camping

[First note, in my last post when I bemoaned the passing of time .... and I was all "too bad it's August 10th already" and in reality it was already August ELEVENTH.  oh well.  shows how often I use my calendar, huh?  It's not the first (or last) time I had the date wrong.] 

But I know with absolutely clarity that today is the day before my second daughter's 6th birthday!  Oh my Lydia, what joy you bring.  We are ready to celebrate with balloons on the light fixtures and cake waiting for frosting and a little friend coming for a sleepover and a breakfast date with Daddy and presents to open.  Lydia is one easy to celebrate little girl :)

Before the camping trip becomes too much a part of history I want to make sure and post some pictures.  Matt and two other friends (fathers) joined forces and planned an incredible camping trip.  God simultaneously planned an incredible summer storm with huge booms of thunder and light-up-the-sky lightning that made for a rainy muddy night, but the smiles were still big when they all rolled back home the next morning.

Pre-storm (hot and sweaty) hiking

 

and cooking (a repeat camping spot for Matt and the kids, this area is home to some sort of old youth camp so there are abandoned fire pits and concrete bench/tables with an incredible view of the valley below)

Something about a hot dog cooked over a fire... it just tastes better that way!

And a mini-celebration for Lydia's birthday with S'mores instead of birthday cake (of course!)

 

After sundown the clouds rolled in and the night got wet things and the sleep got harder to come by.  Oh, and muddy.  Really really muddy.  There was much gear and clothing and shoes to be cleaned up the next morning, that's for sure :)  The kids all crashed here (while John Paul and Luke ran wild circles around them) and the Dads worked on gear clean up in our parking garage. 

Worth it, at least I *think* that's what Matt and the other dads would say! 

I know there are more camping trips in our future.  John Paul is definitely ready (he got left out of this trip since the other kids were all elementary school-ers) and our Luke isn't too far off.  Matt took Julianna on her first camping trip before her second birthday!