Grahams Island State Park

Camping!  What a great weekend! I grew up camping (tents and a popup camper) in state parks and this weekend brought back so many great memories!  

Matt and Andy left late Thursday to go meet Jan and Luther at the campground.

By the time we pulled out of town on Friday after school there were already fish in the cooler for us to admire when we arrived.  And by "us" I mostly mean John Paul, who has decided that fishing is HIS THING.  He loves to eat fish, he loves to catch fish, he loves to talk about fishing, and he loves to follow his Uncle Andy around :) 

This is a sport fishing hotspot.  The boat launch was the largest I've ever seen - side by side ramps for four trucks to launch simultaneously.  The lake is huge!  And the parking lot was truck heaven.  After a three day weekend watching trucks launch boats and pull fifth wheels Isaac has changed his dream car to a Ford F350.  

So Saturday morning a boatload of cousins headed out to see what they could catch.  

Kristi and I went for a long walk around the campground while Lydia and Kaelynn explored the rocky shoreline.  And when the boat stayed out, and stayed out, and stayed out even longer we knew it must be a fruitful trip. 

Yep!  Everybody was catching walleye.

Connor and Isaac brought these in at the same time! 

and then.... 

John Paul caught this 32" northern.  Y'all.  That fish was huge!  Andy helped him keep his rod up while he reeled it in, and Matt got him into the boat with the net.  This might be the highlight of John Paul's fishing career!  

Back at the campground to show off their loot!  

that afternoon this gang wandered until they found the perfect spot to sit and make mudpies.  Must run in the family, because Grandma was a mudpie maker as a child, and she even made "dirt" (pudding, crushed Oreos and gummy worms served in a flower pot!!) for dessert one night!  

Sunset Saturday night - amazing!  This photo could be a camper advertisement!