Banner Elk post #1

As most of you know, this past week I was out of town for our family reunion in North Carolina.
If you didn't know that, you might want to get with the program.
Anyways, there is SO very much to tell that I couldn't possibly do it all in one blog post, at least not a blog post within bounds of common decency. So I'm going to divide it up into four posts, one for each day! After all, four whole days of nothing but fun could take a little while to chronicle here.
It all started on Monday, I suppose, when we left home. It was a long, boring day and we arrived in Boone, North Carolina at about six thirty, then hung out at the hotel for the rest of the night.
And then on Tuesday, the real fun began.
We arrived at the camp to find this waiting for us.

We have been coming to this camp for our family reunion for nine years, if I'm not mistaken, this year being the ninth.
Tuesday morning I had to go grocery shopping with Mom (after all, we had thirty or forty people stuck in a lodge for four days and we have to eat!) and by the time we got back, the other families had arrived and the kids had spread to all corners of the camp and started leaving traces of our presence there.

 One of the little girls left these pretty flowers at one of the wooden crosses and it was a perfect photo op!

 This is the bridge from the woods to the lake, the labyrinth, or several of the hiking trails.

 Some interesting stuff growing on the stone bridge across the creek.

 There's been a boathouse at the camp for as long as I can remember, but we were never allowed to use the boats. But because we take very good care of the camp when we go, the directors trust us and last year we were allowed to use them! We had a blast and couldn't wait to use them again this year! There were a lot of good times had out on the lake....you'll hear about them later! :)

 There were more flowers and things there this year, or at least I noticed more than normal! These were some of my favorites!

This is the labyrinth, a new thing this year. There used to just be overgrown grass and weeds and stuff, but they cleared it out and built this! Apparently you're supposed to keep a certain attitude as you go through.

I chose apathy and stepped right over the boundaries until I had gone across.

 One of the gorgeous crosses. I spent a lot of time up here this year, just sitting quietly on the hill underneath the cross and watching the lake. I found a cool shortcut around the lake to get up here!

 Whenever we go out canoeing, the girls always collect water lilies from the many spots like this on the lake! I got sooo many water lilies that I didn't know what to do with them all!

 We always have a bonfire at Banner Elk, and we decided to have it on the first night this year. David spent most of the afternoon collecting firewood and kindling, and it paid off because several hours later, we got a roaring fire.

We had a really good time just sitting around the fire talking, kind of getting reacquainted with each other. The first day was really fun, but I had no idea then just how awesome the week would be!
Check back soon to find out what happened on Wednesday! ;)