Herald Provincial Park - Shuswap Lake, near Salmon Arm
July 29-August 8, 2010

Off to the Shuswap this time. We packed the trailer a day earlier than we had at first planned. Dave wasn't busy at work so we decided to leave a day early. Our original plan that morning was to go to Lac Le Juene for the night and then head over to Herald on Friday. We didn't think that we would be able to get a spot in Herald as it's generally full and very hard to get a spot. We phoned Linda and Rod to see if they could maybe find us a spot. On our drive we decided that we would just go to Herald, hope to get our own spot and if not double decker up with Rod and Linda or Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad were already almost there from their trip across Canada and we thought it would be fun to be there just after they got to the campground. We were all excited to see Grandpa and Grandma a day earlier.

On our way to Herald we ran into some traffic....near Kamloops. As we made our way through we saw that it was a car that had been on fire. That's some serious over heating.

We made it. We were very lucky. We even managed to get our own site for the first night. Not bad, we wouldn't have to squish onto a site with someone else. While Dave filled the water tank up Nicole and I played around with her new camera she had purchased with her birthday money. We figured out the self timer!

There were more people there from our church. Nicole was happy to have Lauren right across the road after we moved to our booked site the next morning.

Beach times were very good. This was one of our most relaxing holidays. We took our time in the morning....that's nothing new, and then we would head on over to the beach around lunch time and relax. There were lots of boating times, times to read and times to watch the kids playing around. While we were back at our site the kids were off biking and playing with their friends.

Then the skiing began. Matthew our very water timid child, even decided to give it a whirl.

The boys remembered from last year that there was a good spot further down the beach for skim boarding. We headed there one afternoon and they had a blast. The water was higher than last year so they didn't have as big a space but they made do.

Nicole and Alexis had fun in the waves that day.

It was quite smokey some of the days.

Raspberries sure are yummy and fun!

Hmmmm, do I try it again or do I not?

Try it he did. He never did make it up but I am so very impressed with him that he did try 2 times. Maybe next year. Even bribery from Grandpa wouldn't get him to try it again.

Nicole was as determined as ever to get up. She doesn't give up. Keeps on trying and trying and trying til at last she does succeed. Every time she would face plant or fall over or do some spectacular wipe out she would come back up with a smile and try again.

Want to try again Matthew? Nope....no more tries.

Ummmm......there's a bit of determination written all over Jake's face. He was going to do this and he was going to do it right. That wasn't his only goal. He needed to figure out how to get over the wake. He did it yet too!

Matthew, so much happier now that he got the skiing thing out of the rest of our minds and now he can just play on the water at his own pace, doing his own thing.

As I mentioned earlier on in this post we were excited to see Grandpa and Grandma all the way from Ontario. They started out in a site a ways a way from us but we managed to scoop a site just down the road from us. It was perfect. Now none of us had to walk a long ways to get to each other's sites.

Jake our reader. It was getting dark but the book was too much good!

Nicole was pretty much excited to see Grandpa and his whiskers!

A few years ago I received a hammock from a friend who brought back from Gyuana. We finally had a good place to hang it and remembered that we had it. The kids had so much fun in it.

I had 'mastered' the water skiis so now it was time to try the wake board. I didn't master that so quick. There were a lot of wipe outs. Alexis got so tired of it that she said, "Turn the boat around and just go get her, it's taking too long."

Lots of fun times with friends on the water.

Matthew scored a hat from his Grandpa. Matthew followed my dad around every chance he could. It was so much fun watching the two of them in their own little world. Matthew wore that hat inside and out! Even to bed.

Rod showing us how to do it! Just don't face plant Rod, it may take a bit to recover.

Mud baths were free!

In the morning Dave and I would lounge in bed...surprise, surprise....but the kids would be up and at it. The beauty of it all was that they could get up and be off on their way. If we couldn't find them after we finally made it out of bed, we would saunter on over to Mom and Dad's site, so Dave could have some coffeee, and this is what we would often see. One of the kids in Grandpa or Grandma's chair chattin' it up with Grandpa and Grandma! Most often Grandma because I don't get my gift of sleeping in from nowhere, Dad!

Jake may not always realize it himself but he needs quiet time, away from chatter and activity so we would often find him off in his own little spaces.

My next attempts at wake boarding were successful. Can't say I mastered it but I managed to get up and stay up!

Book number 4 or 5? No he is not reading this book upside down. The cover is all part of the story. We had found about 7 or 8 of the 'And Then It Happened' books and Jake LOVED the humor in them. He couldn't put them down.

Nicole was in her element across the road where there were 4 girls and more! They made lots of nice bead bracelets and Nicole started to learn how to do the friendship bracelet better. Nicole is always ready to do the 'girl' thing and there was no shortage of girls around.....for once.

This one's for you Aunt Julia. Still going strong on the apples. I must say.....a bushel might be a good idea for me.

We just had to go for a walk to Margaret Falls again. The kids were eager to show Grandpa and Grandma the cave in the waterfall. On the way there was lots to take pictures of including my mom.......just what are you doing? Oh yes, trying to get a picture of the trees and their roots growing out of a fallen log.

"Mom, take a picture of me!"

Jake was into that cave as quickly as he could. Matthew didn't care to do it this year and Nicole really wanted to, almost did it but just not quite.

Not too often we get to have a picture with Grandpa and Grandma.

Oh this brought back many memories.......popcorn in paper bags on the beach!

The kids played so nicely together. Here they were waterskiing. I believe Zeb was Uncle Rod, Matthew was Uncle Dave, Nicole Auntie Jac and Alexis Auntie Linda! Their conversation was quite fun to listen to.

Jake, off on another quiet adventure.

One last game of Bananagram with Grandma. The kids did say it was a fun game to play with Dad and Uncle Rod though. Pretty much anything goes with them. Even made up words.

Mom, didn't you take your own bike? Oh, that's right. It was already on the hitch ready to make it's way back across the country.

One more whisker rub.....

Even more kisses.....

Oh, don't forget the 'energy pills'. Candy, that's what an energy pill is. I think Mom and Dad had to fill that jar up after camping with us!

....more hugs, kisses and whisker rubs. Can't get enough of those. We had to fill up until we see Grandpa and Grandma again.

Just a few more pictures.

And back to Ontario they go. Thanks for making our holiday the best of the summer!

Back to the beach after a tearful good bye.

The kids had to try the next adventure.....this time it was knee boarding. Matthew felt it was safe enough to give it a whirl and he was so proud....even only holding on with one hand to wave at us! Quite an accomplishment for him!

Nicole's turn!

Jake gives it another go too.

Finally I got to see Dave do his stuff on the wakeboard.

How many books have you read you book worm? Now he's on to Mr Gum.

Ah, yes, the traditional threesome picture that mom forces them to do every time we camp! You would think they are used to it and cooperate right away.........

Zebedee and Alexis camped with us too! Had to get a picture of them too.

Now what's this all about? My goal of the summer........brown toes! Mission accomplished!

On our drive home we had to stop on the side of the road to allow Rod's truck to cool down. Nicole wanted just one more picture.