22 Years of Campin' Out

Cheers for the Engelke Camp-out!

Wynne & Shae toast their campsite

The 22nd Annual Engelke Camp-out took place a few weekends ago at Blackhawk Lake.  This was the Siegert campsite.  You can see other branches of the family tree at their tent/camper-sites in the background.

Wynne let Paige sleep in her little tent, as she opted to sleep in the big tent with her mom and dad.  (Thanks to my mom for letting us borrow theirs!! Not sure if we would have had room in our tent for all of those little varmints.)

Dan and Tammie were the hosts, and this was our main gathering spot.  

Stuart and Faye get the award for Most Organized Campsite.  They had an awesome tall tent (Cabela's), a screen tent for the children to play, a camp stove, and awesome activities planned out for their little darlin's (Arek and Leila).  Wynne was a frequent visitor to their site!

Early morning fishing with the cousins.  It was not easy to catch fish with Gabe's LOUD talking;)

Cy caught some plant life!

Claire managed to snag an actual fish!  I think it's a blue-gill but I am so unversed in the ways of the angler.  You'll have to ask someone else for sure!

Besides the lake, there are great trails (very challenging, steep ones included!), a beach, volleyball, shelters, and a miniature golf course.  I took the kids mini-golfing after the fishing bug wore off.

a truckload of cousins

The course was challenging.  For many of the kids, it was the first time they'd ever mini-golfed.  I was impressed that we lasted over an hour at this!

Wynne, Shae, Catherine, Paige, & Garrison

The "Big Kids" (I can't believe they're old enough to call them "Big Kids" now) took on the whole course with gusto.

Gabe, Cy, Claire & Ally

The "Even Bigger Kids" were playing beach volleyball when we returned to the lake!

Do you have any snacks for us, Uncle Brian??

Saturday afternoon brought rain.  RAIN!!! You know, that water that falls from the sky?  We hadn't seen or felt it in several weeks.

The cousins gathered under a canopy for some Monopoly........

....while the older cousins and uncles played Poker, which is usually reserved for late nights at such events.  But what else can you do when it's raining at your camp-out?

Clockwise from front left:  Jared, Nick, Mike, Dan, Stu, Ken, Kaleb & Brian

Another fun year of getting grimy and campy with family........thanks Dan, Tammie, Dani, and Rheann for hosting!

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?--Isaiah 40:12