Saturday, April 13, 2013

First Camping Trip of the Year

We have a tradition where we go camping for Devon's birthday every year.  This year we were a few weeks late because of the weather.  We decided to go back to Meriwether Lewis National Park again.  It's beautiful and free- you can't beat that!  Everyone was so ready for our trip when it finally arrived!
The girls were so excited!
 Poor little Hallie didn't know what to think being in a little bitty box by my feet.
 As soon as we entered the campground Cadence left her seat for my lap!
 The bikes were the first things unloaded.
 Finding firewood was also on the to do list.
 Daddy had helpers.
 We saw lots of turkey!
They have done some work to the park since we were here last.  It's really nice!


After our hike we decided to explore the creek.
 It didn't take the girls long to ditch their shoes, grab their nets and wade in.






 They waded across to stand under the rocks for a shower.



 They really wanted to swim, but we promised to bring them back with their swimsuits and let them swim.


 When we got back to camp it was time to get the fire going to make dinner!
Everyone had a stick to poke it.


 Lyric and Story both decided to be smoke clearers.  They put their jackets on backwards and danced around to clear the smoke.  Luckily no one fell in the fire!

 I saw this yummy idea for quesadillas on Pinterest.  You just make your quesadilla, wrap it in foil and put it over the fire.  We made a foil packet with bell peppers and onions and let those cook over the fire and then added them to the quesadillas--YUM!


 Easy, tasty and you can eat it right on the foil- no plate needed;-)
 Lyric and Story liked them, but Cadence is not a quesadilla fan!  She had an avocado taco.
 Of course there were smores!






 Lyric used some of her birthday money to buy a kit that you put in the fire to turn it different colors.  It was really pretty!

 The next morning Lyric learned how to widdle.
 She had a good time doing it!
 Story Bell was trying to get the fire going, but she really just made lots of smoke!
 They held us to our word and we headed back to the creek with their swimsuits--even though it was freezing!  Since it was overcast and cold, so we talked them into coming back later in the afternoon when the sun was out and it was warmer.
 When we got back to camp they changed and grabbed their nature bags to go hiking.



 We headed out on this hike through the forest without a trail map.  We walked and walked and walked.  Devon is a pretty good judge for when we should turn around, so the girls don't get too tired and can make it back.  This day he and I both had lost our minds.  We kept thinking the trail was going to loop around, so we didn't have to turn around.
 It didn't!  We walked, and walked and walked and then we had to turn around and walk and walk and walk!  It was pretty rough!
 It was a beautiful hike!







 But by the time we were done we were D-O-N-E!
 On the way back to our site we visited with our neighbor, The Mississippi Redneck.
He had so much junk attached to his truck and trailer I couldn't believe it was legal to drive!

 He was a sweet old guy.  He loved the attention people gave his truck and he liked to talk.
 Later in the afternoon, it was still overcast and cold.  But we made a promise to take the girls to swim, so we did.  They were freezing!  Poor Lyric really wanted to swim, but it was too cold.  She was angry at Devon and I, angry at the weathermen and angry at the sun for not being out!








 Story and Cadence had a good time despite the cold.
Devon had a good time skipping rocks while the girls 'swam'.
 
We eventually headed back to camp for dinner and more smores.
We had a great time on this trip and realized it may be our only camping trip this year:-(
The baby will be here soon, then its going to be too hot to camp, and when it cools off again we will have a newborn.  I guess we will have to wait and see if we are brave enough to try camping with a newborn this fall.

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