Thanksgiving weekend...

We had a lovely Thanksgiving.  My husband's brother Taraz flew in from Denver and spent a couple nights at our house but stayed in the area for a week.  The day after Thanksgiving instead of doing the crazy Black Friday shopping our family went camping.  Yep, that's how we roll.  Give us the outdoors to a shopping mall any day even if that day is cold and wet.  :)  My mother and father-in-law drove out to Twanoh State Park on Friday to get their camp all set up.

Daniel and I drove out there on Saturday morning (Rue had to work.) and arrived nice and early just when everyone was waking up and getting their coffee.  Bonita and George made a lovely breakfast and I had a bowl of hot turkey, barley and vegetable soup.  Just the right kind of breakfast when sitting out in the cold around a campfire.

 

Daniel had a blast being outside and goofing off with his uncles.  George was splitting some wood and came across a piece that had termite larvae in it.  I dared one of the guys to eat one for a dollar but oddly none of them took me up on the offer.  :) Maybe I should have upped it to five dollars.  (Those little white things that look like wood chips are the larvae.)

Daniel liked the little trails the termites ate out of the wood.  It turned into a little school lesson about termites.  That's what I love about homeschooling, every day is a day full of opportunities to learn.  

Daniel helped Uncle Rahmat with stacking the wood Rahmat split.  Daniel made the pile you see there.  He LOVES working outside just like his daddy.  Pretty soon he'll be splitting firewood on my parents' property for their wood stove. :)

The creek was full of dead chum salmon who had just spawned.  The smell was something else!!!  But we did see several live chum making their final trip up the creek which was pretty cool to see.  Once again another little school lesson for Daniel.  :)

A live one.  

 

Daniel had a blast exploring around the campsite and getting good and dirty.  He slept REALLY good that night.  

 

George, Taraz, Daniel and I went down to the beach there on the Hood Canal. Daniel had a blast down there too and had all kinds of questions.  Taraz made a comment about how it was like Daniel was in Disneyland that's how excited he was about everything.  My father-in-law said we could all benefit by looking at the world through the eyes of a child.  

 

 

Staying warm in Uncle Taraz's coat. 

 And what was the most fascinating thing we saw that day??!! A payphone...that actually still works!  This picture cracks me up.  We seriously were fascinated by the payphone.  I guess this was Daniel's history lesson for the day? :)

Back at the campsite Daniel made his own little "campfire" to roast "marshmallows" on.  

 My sister-in-law Ruhiyyih and her husband Matt came out for a little bit too and brought my sweet little niece Adaryn.  

 

Just give me a baby and a campfire and I am all set.  :)  (Picture taken by Bonita.)

 

 Niece after her Auntie's heart!  Can never start them too young on Starbucks.  ;)

 

 Have a cozy, warm weekend everyone!

You can watch a little video of Daniel and Uncle Rahmat "grass sledding", the chum salmon, the water and sweet little Adaryn.  Click on the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153569216475338&l=8459805032046714878