Day Trip to Willow Springs

Last Saturday, being so very sick of the heat, we drove three hours north to the Arizona pines for some lake time at Willow Springs.
We stopped in Payson, Arizona for a healthy lunch of Jack in the Box.

I snapped this shot of Allan and the kids walking to the car. When they’d been walking across the parking lot I’d noticed how giant our family seemed. I can’t believe we’re going to have five kids. Five seems like way more than four, to me.

Allan bought himself a boat two weeks ago. I told him that would be his Father’s Day gift. The kids were super excited to be on the boat. As we slowly made our way across the lake (there’s a rule about not using a giant motor so Allan had to use his trolling motor) the kids hung off the side, kicking their feet in the water. (Allan didn’t want them to do this but I insisted it was fun and totally awesome. lol)

Ember didn’t hang off the side of the boat, of course. She spent her time climbing from the front of the boat to the middle to the back and then back to the middle and back to the front. Over and over and over and over and over again. She stopped for about three minutes to sit by me and play with some toys we brought.

The weather was really nice (the high was in the low 80s) and with the shade canopy on Allan’s boat, I was really happy!

There’s probably not a day that goes by that at least one of my children does a monster sound. They love scaring each other.

The second we chose a spot to stop on the shore and the kids got off the boat they went to swim in the water.

The water was freezing. I didn’t get in, Allan swam with the kids the whole time.

I bought these super awesome lifejackets at WalMart for the little kids. They go more around the waist instead of up by their faces which they love. Anyway, Payson got brave enough to swim out far from shore during this trip!

Brooklyn had a lot of fun trying out her new flippers and snorkel set.

We brought lots of snacks and though it’d been about an hour since they ate Jack in the Box my kids were ravenous. My kids are always ravenous.

Ember was really into feeding the fishies. She probably threw a fourth of her food to the fish :S

Allan brought a bunch of fishing poles and we all fished for a while. Except Ember, who followed me around whining to be held or breastfed or go home.

The bluegills were really into our offerings. haha

Sierra caught her first ever fish!! A teensy tiny little bluegill that she was crazy excited about because she’d caught it all on her own!

Brooklyn had caught a bluegill at the same time and they compared fish.

Brooklyn wanted to fish in a different part of the shore than everyone else. She loves to be separate and independent of the family because she feels like she’s growing up and too mature to fish by the little kids. She had the best time catching a ton of bluegill all by herself. She baited her own hook and got the fish of her hook all by herself each time!

Ember begged to hold each fish that was caught. She’d hold her hand out and as soon as the fish was near her she’d recoil. She did eventually get up the nerve to touch a few of the fish with one finger, though!