Camping frenzy - Part III - (beachin it)

PART III - Beachin It

How do you ensure children that 5 children, six and under,

get a good night sleep?????

Swim, swim, swim

(and float)

and lots of sand play....

Daddy and Mr. Flack got together a few months ago 

and purchased a couple of kayak...

 Elijah was beyond excited for his first time out!

 we will definitely do that again!  

Cousin Megan got addicted too; 

have a feeling she will be checking out some lakes and rivers

 back in MT when she returns home!

Camping frenzy - Part II (Hiking)

PART II - Hiking

The weather couldn't have been more suited for a morning of hiking!

so we huddled around...

(covering a few safety rules - i.e. don't walk off the cliff!)

and headed out!

The views around this state park were magnificent!

This was a favorite stopping point, 

to look for trains coming across the bridge below.

 this spot was actually taken from a campsite (NOT OURS!)

one that the adults would like to re-visit when little people aren't with us
(no sleeping for the mamas with kiddos this close to the cliff)

we climbed to new heights.... 

going up into a "treasure cave"

then back for the campsite for a little lunch before hitting the beach!

Camping frenzy - Part I (the campsite)

Last weekend we explored new Wisconsin territory at Wyalusing State Park.

We had sooooooooooooo much fun....

that our blog entries are going to have to be broken up

 in sections to avoid overwhelming you. 

They are worth sharing though! 

Part I - the campsite

heading out...

This was our 2nd annual camping trip with our great friends/neighbors, the Flacks.

 cousin Megan joined in on the outdoor adventure...

 These experiences are ones I hope the kids will treasure for a lifetime!

 Breakfast on site....

 

coloring during down-times...

 set up camp...

and be one with nature :)
(This was too cute to pass up!!!!) 

What else can make a campfire complete????
S'MORES of course!

 

ahhhhhh, sweet dreams little one.
Getting rest for the busy day of activities ahead.

 

summertime

Our Wisconsin summer has started off with quite the heat wave.

Which, lucky for us, our kiddos LOVE the water

and have adapted quite well with frequent swimming outings.

see you soon...

Last week we had to let Mimi and Papa go back home.

Lydia got in a few last-minute snuggles with Papa first.

 Thankfully, we didn't scare cousin Megan with her first week here, 

and she agreed to stay the course and help us out over the next 5 weeks.

She has been a beautiful blessing 

as we have now jumped head first into summer activities and fun...

We will be thanking her for months to come!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH!!!

Mommy is having a really hard time figuring out 

where the last 3 years have gone.  

For some reason, it seems reasonable for Noah to be 6, 

and Hannah to be 4....

but Elijah to be 3, how??

Noah was a super big brother on Elijah's birthday, 

including a very thoughtful, homemade birthday hat

that he insisted Elijah wore at dinner.
(thankfully Elijah participated very nicely)

Noni and Papa brought up the yummy cake,

decorated just to E-man's liking....a traffic jam 

full of fun cars/buses/and emergency vehicles.

For an extra-special birthday treat....

 Papa and Mimi were here to celebrate

and cousin Megan too!!!

(we are soooooooooooo excited, 

she gets to spend the next 6 weeks with us!!!)

Elijah's pretty easy when it comes to gifting....

he is just so excited, he loves everything!!!

and is thrilled it is finally his birthday

(thanks Uncle Bruce, Brandon and Avery)

His very own life jacket, 

which he wore for the remainder of the party

until convinced he could move around better after taking it off :)

Vehicles is definitely a love - so this big garbage truck was a huge hit 

(except for the fact that his big brother thinks it's pretty cool too, 

and sharing is a bit of a "work-in-progress")

Happy birthday big guy!

Mommy and daddy love you; 

we love your excitement for life;

we love your non-stop chatter;

we love the unique Elijah-way of saying phrases;

we love your tender spirit and polite disposition;

we love to read endless stories to you 

and watch you play with your cars for hours and hours.

God blessed us immensely on June 11th, 2009; 

and continues to bless us, daily!