Camping Trip

Camping is Fun!

This past weekend was our 2nd Annual Family Camping Trip! We added our cousin and her family to the fun this year. Last year on our 1st family camping trip (which was...interesting) it was just me and my family, my sister, and her boyfriend. The campground that we went to was dirty and disappointing and will rename nameless (but let's just say it rhymes with Halt Dork!). This year we chose a new (clean) park, my kids were a year older, and we let go and just had fun! We were able to check off several of our 70 Days of Summer Activities during our 3 day trip and I got pictures of most of them!

We checked off number 24-make smores  on our last night there. Now, I did not get a picture of this (and I should have) but my husband may have invented the most delicious camp-out-sitting-around-the-fire-treat EVER. You'll want to take notes. No really. Go get some paper and a pen. He sprayed a pie iron then put in two pieces of white bread in it  and loaded it with marshmallows and an entire Hershey bar. AAHHH! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. After a few minutes of sitting at the edge of a blazing hot fire what resulted was an unbelievably ooey, gooey, chocolaty delicious treat that words fail to fully describe! If you have other yummy campfire treats please share, I have a feeling I'll be buying some wood very soon :)

Number 29-make mud pies

These mud pies started out as dirt pies.

Then the kids decided to make mud pies by adding water from the water fountain.

Then they thought it would be more fun to squish their toes and splash around in it. (This picture makes me think of the grape-squashing from the wine-making episode of I Love Lucy :) )

Filthy



and I love it!


Number 33-play with sparklers

Using the extended shutter time on his camera, my cousin's boyfriend Mike took a picture of the kids playing with sparklers. So cool!

Ooooooo. Aaaaaahh.


Number 41-go on a family camping trip

I think I covered that one already, but here's a group photo that we took on the last day before we drove away from our campsite. The Sponge is so sassy I love it!

Number 46-go swimming

The park that we were at had a lovely beach and Marina and a beautiful lodge. We took the kids swimming in the lake (okay my husband did, I didn't bring my suit on purpose-body issues but I'm working on it- but once they got out there I wish that I had :(  ) and the kids had a blast.

Number 54-look for rainbows

Now, when I originally wrote this one I was thinking about looking for rainbows when it was raining, but I like how we found ours better. After the kids made their mud pies they were filthy from face to feet and I took them to the water fountain/spigot to rinse them off and in the mist of the water we saw rainbows! I tried to get a good picture of it but I don't think it came out too well.

Our "home-made" rainbow :)

Number 59-start a nature collection

My daughter has always loved picking up rocks that she thought were special in any place from the parking lot at BJ's to the local playground and now my son has developed the same fondness for these little gems. While on a trip to the playground near our campsite The Hulk started digging in the sand at the foot of the slide...

The Hulk's favorite playground equipment

Finding treasures

and found these.

The rest of the weekend was filled with the kids looking for more treasures as they both were building up their new rock collections.


So, in 3 short days we were able to create many wonderful memories and cross 7 of our summer activities from our list. What fun things are you doing this summer?