about five minutes later. Isn't the color change amazing.

Camp Creek

Two weekends ago I went out to Hogan's cabin at Camp Creek with Jeremy, Stacey, David and Sarah. Of course we took the dogs. Alice did great swimming around. She slept for days afterward because she was so tired.

Me and Alice on the jet ski.

Alice exiting the jet ski. She didn't like it very much.
Alice swimming.
Jeremy and Stacey floating. This is what we did the most.
Me and Jeremy going for a ride.

Mountain Campout

My brother and I took the two-mile trail up to Frist Meadows on Elk Creek on Thursday. We camped on the banks of the river, caught and ate trout for dinner spent the night at about 9,500 feet. It was a great trip that we are planning to take again but we will definitely stay for a longer time next time we come.

A view of camp on the banks of Elk Creek at First Meadows.


On the trail.
Me and David on the trail with the meadow behind us.
This was our first-ever view of First Meadow. When we saw it we were so excited. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Crossing the river to get to the campsite.












Preparing potatoes for dinner.
Checking the fish. We had brooke and rainbow trout.
My brother his plate of potatoes and fish.
A view of the meadow from camp. We were at the east end of the meadow.
Me and my brother at the trailhead at the end of the trip.

Hiking at Elk Creek

I climbed up a rock while on our hike up Elk Creek.
Me and my nephew Stephen hiking across a pasture.

Me, my dad, and four nephews on the Elk Creek trail.

At the Elk Creek trailhead.

Colorado - More Fishing

Teaching Alice to cross the river.

Zachary and Alice.
My dad fly fishing.
My brother fly fishing.

Besides taking pictures this is what I do on the fishing trips. With my bum shoulder I can't fish so I spend quite a bit of time sitting by the river reading a book with my dog.

Colorado - Day 7

Last night (Sunday) David and I took the four boys up to La Manga Creek and let the boys fish in the beaver ponds. They all were able to catch at least one fish on a fly rod. Monday was a day of maintenance around the cabin. We had to fix the rear brakes on the Jeep and put the backseat in so we can haul more people.


The boys with their haul of brooke trout (brookies).
Montana fly-fishing.
Klatyon fishing.
I found a bank of snow up the mountain from the beaver ponds and took Klayton up to play in it. He had never seen snow before.

Klayton and Stephen with a big snowball. Stephen pelted Montana in the back with it.

Colorado - July 5

Saturday I pretty much just hung out at the cabin and played with the my nephews and cousins. We had a pretty fun day of prospecting for gold - we were successful and found some gold flakes from the riverbed - and then we had a big family whiffleball game in the yard.


Family baseball game.
George rounding the bases and Phoebe going after the ball.
Zachary trying to score.
Montana chasing Dillon down with the ball.

Klayton going for the big hit. Stephen and Sarah playing frisbee.

I took Stephen fishing up at Spectacle Lake with our cousins.
Stephen and I prospecting for gold. We brought back some dirt from the river and found some gold flakes.

As much as we play in Colorado, naps are needed to get through the day. Here I am crashed out with my brother and Zachary, my oldest nephew.

July 4th in Colorado

July 4th in Colorado has been a fun day. David and I took Jeff, Dillon, Zachary and Montana up to Grouse Creek across La Manga Pass in the morning. When we got back to the cabin my cousin Jeff and I took the kids (my four nephews plus Dillon, George and Phoebe) on a hike up behind the cabin on the boulder hill. It has been a beautiful day today. The first day that it has not rained since we have been here. It has been sunny and perfectly warm all day.

I took Lois on a walk with the dog and she fell asleep on my shoulders.

















Stephen swinging on the neighbors swing.





Stephen and his cousin Lois.
Me and Klayton on our boulder-hike behind the cabin.
Montana, Klayton, me and Stephen in a hole at the base of a boulder.


Zachary fly fishing at Grouse Creek.
Montana getting ready to wet a line.
David fly fishing at Grouse Creek.
Zachary and David at Grouse Creek.

From front to back - Montana, Zachary, Jeff, Dillon and David fly fishing at Grouse Creek.