Sept 2014: A few last Summer Camping Trips

We got out camping about 4 times this year...not quite as many as I would have hoped, but more than we have in the past few summers, so I'll take it! There's just something so great about camping...being entertained by the great outdoors, a slower pace of life, making lots of memories, and just living in a more simple way for a few nights.

One of our last camping trips brought us to McCarthy State Park just for a night, where we camped with my cousins (the Ericksons!!!) while they were partaking in their annual church camping weekend. It was a beautiful weekend, and the beach was to die for if you have toddlers as we do...I think we spent a majority of our days at the beach, while taking a few breaks here and there for the occasional ice cream treat, a quick hike, and enjoying the church campfire, and of course to eat and cook some great food over the fire!

And two weeks later, we took a longer camping trip (4 days this time) to Camp Vanasek, where I successfully planned and lead a family camping trip for my church (1st Annual, as I deemed it...). We had a great time. Another great beach...fun getting to know families from my church on a different level...lots of kids to play with each other, and even some early morning crafts that I planned (check out the bed-head! Love it!)

Overall, it's a great way to end our summer, as we were already feeling the pressures of fall hitting us.  It was so great to have one last long weekend of camping and getting away from it all (even though I was leading this camping trip...I kept it pretty casual with only a few planned activities). 

May 2014: Memorial Day Camping Trip

We've been out of the camping realm for way too long. I guess that's what having babies will do to you, but we decided that it was time (after a 1.5 year lull) to get back in the game and endure on some camping excursions. So for Memorial Day Weekend this year, I took the weekend off of work, called the Erickson's to see if they were game (our Memorial Day Camping Partners in Crime), borrowed a pop-up camper (after this experience, which seems worse now that it's been a few years, I said I would never camp in a tent again over Memorial Day), packed our gear, and we headed off to Hayward, WI for a great camping weekend. 

We camped at this brand new park called Treeland RV Park in Hayward, WI and we were impressed! A Great pool on site, beautiful and spacious sites with full hook-ups, a play ground, volleyball, pickle ball, kayak and paddle-boats to use, and awesome bathrooms (hey...that's a big deal when you're camping!) and friendly staff who left us alone for the most part, except when the maintenance guy gave us his personal eggs when we asked if they had any to purchase so that we could have eggs for breakfast one day (so nice of him!!) 

And the girls?? Yep...they loved it. Every single minute of it. From being in the camper...

to playing in nature and being outdoors 24/7. (Not to mention we had PERFECT weather of low 80's and sunny every day and barely any bugs!!)

And because Adelyn & Olivya would wake up earlier than everyone else, they also found great joy in playing with the water spicket and a couple of buckets each morning while we waited for other people to wake up...

As I mentioned, we spent the weekend hanging out with our awesome family members, enjoyed some kayaking, made sure to blow some bubbles here and there, played at the park and in the sand, made great dinners over the fire (and made some pico too), and of course took a daily trip to enjoy an afternoon ice cream treat...

We managed to wear these two out every day! Even though they never wanted to go to bed because they didn't want to miss out on the fun that everyone else was having while they slept, once we got them down for naps and at bedtime, they were OUT!!

What a great weekend spent with family, in God's creation, and engaged in "natural" and fun experiences! And feeling blessed that we got to spend a weekend with incredible family (and friends) who love up our girls!! Definitely glad that we are back to camping trips...I sure did miss them!!