Gooseberry

Ned and Nyle

Having fun with tools and nature

Lincoln and West in the hammock

Setting up the tent

Zach and Tim warming up at horseshoes

 We enjoyed a Hills' Family Reunion at Gooseberry June 13-16.  Jodi and Chris rented a great campsite with rustic cabins, a kitchen, a bathroom with hot showers, and a large rec-room cabin.  

We started off the week with a light storm that wet everything down so we didn't get too dusty all week.  The rain was very light and only lasted spottily for the first afternoon we arrived.  It didn't stop us from setting up Nine Square in the Air (lent to us by our friends, the Franks).  We got a lot of use out of that game!  

The cousins set up some hammocks enjoyed by all the cousins while the adults stocked the kitchen and pulled out snacks.  Leslie, Grandma, Erin, and Dallas provided some great crafts that were set up in the rec hall.  Dallas created a challenge for all of us to participate in the 4 Youth goal areas.  She challenged everyone to try to complete a task from each of the following goal areas: Physical, Intellectual, Spiritual, and Social.  Once they completed a task they could write it down with their name and place it in the corresponding jar.  They completed tasks like going on a hike, learning how to do a new craft, or participating in the Come Follow Me program each night.  

Tim organized a cool hike to a couple of reservoirs not far from our campsite and Zach set up a horseshoe bracket.  The winners were Tim and Dallas, but we made it to the Semi-Finals.  

There was tons of food, S'mores almost every night, and a camp-themed movie a few of the nights.  We had so much fun and even enjoyed a visit from Grandma Char.  Ned, Nyle, and West set up a tent, but the first night we were there, Nyle was sick with what I think was either altitude sickness or the effect of eating too much candy.  After that, the boys decided to just keep sleeping in the cabin.  The beds were not the most comfortable, but after the first night of losing too much sleep because of them, our exhaustion got the best of us and we were able to sleep pretty well.  I think we'll have to make this trip again!

Nine Square in the Air...everyone played!

Hiking

Stopped at a beautiful meadow

Skipping stones

Jodi, Sara, Brea, Libby, and Elcee

Jodi, Dad (Jay) Hills, Nikki, Gwen

Mom Hills (Rhonda) and Dallas

Sara

Mom Hills

Emery

Gwen, Nikki and West

Inside our cabin

Gwen and Anna slept in Anna's tent, inside our cabin. 

Several of the boys had a fun adventure while on our hike.  They discovered a bridge that was disconnected and on the side of the trail, next to the first pond.  They thought it was a raft and wanted to put it in the water to float on.  We made them promise they would put it back after they played with it and they eagerly did.  It was quite entertaining watching them struggle to put it into the water, then watch it float out into the cold water and try to decide who was going to go in after it to bring it to where others could hop on.  Eventually, they were able to get it to shore and hop on, flip it over and hop on. Then the real fun ensued.  First, it dumped everyone except Nyle who managed to scramble up the side and hold on and then jumped up victoriously when he realized that he was the only one left on the raft.  Then when everyone got back on, it nearly sank a few times as they were learning to distribute their weight more effectively.  Whit and Lincoln both enjoyed captaining the boat and directing their shipmates to kick more vigorously to power the boat while their paddle-steered.  The adults on the shore had more than their fair share of laughs through it all.  Fun times...

The bridge-raft floating away

Getting on the raft, on the wrong side (Lincoln, Whit and Duncan with Nyle on the shore)

The crew: Lincoln, Whit, Ned, Nyle and Duncan

Duncan and Nyle providing the power

Learning to balance

Lincoln steering the ship