shake down trip

The first camping trip of the season is always a little disorganized.  Things need replaced in the camper and even with a list I always forget a few things.  Add in a cold snap after several 90+ days and torrential rains and that was our trip this last weekend.  Nate and kids came up to join us and having little ones around takes non-stop energy.  That's why you have them when you're young.  Both kids were great, well behaved and full of imagination.  Our little guy decided with Grandpa's cool hat he was a great adventurer.  Add in a spy glass(paper towel tube) and a magnifying glass and he was in little boy heaven.  JJ loves to cook and helped a lot with the food prep.  Her favorite part was frosting and decorating cup cakes and then being the waitress to serve them.  We'll see if that happens in a few years when she's a teen!  Add in a trip to Amish land, a visit to a a country store and a motorcycle ride.  They didn't miss the high tech gadgets and mind numbing video games.

crazy people part two

We are tired, there's still a ton of laundry and the camper is a wreck but we survived our family camping trip.  Actually we had a great time.  The grand kids were well behaved and I only heard "I'm bored" once.  A suggestion to hang the offender by her toes in the whining tree stopped that.  The adult kids were slightly less behaved, but we expected that.  We ate, walked trails, ate, went to the playground, went swimming ate, had a water balloon fight, ate, did arts and crafts and ate again.  What is it about the outside air that makes everyone starving all the time?  We had such a good time we are already planning the next trip, but not in July!

Picture 1 how do you set up a tent?


#2 I've always said I got really lucky in the DIL department.  I've got the sweetest, nicest women married

to my sons.  This is Barb, married to Nathan.  My pic of Sara would not behave and kept leaving the page.  If you knew the real Sara you would know how unlike her that is.  DIL Brandi couldn't come, she was preparing for a work trip.  She was missed.

#3 cousins love to play together.  Brendan and Jaydin.












#4 our favorite camping activity, eating.

#5  Diva, camp mascot and guard dog.

The big boys used more water balloons on each other than they made for the kids.

Chase the little guy, loves to get dirty.  He was into moving gravel with a shovel this weekend.

Grandpa worn out, fell asleep in the middle of a pack of rowdy kids.

The whole gang below l-r Ronnie, Nathan, Rich I've been blessed with wonderful sons and grandkids.

Katelyn idolizes Kaylie.

crazy people

I'm pretty sure we could be considered certifiable when you hear of our plans for the weekend.  We are going camping.  Not so bad with a queen size bed, AC, a potty and running water.  We are taking all three sons(citified all of them) assorted wives and 5 grand kids ages 2-12.  They are all going to be sleeping in a tent.  That's meals, snacks, clothes,bug spray, towels and activities for 13 people.  Now do you think we're crazy?  I have bubbles, squirt guns(I get the biggest one in self defense), water balloons, a quilt square project for the kids on Sat and they will probably go into town to the pool in the PM.  There are trails to walk and a playground nearby, that should take care of the first hour or two. 
We've divided up the cooking, I'm doing pasta salad and garlic bread tonight.   It's already made and in the frig.  Bacon and eggs and coffee cake for breakfast Saturday.  Brats and burgers for dinner and pancakes and smokie links for breakfast Sunday.  And smores, and fruit, and cookies and juice boxes, and water bottles and chips, and candy bars.  The adults eat a lot, the kids want to snack all the time.  Did I mention it's gong to be in the 90's?  See I told you we were crazy, because we will love it every sticky hot demanding minute of it.  I'll post pics Monday.