Mackay 2009

Eve LOVED bathing in the river! :) Luke trying to drown himself

That's a big rock

While we were setting up camp the first night Luke got bit by a few mosquito's. This is what happened to his face. He looked pretty silly for a few days. Those skeeters are relentless when it comes to Luke, they love him!

I LOVE this picture of Becca and Eve!My Mom

We had our annual Neilson Reunion at Mackay the first part of August. It is always a great time and so many wonderful memories. Grandpa Neilson was there, of course, and Uncle Bud with him. Scott and Camille came and brought, Cari and her daughter Jocelyn and also Preston. Uncle Rodney and Aunt JaNan came a little later and brought Taylor. We also got to see Steve and Kelly and their kids, Natalie and Wyatt. Their dog, Nate, is still a common topic of conversation, my kids LOVED him! Avery and his wife, Helen, showed up the morning we were leaving so we got to say hello and goodbye at the same time. We had a great time floating the "Blessed River," playing cards, chasing skunks out of camp, and sitting around the fire. I so look forward to our time at Mackay every year. So a little about the skunks, just for my journal. We have always had a hard time with skunks in past years but this year was the worst. Every night we had them in camp. I smelled them in the middle of the night while sleeping in my cozy camper but never did see one until one night. We would usually get the kids to bed and then stay up late and play cards by the light of the lantern. While playing one night and chatting about smelling skunk, out of the corner of my eye I see a little black and white varmint walking into camp. After some scuffling, mainly Sarah jumping up on the table, Scott and Preston chased after it trying to kill it. Luckily, they didn't get sprayed but they didn't kill it either. On to the next night, while playing cards yet again, we were teasing Sarah about seeing another skunk. For some reason she has this fear of keeping her feet on the ground when skunks are around. She was crouched on the seat of the picnic table. We were laughing and having a great time when I think I hear some noise by my parents trailer, meanwhile I keep watching for the skunk I had seen the night before. I was sitting at the end of the table while my grandpa was next to me on the side of the table. So we are talking about what I am hearing by the camper, Sarah is pretty much on top of the table and Grandpa looks past me and says, "There's the son-of-a-bitchin' thing right there!" (excuse the expletive) Now you have to know my Grandpa to understand, he didn't yell, just said it plain as day. Of course, I jump out of my chair and fly around the table. We shoo the little bugger away and then hear more noise next to my parents camper. Sure enough there is another skunk getting into some tortillas that were left out. I threw a rock at it trying to get it to go away but it took a little coaxing to get it to leave the tortillas. After we had all settled down, I got to go into my trailer to sleep but Becca and Sarah were sleeping in tents right close to where the skunks had been, they weren't too thrilled. Third night in a row we were playing cards again, my dad likes to pull pranks and I tend to be the recipient somewhat often. We were teasing Sarah, yet again, about the skunks. We had moved the picnic table thinking we could avoid an encounter with the little rodents again. My dad, being the funny man he thinks he is ties some fishing line to a black and white water shoe. He strings it past me, me being oblivious to what he's doing, and stands next to our table for a while. I must have been winning the Shaw game because I was really into it. Next thing you know, my dad is saying, "WHAT"S THAT!" and pulls the shoe right past me. I, of course, think it is a blasted skunk coming right at me. Needless to say I used a few expletives of my own and everyone got a great laugh out of it. Always great times at Mackay!