First campout

Gaetan and I have always talked about doing a family camping trip.  We both like to camp, but the logistics of having 3 small ones was something I just couldn't wrap my mind around... especially when one is an infant.  But the Schampers had invited us to a campout in their back yard... which sounded perfect!  This way we could test the waters to see if it was something that the kids were actually going to like all with the safety net of not being in the middle of nowhere!  We decided to up the offer and see if they wanted to come to my parents house and use their back yard.  This way it was a new place for their kids, and my parents have a firepit and lots of trees around.  Added bonus that they have a ton of extra rooms for Tomo (who is pregnant) and Sakura to sleep inside with Lucy, Norah and I.  The boys were going to rough it in a tent.  :)

Well, the plans changed last minute.  Michael got a promotion at work (yay!) but that meant his schedule changed and he now had to work Saturday's (boo!).  So, the plan was that Tomo and the kids were going to come over during the day and we were still going to 'camp' but then they were going to head home at night because Michael wasn't entirely sure that Kai was going to like being in the tent.  But, then, plans changed last minute, again.  Michael got out of work early so that meant he was able to come but they came later in the day than expected... which is all good because Norah went back to sleep in the morning and let me sleep in til I woke up on my own (which is very rare!).

Getting some wood for the fire!

Kiddos hanging out 

Lucy showing off the tent

This is the way we camp... roughing it with some Big B haha

Getting it started!

Biggest marshmallows I have ever seen!

Goose's first go with a S'more

Kai gives it a big thumbs up!

Dude was just eating the chocolate out of the middle

How we resorted to cooking the hot dogs because it was to hot to stand up

Lunch!

Sakura loved them

I know she's a big baby but this picture just isn't doing her chins any favors...

The weather was hot but not to unbearable.  The worst part was cooking the hot dogs over the fire because we couldn't find our cooking sticks so the boys had to get pretty close to the hot fire on a hot day already... it was pretty interesting!  Kai really wasn't about being outside.  My Dad helped set up their tent and the kids liked playing in that for a little while but it wasn't long before they wanted to go in and play with all the toys Grandma and Don have!  We had lunch indoors (to cool off for the men who did all the cookery) and then made our way back out to have some S'mores.  After a nice sticky treat the kids wanted to go back indoors.  This entire time Norah had been sleeping so it was really easy for me!  I kept having to go back in and check on her periodically but no big deal!

They were sliding down the stairs on their bellies

The kids played inside really well together for the rest of the day until their kids crashed.  Both of our kids hadn't had naps and it was a pretty big day, so when they crashed, they crashed hard.  It all worked out because then that gave us time to get Lucy in bed and their sleeping situation set up in the tent.  They found this cute little place in between trees so it made it look like it really was camping in the woods.  And the boys had a blast!  Dude had never experienced fireflies before so he was enthralled with them.  Apparently Hippo was getting firefly kisses too!  And he thought that it was super cool that he got to stay up until the sun went down.  :)

First experience with fire flies :)

They were giving him 'kisses'

Hippo too!

Sweet boy in the morning.  He LOVED it

That meant that Momma had an entire evening to herself... Norah went down fairly quickly after the boys went outside so I had all sorts of time to myself.  My parents were still gone so the house was quiet.  I ended up watching a movie and playing Candy Crush... haha.  The epitome of doing nothing.  It was nice though but even towards the end of the night I found myself wishing Norah/Lucy would wake up or something so I could hang out with her or have something to do!  haha.

The camping trip was a big success.  The next morning Dude was so excited about and wouldn't stop talking about it... so we will have to do it again soon.

JVG