[vacations: Oroville, WA.]

For the last number of years, we've headed south to Oroville, WA for some family-time away.  As we bought our current home last year, we thought that we would skip the reservations that were needed to be made last year, and bow out this year.  But - with my hubby's Italian family arriving this summer, we decided to join the entire gang ... 

The water tramp was a hit ... more-so with the men, than the kids.  Obviously.

So, during the day, we were at our rented cottage on the lake with the large group of cousins and friends there.  And in the evenings, we headed up to our Zio and Zia's place for family dinner ... where the rest of the family were staying.  

They've done a lovely job over the last 5 years.  Zia and Zio now have a pool, a garden - even a vineyard.

The craziest thing that happened, was when we were all sitting watching the storm one evening - and the lightening struck the mountain directly behind us.  Within an hour, that one spark began a massive fire ... 

It was crazy.

So the next day, the firefighters purposely burned a line at the bottom of the mountain.  This would protect the homes below should a fire ever happen again.  

While fires were burning ... we were eating brick-oven pizza made by my bro-in-law and sis-in-law, and my father-in-law and mother-in-law.  That's a lot of "in-laws" to type ... 

our angel-bean.

After dinner?  A whole bunch of bug spray and a volleyball game.  With only a little bit of violence.

During on of the afternoons, the guys decided to prove their manhood through a friendly swimming competition.  

It was Mattias' birthday - so we got, um, three cakes *grin*.

My handsome hubby ... with hair that's got a mind of its own ... 

Hey Josiah ... would you like some cake?

Or maybe you should just go to bed?

Well ... there are a million pics on my IPhone - but you get the idea.  Good times.  And hey - I can cross documenting this off of my "to-do" list today *grin*!!

Have a great one!