Camping at the Cove

Well, the much anticipated 5 night camping trip has come and gone and I am still here to tell about it :) The kids have been excited about this for months. So last week we began to pack up to leave for Cove Palisades State Park. Unfortunately on Saturday Eric threw out his back so there was a little bit of a concern that we may not make it, but at the last minute we pulled it together and were able to go. We were accompanied by or good friends and partners in crime the Salter family. So between us there were 7 kids (Noah is the only boy till Micah comes along) and 4 adults. We are quite the "herd" but we are a good "herd" and always have a fantastic time! This year it was quite a bit warmer then we expected. One of the days it was over 100! But, each day when it became too hot we just went down to the lake and floated for a couple of hours. All the kids just loved to play in the water. Other then that there were plenty of boulders to climb, Dirt to scoop up, bikes to ride and lizards to catch. I think there was only one time that I had to crack open the craft box to keep the kids busy. They did a great job finding things to do! The kids also played so hard that they slept great at night! Here are a few photos of our fun.

Our Home away from homeThere was lots of dirt... And Julia likes dirt, she can play in it for HOURS!Julia and Layelle played together in the dirt so well. They were adorable!
There were also lots of rocks. Over the course of the week there were many different "clubs" and hideouts. Apparently Reyna did not want her photo taken. But with a face like that it is quite necessary to share :)All ready to swim!Both Noah and Reyna were perfectly content to float around for hours. Julia loved floating in her little boat!
Julia was cold!Best Buds!My two handsome men.All of us Stifflers
Swimming wore the little ones out. This is one of the two short naps that Julia got over the week.Layelle looks like she means business.
When the temp is over 100 this very well may be the ONLY way to pass the time.Julia loved playing on the ScooterNew and interesting ways to get around :)
While we were there we got to celebrate Eric's 30th birthday!

Are we hugging or wrestling???
At the playground
Well that pretty much sums up our trip. A whole lot of hanging out! Now we are back to "real" life getting prepared for Noah and Reyna to start school in about 2 weeks and then little Micah's arrival in just under 3 months!

A trip to the park with Baba and Grandma.

A few weeks ago we were able to spend a little time with Baba and Grandma. The kids were really missing them and we were so excited to be able to spend a little time at our favorite park. Here are some photos of our afternoon together.

Swings!
My handsome Daddy :)
Look Baba I lost a tooth!

This guy is pretty handsome too :)Playing Catch!
The "little" sisters club Baba and Miss Reyna Fish LipsBaba and Grandma

A couple of photos....

I took this first photo about 2 years ago on a trip to Cove Palisades with the Salters. Reyna and Emelia are 3 and Noah and Adelynne are about 5 (almost 6)


This photo was taken last weekend by Michael. 2 years later and almost the exact same photo! I can't believe how much the kids have grown!

Family Camp 2009

Well, I am making good on my goal to blog more things :) So here are some photos of our second camping trip in 2 weeks!

You will notice that Eric is not in any of the photos. He had to work and stuff over the weekend so the three kids and I took off for Loomis Lake together! Loomis Lake is up near Long Beach, Wa only about a 2 hour drive from here.

We were able to tag along with our best buds the Salter Family. So Friday morning we all set off for camp! The drive there was great! We arrived at camp at around 2pm and there was a mix up in the camps scheduling, so we got to play for awhile while the other group finished up some different activities.

Here are a few photos of the trip courtesy of Rachel. I forgot my digital camera (at least it wasn't someones underwear) and the disposable cameras that I used haven't been developed yet.

Some fun at the beach! We had a sand sculpture contest.
Our sand sculpture. It was the Heavens and the Earth. The kids came up with the idea and I think they did a great job!
Me and my kiddos. They really were angels all weekend. I was so proud!And this is where I give a shout out to whoever invented the double jogging stroller. That thing is fabulous!
Little miss Julia hanging outJust some photos of the camp. We (all of us tent campers) slept in a meadow. There was a dining hall for all of our meals. The other pic is of the Loomis Lake. If you can imagine, The dining hall was in the "front yard" and the lake in the "back yard"Lunchtime!Having Fun!Best Friends!

Michael was super brave and took the older 5 to the beach while Rachel and I napped with the babies. They came home in the trunk cause they were all sandy:)In the process of getting sandy...
All and all it was a great trip, but we sure missed Eric! It may seem odd that we went to family camp with out a very important member of our family, but I can say I walked a way with a deeper appreciation for all that Eric does! I sure love that guy!