When in Montana, do what the Montanans do...

Genia tells me that Montana people love to camp in the summer, and it's obvious why. The scenery is stunning, and the weather is pretty darn good, too, especially after the true winters they experience.

We were more than happy to make camping with the Roberts part of our Montana 2015 trip. Luckily, Stace and John were able to find a spot in a campground near Red Lodge, after getting out before 9 a.m. to hunt for one.

Genia and I followed with the kids a few hours later.

After getting set up and having lunch, we went down to the river to check it out. The main river was flowing too strongly to play in, but a nearby stream was perfect for splashing in. Perfectly cold, with little fish and even a water snake flowing by!

Such fun memories!

On our way back to our temporary home, all the children picked wildflowers to form into bouquets.

I love this picture of Owen.

We then drove down the road to a small lake, created in the early 1900s for recreational purposes. The rainbow trout we saw and caught were too small to keep, but it was fun to pull them in.

Violet was very excited to fish for the first time.

Until she had to share the fishing rod... Then she wanted to go back home. She camped out on the rock by the bug spray, asking to go back, and complaining about the bugs. (Granted, she had already been bitten twice by biting flies, so she had a reason.)

On our way to the camp site, Violet kept asking when we would get to the "lodge," overhearing us talk about the town of Red Lodge. She might turn out to be more of a "glamper" than a camper.

Back at the camping site, we of course roasted hot dogs on the fire for dinner, and later had s'mores.

After dinner, Stace and John went out to the field nearby to practice fly fishing. We had an excellent location within the small campground, on the edge near all this beautiful open space.

Meanwhile, the children set about building a small stone wall with all the rocks scattered around. It was great seeing them working together, entertained without any electronics.

Then, we all split up for bedtime, the girls in the pop-up trailer, the boys in the tent.