We went camping!

July 4th weekend, 2014

I know it probably seems unbelievable that I took not a single picture from our first camping trip with all the boys.  Yes, I had the camera with me.  I also had Thomas in the Ergo or on my hip most of the time.  And getting the camera out at the beach can sometimes be a sandy mess, which it was this time, as there was a bit of wind.

A few months ago a friend in my Bible study group called to Bellows Air Force base to see if there were any group camp sites available.  Bellows is on the east side of the island and is used for marine training.  There is a campground, group camp sites, cabins, and beautiful beaches.  Anyway, my friend invited all of us from the Bible study and our families to come enjoy the campsite.  After talking to Mike about it (a few times, just to really be sure we were up for it), we decided to try it.  Initially we were going to go for two nights, Thursday and Friday.  But Thursday Mike got home early from work and then got called back in within a couple hours, while we were in the process of trying to pack.  Thomas was a bear at that point and I could not see myself heading to the campsite without him, trying to put up the tent.  Nope, not gonna happen.  So, I got Thomas in bed and broke the news to the boys.

Jackson and Max are so easygoing and while they were disappointed, they were also understanding.  Thankful for them.

Friday morning, we got up, and had a good breakfast, finished packing and headed out.  By the time we arrived at the campsite, after sitting in a bit of traffic, it was HOT.  But, Mike and the boys pitched the tent with only a little help from me.  My friend Laura held on to Thomas for a bit so I could help them.  We then decided we needed to cool off, so it was off to the beach.  The beach is always fun.  Thomas likes the water, but not the waves or the sand.  Jackson and Max like it all, lol.

We made it back to the campsite ready to eat!  I got a watermelon, which Max usually loves.  Now, at home, I usually cube the pieces.  But for camping, I thought it would be easier to cut triangles on the rind.  Well, wouldn't you know, Max just would not have it that way.  My watermelon lover did not love the way I prepared the watermelon.  The pickiness!!!  We kept the other food simple:  cut veggies (and hummus for me), hot dogs, and Pringles.

Later we joined all the friends at the fire pit with glow bracelets and necklaces, as well as smores.  Because what would a camping trip be without smores?  Unless you're Jackson and Max and you don't like the mess of the smores once put together.  Mike and I ate the put together smores, both ours and the boys.  Then, Jackson proceeded to eat just Hershey's chocolate and Max ate marshmallows.  What a pair!!

Onto sleep.  I thought it would be easiest to just let Thomas sleep with me.  Or not.  It was a bit humid inside the tent and we were both rather sticky.  He woke a number of times, which also woke Mike.  Max and Jackson shared an air mattress and in the middle of the night Mike was up moving Max back onto it.  He had thrown his legs off the mattress.  Up until that second time Mike was up with Max, there was some possibility that we would stay for two nights.  However, after this, Mike turns to me and says, "ONE NIGHT."  Thomas had already been up a few times at that point, so I was on board.  But that moment was pretty hilarious.

Some time in the night, rain came down.  And somehow it got into the tent and dripped on us.  That was fun.

The next day Mike and Jackson woke first and my amazing husband went and found a Starbucks.  He even knew what kind of latte I would order.  We hung out with the friends and let the kiddos run around for a bit.  We let the tent dry out and then packed it up.  We headed back to the beach with the friends and enjoyed the beautiful water and each other.

It was a fun, chaotic, hot, and busy day and a half or so.  When we got home, we put the tent up in the backyard and let the boys play.  Then, Mike slept on the couch that night so they could camp out together in the backyard.  He is a really fun, and nice, daddy.  I slept much better in the bed, lol.

Overall, we learned that little Thomas might need to be a bit bigger before we try camping again, but we do plan on trying it because Jackson and Max just loved it.  Thankful for the good friends that invited us along with them!!