Camping 2020

After a fun celebration of Darling Arlo turning 5, we headed north to Eisenhower State Park. The boys piled into the Jeeper Beeper with Dad & we had a girl party with music and car dancing in Trusty Rusty, our old Expedition. He makes lots of noises like he might not survive another drive but he keeps going! He ate all my cds a couple years ago and sounds like he is continuing to chew & digest one every 6 minutes. He also exhibits a loud click from the back row near the window. We always tell the kids to stop rhythmically banging even though we know it's Rusty doing his death roll. 

That's all beside the point though. We were en route to camp but had to make a stop at Buc-ee's. Since my parents moved to our street in September, we will likely not drive south on 45 & have the pleasure of stopping at Buc-ee's in Madisonville. So, there we were, walking around collecting all the good snacks, trying to be "fun parents," and resisting buying all the cute Texas shirts and home decor. 

It had been almost a year to the day since our last campout. We had made a reservation for March 2020 but we all know what happened that month so, it was postponed until it wasn't like a furnace outside. We did hope for something between a sauna & a freezer. Last time it was in the mid-thirties over night. The kids were dressed in multiple layers, 3 pairs of socks, wrapped in towels & shoved in their sleeping bags. Robby woke up every two hours and ran the gas heater in the tent to warm us up. He decided against risking our lives by leaving it on all night. He also was the midnight driver to the bathroom, bless his soul. He said he didn't mind since the Jeep has heated seats. Why didn't think of sleeping in there?! 

This time God gifted us with a warm first day, hurricane force winds the next day, then too chilly weather for this girl. The kids never seem to mind what the weather is when they have the option to run free & as parents, we are delighted to explore the great outdoors during COVID year. 

Last year they could see this cave from a distance & this time we were able to scramble up some giant rocks & go inside! 

There is a beach area that was mostly ours. Definitely warm enough to be in the water on Day 1.

Our campsite last year was two over from this one. I remembered the number & we were able to book it for this trip. It was big enough to throw the baseball & could have accommodated 7 hammocks between all of those trees! 

Once the cooler air blew in, our Florida babies still wore their flip flops, but I guess the fire kept their tootsies toasty. 

Arlo & I are best buds. He is constantly telling me that he just likes to be with me. He is always up for a snuggle. Of course his chair was permanently planted next to mine : ) 

Speaking of the cold air blowing in....the kids could lean backward and not fall over. The videos we have still make me giggle! The waves were bigger than the ones we played in on the gulf coast of Florida!  We could walk (or accidentally tumble as some did) down a steep hill that backed up to our campsite then climb over lots of rocks & fallen branches to get to the water. When the wind was howling, we could scream & the kids couldn't hear us...that's nice for trying to keep kids safe ; )  

Here is Arlo testing out his powers over the winds & waves & writing his name. 

They were begging to get in the water when it was maybe 55-60 degrees outside. Robby said let them do it...isn't he fun. I was worried we would be visiting with CPS for child endangerment. They were frozen and enjoyed a hot shower. They only liked the hot water, they hated the spiders, the fire hose strength water pressure, the possibility of peeping people & trying to dry off without stepping on the disgusting ground. I might agree with those things but it always feels great to get the campfire smell out of my hair! 

We enjoyed some hiking after the winds died down a bit. 

We couldn't seem to stay away from the rocks. We climbed while chasing the nimble children so much that our old ankles were sore for days. 

I would never deface a rock (or even think it was worth it to carve for that long) but I did like what was in the heart. 

Owen especially liked this rock because it looked like a giant boat. 

Arlo especially liked smores and spooky campfire stories. I am awful at making them up so I usually read one, memorize then re-tell. This campout was probably the least favorite of all the stories. I don't actually remember that much of it but what I do remember is everyone's disappointed looks, ha! Oh well, at least we had hot chocolate! 

The girls have grown so much in the past year. Char wears so many of my shirts now & I just couldn't help but order myself a pair of matching, cozy, camo pants! They did their best to keep me warm at night but I just HATE being cold! My air mattress lost its air both nights and I ended up on the ground. That was nice. At least our kids did a great job sleeping! 

The kids love the trip to the bathroom because they get to go sans seatbelt AND ride in the front seat! 

Robby attempted some fishing one afternoon but it was extremely windy so we gave it another go before heading home. It can be stressful with 5+ poles & hooks flying everywhere, yikes! We did not plan ahead and decided to use some mozzarella cheese sticks (monster-ella as we call it).  It was pretty funny as we arrived at the same time as another family who had night crawlers for bait & we had to report what we were using. Guess who caught the first fish? Yes, it was us! Sadly, Eloise caught one while Robby had to deal with someone's tangled line so by default I had to get it un-hoooked. It's been awhile since I've fished and I can't say that I have ever been all that skilled. Long story short, it was hooked through it's gill, I did my best, we threw him back in & minutes later there was a dead fish floating. Eloise Doolittle was incredibly sad and trying to not be angry with me. She called me a fish killer once we were in the car. So, the trip ended on a sad note for her but we have fished multiple times since then & I have not assisted with that part. Safe way to stay on her good side ; )

Here is our last pic before leaving our rocky playground. 

We will keep our eye on the weather & get out there again!