Weekend Snaps

I grew up camping and I loved it so much. There was nothing better than hitching up the RV and taking off to explore another part of region and enjoy the outdoors. Mind you, we had a microwave, bathroom and A/C so it certainly wasn't roughing it. The best part though - we camped with family. My uncle had an RV and you could usually find a bunch of my cousins around a campfire every night. Some of the funniest family stories were made and told on those trips.

So off we went to Jellystone with Nico and his two cousins in tow. 

We rented an RV instead of a cabin so that the kids could have the full experience. Which was great, but it sure was cozy.

I really like the Yogi Bear theming of the Jellystone parks. It's a little cheesy, but the kids loved meeting the characters. They don't remember the cartoon, but they've all seen the movie a few times.

A bit of decorating wit that that the boys found funny (we did too). Of course they tried to pull them off and add their own shoes.

We spent some time down by the lake fishing.

And this boy was very lucky + proud.

This is the first fish he's ever caught.  And the only big catch of the trip.

What's a camping trip without some afternoon ceramics. This was one of my favorite things about camping as a kid. 

They spent a lot of time at the playground - talking and pretending.

We let them dictate the schedule...we played games, skipped rocks and fed some ducks.

Being the Mom on this trip was so different. The last time I went camping I was in my late teens. I never realized the amount of work planning and packing the "Moms" did on our trips. I have to remember to thank them.

When I planned the trip, I remember thinking it would be so great for them to learn how to make S'mores, sit around a campfire and share stories. 

And these pictures really seem that way, don't they?

But, mostly they whipped burnt marshmallows at each other and chased one another around the trailer. Ha! Maybe in a couple more years.

So that's it. Our great big camping adventure. It's was fun + definitely on the books again for next year.