Camping with Pop pop and Pattie

We went camping with Pop pop and Pattie and had SOOOO much fun. We rode in by boat with our stuff and set up camp on an island. 3 nights and 4 days of fun commenced!! Pop pop and Pattie KNOW how to have fun and make fun for the kids!

This is our island, our camp!
What is camping without roasting marshmallows and making S'mores???
Pattie even came up with "jungle breakfast". She hung bananas, boxes of cereal and juice boxes from the trees and the "monkeys" had to go out in search of their breakfast that morning. Who wouldn't have loved that as a kid???
My great photography. I just thought this was a cool shot before sunset.
The boys enjoyed throwing rocks in the lake. We just had to tell Sam 400 million times not to throw them where people were swimming.

Cowboys

We went to this resturaunt called Cowboys by boat and had some good fish for dinner. I'm pretty sure we did 'work' on the restrooms there!!

This is Anna and her boyfriend Zach with the kids. The kids completely idolized Zach, especially the boys of the group, which is by the way everyone BUT Gracie, poor thing. They pretty much stayed right up next to him. He took it right in stride when a lot of people would have been annoyed. He is a very sweet, well-mannered and hard working kid. We really enjoyed him being there with us.
Do you notice the camoflauge Crocs he is wearing? Zach is country yall! Not redneck, KUNTRY. He said things like, "when she goes to singin'" and "that right there is where a nail gun got me".
Pop pop with the crazy masses. Sam is giving his best Isaac impression.
I think this is a sweet picture of Sam on the way back from dinner.

SOMEONE put this on my camera, I think as a joke. Who's laughing now T-shane!?!?! Ha ha!!!!! Everyone say Hello to Becca and her best monkey face!!

Boat rides

Sam and Pop pop drive the boat. This was Sam's favorite thing to do.
Sam will get his sleep when he needs it. He even fell asleep riding on the tube, I'm not lying!!
Pattie and the boys. Only cool Grandmas still wear tye-die!!
Grace was a big shot sitting up on the back of the boat.
Mare and Ben. Someone needs to put that poor old thing out to pasture.

Crazy Lake Rats

The kids had fun just jumping off of a parked boat.

Anna, Becca and Luke stand duty as lifeguards.
They didn't have any fun, I swear.
Attempt at silly faces.

Waverunners

The kids loved the waverunners. This little crew is ready to ride!!
Pattie is taking the kids for a spin. She was always the one to pull the tube and Ben was such a great wing man making sure to let her know when people got dumped off. He also had the slow down, speed up thumb signs down pat by the time he had ridden a few times.
Isn't she just precious? Sweet Grace.
Sam and Mom getting ready for a ride.
I'm on this tube and I realized after this ride that I'm not as young as I used to be because getting a face full of water and dumped off the tube a few times doesn't make you feel like a spring chicken the next day. Sarah, Emma, Anna and I all rode together and it was a BLAST! I laughed the whole time. Of course Anna and I were the chickens that would only ride in the middle. Sarah and Emma got dumped over and over. Hee hee!!

Oh yeah, when I got on the tube Ben made sure to tell Pattie not to go too fast. He did NOT want his mommy to get dumped off. What a sweet boy, looking out for his #1!!

Splash Country

We snuck away from camp one day to go to Splash Country. This is a water park next to Dollywood. Thank goodness for Emma, Anna, and Sarah! They were so helpful in that sea of people that I was so scared Sam would slip away in a quick second. The above picture is my little sister Emma with Sam.

Isaac is always the class clown of the bunch.

Anna and Sam give me a wave. It is one of my favorite things that Sam does. I try to get him to wave to me any chance I get. Next time you're around him, give it a try.

Ben's first run down a water slide, a little scared but he pushed through.

We had some VERY tired kids when the day was done.

INSOMNIA

I have to rant for a second. Why can't I sleep right???? For the past what feels like a year, but really it's been a couple of nights. I wake up in the middle of the night. Usually about 3 AM. And I'm WIDE awake, not just roused from sleep. So I get up and go potty, get a drink of water, look in on the boys, get back in bed. I try very hard to go back to sleep. What is wrong? I've NEVER had a problem sleeping, anywhere. And I try so hard to go back to sleep because I know that in 3 very short hours, someone will need me or want me and it will be time for me to get up.
This morning was the worst. Here is a play by play of my night.

10:30 PM--in bed, fast asleep, all is well
3:00 AM-- the not so magic hours stirs me
3:05 AM--guess I'll get up and go to the bathroom
3:07 AM--Hi Lucy, pat, pat
3:10 AM--drink of water by the bed
3:11 AM--get back in bed, toss, turn, toss, turn, toss, turn
4:00 AM--look at the clock. DANG IT!! think to myself, why can't I sleep?
4:45 AM--forget it, I'm gonna wake Mick up if I don't quit tossing and turning.
4:46 AM--Grab pillow, watch and water, go out to couch, watch TV
5:45 AM--turn off TV, feel like I'm ready to sleep and I do, BUT
6:00 AM--"MOM!! MOM!!! I need you to blow my nose!!" says Sam
6:01 AM--grab "tinnisue" go in boys room, blow Sam's nose
6:03 AM--get back on couch, asleep again, YES!!
6:20 AM--alarm on my watch goes off because this is when I get up to do yoga
6:20 AM--turn off alarm, grab pillow, go back to my bed to sleep
6:21 AM--asleep, YES!
6:35 AM--Sam comes to my side of the bed, "Mom, I need to tell you a secret", "Can we go to Mimi's today?", Mom says, "I don't know Sam go on your Dad's side and ask him."
6:40 AM--Sam crawls in bed, whispers to himself and pulls my hair.
6:40 AM--I say, "Sam please be quiet or go back to your bed"
6:41 AM--Mick gets up, grabs his pillow, goes to Sam's bed
6:52 AM--I think I went back to sleep somewhere in here
7:30 AM--Ben says, "Mom, I'm hungry", Crap, I'm gonna be late for work!!!

So I jump up panicky, run to kitchen, fix breakfast, find some clothes, scream at Mick, brush my teeth and run out the door.

This is NOT my idea of a 'good way to start your day'!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH!! But I guess what is upsetting me is that it must be that I'm getting OLD. Old people don't sleep right, you know??? So as I'm telling my boss about my night, he says, yeah, I'm sorry but you're getting old, that's really what it is.
THANKS TIPS!