camping season : the second trip of 2010

Dear Reader,

summer has come fast upon us, the thermostat in my home has been calculating numbers over 80 for the past week, school is out (for Julia), swim lessons are over, lack of regular routine is fresh, new and exciting. (i always beg for routine by the time August is ending, i love regular activities and schedules. But for now, it is lovely to be free of demands. love it. so much.)

Summer: ah. water, sweat, heat exhaustion, ice cubes, cold treats, splash-pool, sleepovers at Oma's house (yippeee!!), late nights around a camp fire, *ah, sigh* i do love summer.

Our camping trip from last weekend is the theme of my photos (above). We had a lovely trip up on sunday, i love setting up camp and eating fire-cooked steak. YUM. We pack up a lot of gear (i discovered, since it is normal to me, i never thought much of it, but our friends taught me otherwise. We went up with S and D, and they packed SO LIGHT, it made me look like i had packed for a month or two instead of three days!! haha)

But anyway, yes, we pack a lot of gear. I like to camp in luxury (haha, sort of!). Two tents: one for dave, mercy, adn I. One for Julia and Sam. A big air mattress for dave and I, tarps for those nasty summer storms, jackets (just in case), extra shoes (in case the kids jump in a puddle/etc), frisbee, bikes, helmets, books, sketching materials, two kitchen bins with every possible kitchen thingy, food, food, food (we like to eat well out of doors - J and P taught us the joy of good food mixed with beautiful nature!! ), oh, and don't forget the bike trailer, --and the camera -- and some pillows and blankets and sleeping bags and teddy bears and the beach bag (towels, sunscreen, bathing suits and water shoes in one convenient location! ta da!)....... you are getting the picture right? does anyone else have a van that looks like this before a THREE DAY camping trip?? yikes!! however scary it may seem, i wouldn't want it any other way. i love our camping trips, i love our out of doors luxury. i love it all.

However, i do not love the bugs.

The mosquito problem of JUNE did not bother me personally, it was more due to the excessive bites on my youngest children that these pests made my trip a bit tiresome. Sam and MErcy had so many bites, and were so uncomfortable, that i did not get a lot of sleep the second night we were camping. it was a painful 10pm-8am. ik. i think we have ruled out june camping for the rest of our lives (as long as we are in Mosquito land).

If we forget the long night, and the weary last day (which meant grumpy fussy hot itchy children) - it was a great trip! (haha) We had a splendid time exploring the fossils all over the rocky point, we spent hours at the beach, we walked and played. Next time i have a "game plan" to spend much more time sitting and reading, while the kids play. This trip was a "busy" three days, and i like to chill a bit more than i planned for this vacation. But that is all that was lacking, a plan. i always need a plan. :)

Enjoy the Photos!!