Henry's Lake Part 2

 We stayed the night at our friends cabin and went fishing after breakfast.  The kids were so excited to get their poles in the water. So after packing snacks and getting on all our warm clothing...because it is Idaho and who knows when the wind will pick up...we finally made it to the lake with all the crew!

 This little cutie was a great helper...although throwing rocks in the water was probably his favorite part.

 Although fishing is kind of a dad territory us mom's are right there to help untangled the lines, put a new worm on and warm up little freezing hands, oh and making sure the kids don't put their hands in their mouths after touching the worms or the fish or picking up the sand filled sucker and putting it back in their mouths.

 I love watching Dad's in action.  Seeing this made me think about the memories we are making with our kids.  This will be the day that our kids will remember when they think about the time their Dad taught them how to fish.  Or the time they caught their first fish.  These are some of the treasured memories.

 This little cutie loves to fish and I love to watch her.  She wants to do it all herself and is not afraid to put the worm on the hook.

 This is our friends little cutie and she is a fireball of freckles and energy.  I couldn't get enough of her fun personality and spunk!

 It is great to have friends that have kids that are the same age as yours.  Avery loves to hang with Zack and I love that there is no drama. At least not for a few more years that is....

 Hailey loves to fish as well but she especially likes to reel in the line.  When she does not have the pole in her hand she is searching the beach back and forth up and down for shells.  She can find the tiniest of shells in the sand and she wants to take them all home.  I am especially careful to empty her pant pockets before I wash them because she is constantly finding things that are her "special treasures."

 I loved watching these two play together.  This toddler stage is so funny, one minute they are playing well together and the other they are dumping sand in each others hair.

 After this weekend I can see why men get addicted to fishing.  I also have a new dream of having a small cabin in the woods.  We loved the seclusion and being surrounded by the forest and wildlife.  We sat in the cabin warmed  by the fire and just talked and enjoyed each others company.  I did not even pay attention to my phone and it felt great!

 Our only fish we caught that day....and the kids were so proud of it.  They all wanted to eat it for dinner that night.

What a great weekend.  I am itching to do it again and so are the girls.  We are so blessed to live in an area where a short drive can allow us to get away from the hustle and bustle of life.  We are lucky to be able to get away with our family and just enjoy one another and enjoy God's beautiful creations.

Henry's Lake Part 1

This last weekend we decided to get away from it all and packed up our poles and headed to the lake.  Matt woke the girls up at 4:30 and they bounced out of bed, with matted hair and heavy sleepy eyes.  It was like Christmas morning for them...as they excitedly ran upstairs saying phrases like, "it's fishing time and lets go catch all the fishies."  It was still dark as we headed on our journey and the girls were a little confused why they had to go fishing at night while it was still dark.  As we got to the lake the sun had started coming up and I had forgot about the fishing and wanted to capture this transformation with my camera. (I am still trying to figure it out)

 
 There is something so beautiful about being up before the sun.  I admit I hardly ever do that but when I am out in nature it is so worth it. I love seeing the change that happens as the sun starts to rise.   The lake was cold and dark with frost and ice clinging to the rocks and trees and as the sun started to rise and spread its colors of warmth the lake started to change.  The dark black started to change to hues of orange, brown and golds.  The frost began to melt and drip from the flowers and I sat there in the middle of it, just watching it all happen.

 There was something so artistic about how this descended into the lake. I loved the tangle of wire and melting ice. There were a few times I was scolded by Matt to put the camera away and help our freezing children.

 Mini marshmallows...a staple in our fishing escapade.

 10 years ago Matt and I had our first day at this lake.  It was so fun being able to bring our girls back here and have them enjoy it.  They loved hearing the story of our date and giggled when I told them about Daddy holding my hand for the first time.

We can proudly report that everyone caught a fish...except for me:(

 
Matt introduced me to "beer can" fishing on our first date.  We wrap the line around the can with a rock on it and when the fish bites the can is knocked over.  I like this technique because it allows me to cuddle up in a warm blanket and watch my kidos.  My girls like a more hands on approach and would rather cast out and reel in.

The water was so clear and it felt so good to be out of the hustle and bustle and leave all the stress at home.  Now I know why men become so addicted to fishing!