Waterguns and firelflies

I don't have a lot of pictures of our summer so far but we started things out by an awesome watergun fight.  I wanted a super low-key activity for the kids that I didn't have to do anything for.  I just sent out a facebook post saying the time and place and to bring waterguns.  We had at least 15 kids show up and the kids had so much fun.  The boys and I filled up some big plastic tubs and the wheelbarrow with water for fill up stations.  Everyone brought their own guns and I provided Otter Pops after the kids were done.  It was awesome.  My kind of activity.  

We also made a trip to Elkmont Campgrounds in The Smokies to watch the synchronized fireflies.  There is only a handful of places where you can see them.  There is about a two week period where you can catch them.  The Smokies put on a week long event where you have to buy tickets and they take you on a trolley to the viewing place.  The tickets sell out quickly (I've heard they sell out within hours) and cost $100 per person.  We decided we didn't want to spend that kind of money so we chose a date a couple of days before the scheduled event.  Our friends decided to camp but we decided to drive home late at night after seeing the fireflies.  It started to rain an hour before we were supposed to leave so we worried that we wouldn't be able to see any fireflies at all.  It stopped raining and we got to the campsite about 7.  We went for a short hike, listened to stories around the campfire, and had S'mores.  At 10 we hadn't seen any fireflies and the campsite was totally quiet and dead.  We figured out from another camper where to go to see them and drove to a parking lot and then hiked a short distance in the dark with flashlights off.  Not far into the trail we started seeing the fireflies.  

They were amazing.  We didn't see as many as we thought we would but I think the season was just starting and I wonder if the rain from earlier contributed as well but even then, there were so many and it was so cool.  It really was magical.  The kids kept saying it looked like Christmas lights.  It was definitely worth the trip.  At about 11:30 we drove home and got home about 12:45.  It was a long night but I'm so glad we went.  We move in one year and I wanted to make sure we got a chance to experience this before we move.  If you are ever here at the end of May or beginning of June, I highly recommend this experience.