First time for everything!

And luckily it went well (good?). We were finally able to go camping! The Taylor's came up with the idea, and it turned out to be a great one. It ended up being the Taylor's, The Saunder's, The Kirchmann's and us Bowers', a great crowd, and a pretty perfect weekend for a little camping trip, even if it was threatening to get a little too hot.

I have to admit I was worried. I am the stressing queen and I thought I was gonna lose it at some point or another, but I didn't (until we started packing up, and Natalie who was out of this world tired wouldn't stop whining and I made her sit in the camp chair to cool off, but that was just parenting, NOT losing it, I swear!). Probably the hardest part of the whole trip was the getting there! Planning and packing all that food, and all those supplies was crazy, but we did it, and the kids were great helpers, and somehow it all got done.

I think we all had a good time, my kids were thrilled to be able to be out in nature. With us not having a yard it is a real treat to be able to just play outside and I love when they get that chance. And I love when I get that chance to sit in my camp chair and watch them run around! We did all the traditional things; s'mores, foil dinners, sitting, fishing. It was a stereotypical camping trip, absolutely wonderful!

This is my favorite picture of Natalie that I took. I took it early, early this morning when no one else was around. She was being so precious and it is a perfect picture of why that is my favorite time of the whole trip, quiet and serene.Brady was having fun after breakfast posing and playing with the pole. He was kinda cracking me up.Of course going to bed was a HARD thing for these guys. Not only were they sleeping in a strange place on the strange ground 5 inches from each other, the next camp site over had a BUNCH of wild and crazy people with absolutely horrible music and mouths. So of course I stayed in the tent so I could sing them to sleep that they wouldn't be lulled to sleep by the music that was blaring. We kept sitting up and playing and having fun with the flash light, they had fun making silly faces in the dark. Luckily once they went to bed, they stayed asleep and somehow the three of us stayed asleep during the commotion that went on around 3 o'clock when the revelers were finally booted for all their problems (I think the straw that broke the Ranger's back was that they were throwing picnic tables in the lake!).Missy took some wonderful pictures all around the site. This one made me cry a little. How could she know that I have a love affair with these little feet. These little feet that are so sweet and pudgy and soft. These sweet little feet that will one day be huge and smelly and huge! This picture is a treasure, an absolute treasure that I will love forever. And my Natalie. What is it about my children's feet that I love so much? I have no idea, but I do. I love them. Three buddies! Love this one SO much. They all look so happy and carefree, and I think they felt that way too!This one cracks me up, I hope Ewan is laughing because it just wouldn't be as good if he were upset. But I can still tell Brady was being a pest! Not the first time he will bug Nat's friends, of that I am certain.Sarah got this cute pic of me and Kelli. I think Kelli looks adorable, and I think my head looks to small for my body!Dig, dig, dig! So happy with sand tools and dirt. Just as it should be. Kelli caught Natalie picking at him like a monkey, and after a while I found out why! She had poured dirt onto his little blond head! And I will tell you it took forever to wash out! Buds. Brady always asks about Fynn. I think he knows that Fynn and he share like interests, all things boy! So, a good time was had all around. We are glad to have finally found a place to go camping and I am sure we will go back. This time armed with a better lantern and maybe some water guns!