Monday, July 23, 2007

Back from a Weekend of Camping

What a wonderful weekend we had camping together! I'm amazed at how many people don't like camping, and equally how many people think I am crazy for camping with such little children. It was absolutely fine, and our kids slept so late both mornings, that we joke that we may camp every Friday night just so we all can sleep in on Saturday mornings (all 3 kids slept until about 8 am - that's late for us)!

When we arrived at the campground on Friday night, it literally started pouring the moment we drove into our site. Yikes - my husband got everything set up quickly as I stayed under the trees with the kids, and we only got a little damp. Saturday morning we woke to beautiful sunshine, and we figured if the kids could sleep so great in the rain, than surely they would sleep even better after a busy day in the sunshine! And we were right. After a full day of watching mountain bike races and walking, we headed back to camp and ate spaghetti and garlic bread, and then enjoyed smores with our neighbor-campers, who had 2 young kids. It was a fun time. Here's some pictures of our adventures!

Car all packed, and kids ready to go!

Right outside our tent
My husband fixing our oldest son's flat tire

Our oldest son enjoying breakfast by the campfire


Our middle son preferred eating his donut at the picnic table


Our daughter cruising along the picnic table benches
Here's our daughter enjoying sucking on some clover. She would not keep it out of her mouth. It was "nummy" as she says! Well since it is edible, I kind of let her go to town (within reason!) Good thing she's my third child! I would have freaked out if our oldest did this as a baby!
Our oldest son discovered he's an expert at catching newts. Our middle son liked to watch, but when he touched them he would let out a yell while quickly bringing his hand back! Our oldest son and the "neighbor" kids would catch 20-30 at a time and then we would make them let them go and start over again! Here's our oldest trying to convince our middle son to touch one of the newts.
Here's a close-up of one of our oldest's finds.
And one of Daddy's finds - this is a crayfish
I was thankful I brought our middle son's favorite toy - a toy lawnmower. He is such a busy boy! He works even while on vacation!

Daddy and our middle son enjoying some one on one time. All five of us took a little cruise around the pond in this boat that the campground provided.
I'm so thankful for the rainy day God provided today, just perfect to be at home catching up on the laundry and unpacking from the weekend. The boys are enjoying a movie, while our daughter sleeps, and it is a blessing to be home today.

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Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;
Home-keeping hearts are happiest,
For those that wander they know not where
Are full of trouble and full of care;
To stay at home is best.

Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;
To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;
The bird is safest in its nest;
O'er all that flutter their wings and fly
A hawk is hovering in the sky;
To stay at home is best.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow