We had a bit of a reprieve from the rain last week. Unfortunately it has returned. Lots of flooding in various parts of PA again yesterday. Here's a picture I took while walking one beautiful morning last week. I'm hanging on to summer with all my might!
Hunter's daycare was closed last week, so I got to keep him on Wednesday. He's so low maintainence! He plays, eats, naps, and is pretty much happy about everything. I thought it was so cute when he played with our zoo animals. He wanted the mamas and babies to sleep beside each other, so we came up with some doll house furniture for them to sleep on, haha!!
Listen to him sing while he plays! Just melts my heart!
The big agenda last week was getting ready for a camping weekend. We knew ever since we had so much fun at the local KOA last summer that we definitely wanted to go there again. But wow! Finding a date got to be almost impossible. As it was, Lori had to be at a Penn State grad on Saturday, followed by a party she hosted for the grad student she had advised. Anthony had to be away part of Saturday to pick up and deliver the catered food for that party. And I had to be away Sunday morning to go to church because I already was off from church the weekend before and will be again this coming Sunday. But at least the camp is local, so we made it work!
On Friday morning I went to pick up Sammy and Bianca. Neither Jenn nor Sam could make it. It was her drill weekend and he had to work. The kids were so excited! When we got back to our house I got everything packed into my van except for some things that Dick would bring in the truck. We went to KOA around 3:00.
The very first thing they wanted to do was go to the jumping pillow.
Then we went to the pool. Just perfect for a very warm afternoon.
Around 6:00 Dick arrived with the camper, and Anthony and Lori and the boys arrived as well. They were renting a cabin. We took advantage of the camp's Friday evening pizza and wings delivery. After all the setting up was done we relaxed on Anthony and Lori's lovely deck.
On Saturday morning we had breakfast at our campsite. I made hash browns and eggs on our camp stove while Dick made bacon and English muffins over the fire. I guess I was too busy to take any pictures during that time. I took this picture of our campsite later.
Here's an adorable video I took after breakfast.
There was plenty for the kids to do throughout the morning. They just couldn't get enough of the jumping pillow. Sammy and Austin did some "mining" but I don't think anyone got pictures of that this year.
We had a lunch over at Anthony and Lori's cabin. At one point we actually managed to get all four kids to sit still for a picture. I called them the four musketeers and Austin immediately informed me of the definition of musketeer!
Lori had to leave then for the grad, and Anthony put Hunter down for a nap, so the rest of us decided to hit the pool. Dick took the kids down ahead of me and when I got there I discovered that we had almost forgotten about the bubble machine! They had given us a schedule of activities, but we hadn't even checked it that morning! They were having the greatest time!
Then it WAS pool time.
Bianca and I headed back to the cabin after an hour or so because Anthony needed to leave to pick up the food for Lori's party and Hunter was still sleeping. It wasn't long until Bianca was sleeping too.
When Dick and the boys got back and the other two had woken up I took them all to the playgrounds. Meanwhile Dick grilled hamburgers for our dinner.
Austin was obsessed with hunting for the "gold" coins that were supposedly hidden throughout the campground and could be turned in for a prize. They were hunting through all the sand.
And then more jumping pillow!
Dick had the hamburgers all grilled, but it was time for the hayride, so we did that first. We expected a nice, leisurely ride through the campground.
If Austin didn't look thrilled at the beginning, you should have seen him (and me!) later.
We were taken up the mountain on the muddiest, curviest trail. Austin and I were at the very front of the wagon and could see every mud hole, feel every jerk and creak. These pictures do not at all show the mud, the curves, or the hills. Or the branches brushing against us. I absolutely felt that we would overturn or that the tractor would come back on top of us when going up the muddy hills, or that we would get stuck and have to walk back to the camp in that mud. It was truly horrible. Others thought it was fun. Austin and I most certainly did not!
We were hungry for our hamburgers when that was over!
Anthony was back by then and we ate on the deck of their cabin. But we didn't take long, because there was ice cream being served in the pavilion. Not just any old ice cream either - Penn State ice cream!
We had more fun at the playground and jumping pillow.
There was a family group there that was assembling for a picture near the playground. I asked if they needed someone to take the picture and they were happy for me to do it with one of their phones. As they were arranging themselves Hunter backed himself up right into the picture. Oh how we laughed!! I wish I had a picture of it, but I wasn't holding my own phone.
Lori got back soon after that. I took Sammy and Bianca to the bathhouse for showers and then we finished the evening off with s'mores at the fire pit behind the cabin. We were a tired bunch!!
On Sunday morning I got up early and went up to the wonderful bath house to get ready for church. I had not had a chance to even shower on Saturday, so I was glad for some alone time! The bath house has seven private bathrooms! I left around 8:00 for church, and the kids were still sleeping. The camp serves a pancake and sausage breakfast on Sunday mornings, so our gang was provided for while I was away! Here's a picture Lori took of the kids that morning.
I was back at the camp at 10:45 and got busy right away. Our campsite had to be vacated by 12 noon because new people were coming. We made it just in the nick of time!!
Thankfully no one new was coming for Anthony and Lori's cabin, so we were able to stay for the afternoon. We had lots of fantastic leftovers for lunch - the Hogfather's BBQ mac and cheese, brisket, pulled chicken, and baked beans left from Lori's grad party. Also some of our leftover hamburgers.
The weather was perfect for eating on the deck.
Bianca loved that spicy mac and cheese!
Anthony was telling us about his hilarious predicament the day before when his phone dropped into a small crack between the bed and the headboard. Hunter had just fallen asleep and when he tried to quietly get the phone it went even further down. We were just cracking up.
Sammy was all ears. He loves a good story, and he could probably retell it in detail!
I enjoyed the lovely view from my place at the table.
After lunch Hunter and Bianca both went down for naps.
Lori took Sammy and Austin to the pool. Dick took our coolers and the camper and went home. I cleaned up the kitchen. When I was finished I woke Bianca up and we drove to the pool to pick up Sammy.
As we drove away from camp Sammy commented that it would be a long drive to our house. I said, "Oh no it won't be. It only takes about 15 minutes to get to our house from here." WELL. I made a right turn a bit too soon and found myself on a ramp onto Route 80 East. What????? There was no way to get turned around. I could not believe it!! Sammy was worried that we were lost, but I told him that no, we weren't lost, but we must look for an exit sign so we could get turned around. When I checked my google maps I saw that the next exit was still ten miles away! GRRRRR!! So on and on we went. I was so mad at myself that one time when I looked down I noticed that I was going 80 miles per hour. I could just imagine getting stopped for speeding on top of all this. So I set my trusty cruise control.
Meanwhile in the seat behind me there was an argument about snacks and in the process all the snacks ended up on the floor where none of us could reach them. So there weren't even snacks to eat on that long extra drive. After we finally got off Route 80 and on the road toward home, I pulled over and rescued all those snacks from the floor, gave everyone a drink of water from our big jug, and we were happy that last leg of the journey.
We weren't at our house very long before we hit the road again, this time with Grandpa, to take the kids to their other grandparents' house above Harrisburg. And then we made the trip back home.
We were two exhausted old people when we hit the sack that night!!
I'll finish this post off with a sunset picture I captured this evening. So often we don't see the sunsets because of the mountain, so I was glad I had looked out the window at just the right time.
Have a good rest of the week!
