Christmas in August 2014

Theme this year: Cowboy and Cowgirl.

Friday

On Friday morning, Melissa picked up her parents and I got our kids ready and we headed up to Marten River in two vehicles. We arrived in Marten River around 3:30 and started putting up all the tents to get ready for our weekend.

Jordan's (Stephanie's boyfriend) kids size tent. — Jordan’s (Stephanie’s boyfriend) kids size tent.

The kids spent the afternoon playing with the dogs and Uncle Aaron showed them how to use the paddle boat by themselves so that they could paddle around the shore. He did forget to tell them though that if you get out of the paddle boat to get onto the dock, the paddle boat will float away. Fortunately Aaron went out to rescue the boat 🙂

After supper we realized that Bruce was missing a cord for his C-Pap machine, so Aaron rigged something together to make it work and Phillip picked up one the next morning on his way into Marten River.

On Friday evening, Aaron put on a fire and the kids roasted marshmallows and they got a preview of the fireworks for the next night.

Roasting marshmallows by the fire on Fri Evening

The moon on Fri evening

Jordan (Stephanie’s boyfriend), Stephanie and Lucas hiding out inside away from the bugs

Sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows on Fri evening

Saturday

On Saturday morning, the kids played with the dogs and paddled some more in the water. Some people went for canoe rides and other’s visited with each other.

Just before lunch we started the games. This year people who won and participated in the games won money so that they could buy items at the General Store that Chantale and Stephanie G. set up.

Some of the games included:

Donut Eating competition

Junk in The Trunk

Water Gun Game

Lila jumping up to catch the water as people spray each other back and forth

Melissa in a full run during the water game

Everyone playing the water game (Abby loses her shoe)

Phillip dumping the bucket at the end of the game onto Chantale and Stephanie

Bucket Head

Lamp Shade Fishing

Aaron trying to get the lampshade on his own head!!

Joyce blindfold lampshade fishing with Jackie

After the games were done everyone went to the General Store to cash in their chips and buy some candy.

The kids buying stuff at the General Store

The kids buying candy at the general store

Water Fight

After everyone finished lunch we headed out onto the River for a swim. Well the swim quickly developed into a water fight with the guns and buckets that I brought for the games. People were in canoes and paddle boats or just swimming and shooting water at each other. It was loads of fun. And it was great to get into the River after bad weather the last couple of years.

Lucas throwing Shauna into the River

Melissa with her Dad (Bruce) tipping his hat to the crowd.

Jordan throwing at the dock

Lucas throwing Shauna into the River.

Abby paddle boating with Milo on the back.

Bruce visiting with Uncle Al.

Phillip and Stephanie L in the inner tube

Aaron in the blue canoe. Shauna in the front of the other canoe. Lucas, Stephanie and Chad on the dock. Chantale in the water beside Aaron.

Nicholas and Melissa shooting water at Steven while Bruce watches!!

Nicholas throwing some water onto Bruce!!!

Everyone playing in the water!!!

Steven visiting with his dad (Uncle Al)

People watching the water fight. Luc napping and Joyce and Jackie visiting.

Phillip shooting Stephanie L in the water. Steven and Milo on the dock. Lucas and Abby in the paddle boat.

Stephanie G. shooting water at Jordan from the dock. Aaron is in other canoe. Lucas is on the dock.

Lucas, Stephanie, Shauna and Chad on the dock.

Right at the end of the water gun fight, while Abby, Aiden and myself were still on the water, a bunch people on the shore grabbed Stephanie G. and carried her to the birch tree and duct taped her to the tree. Apparently, Shauna was taped to the tree when she was 16 so she wanted to pass on the tradition to Stephanie.

Lucas, Jordan, Shauna, Philip and Stephanie L. posing with Stephanie G. who they taped to the tree.

Lucas, Philip and Jordan dumping water onto Stephanie G. who is taped to the tree.

After we finished the water fight, we all hung around the beach. It was at this time that Phillip took Aiden fishing by the shore. Unfortunately they did not get catch anything.

Philip fishing with Aiden while Milo looks on.

Later in the day we took family pictures on the back of Phillip’s truck and had a family dinner of Sea Pie and corn made by Chantale.

Family Portrait on the back of Philip's truck. Melissa, Aiden, Abby and Peter with the Gagne's dog shooting up the saloon :) — Family Portrait on the back of Philip’s truck. Melissa, Aiden, Abby and Peter with the Gagne’s dog shooting up the saloon 🙂

Bruce, Melissa, Aiden, Abby, Peter and Jackie in our cowboy attire.

Family Picture Front L-R: Abby, Aiden, Chad and Milo. Second Row L-R: Joyce, Bruce, Al, Jackie Third Row L-R: Aaron, Melissa, Chantale, Peter, Shauna, Oren, Lucas, Stephanie L. Phillip, Kim and Luc. Back Row L-R: Jordan, Stephanie, Nicholas, Steven. — Family Picture
Front L-R: Abby, Aiden, Chad and Milo.
Second Row L-R: Joyce, Bruce, Al, Jackie
Third Row L-R: Aaron, Melissa, Chantale, Peter, Shauna, Oren, Lucas, Stephanie L. Phillip, Kim and Luc.
Back Row L-R: Jordan, Stephanie, Nicholas, Steven.

Fireworks

In the evening, Aaron put on another fire and the kids roasted marshmallows and hot dogs.

Once it got dark, we lit the fireworks by the beach and then enjoyed the evening.

This year because of the Super Moon, there were hardly any stars in the sky at Joyce’s because the moon was just too bright.

Sunday

On Sunday, we relaxed by the water for most of the day. Everyone went home, except for Steven, Nicholas and Oren. In the evening we had another fire and enjoyed some Smores and set off the firework that Aaron missed from the night before.