We Went Camping!

Yes we did - we went camping last weekend and had a blast!  Here's our trip in a nutshell :-)

Friday
Food: Bernie O's Pizza and Popcorn!
Fun: Arrival and the Drive-in
The Plan: We planned to leave home around 1:00, which we did, but we had several stops to make to so we didn't arrive to the campground until 3:45. 
Tidbits:
1) When I started putting things in our cooler I discovered that our small "drink" cooler had bit the dust.  We stopped on the way out and bought a new cooler with a gift card we got from the dentist last week. 
2)  While waiting in line to check in, we had a "show" The ice truck was delivery . .. ice . . .and the poor delivery guy lost an entire pallet of ice off the back of his truck.  Yes, I giggled. 
3) It took Darryl three trips to the office to get into our cabin.  First, they did not give us the code; Second the code did not work; Third, they gave him a key.
4) Nate fell out of bed.  I expected this to happen, though, so I had actually built a pallet on the floor just below his bed so when he did fall out, he landed on lots of blankets and I just covered him back up :-)
The Story:
Once we got our key, we unloaded and set up camp.  By the time we finished, we were tired so, instead of roasting hot dogs, we switched plans and headed to Bernie O's for pizza (Our favorite place, ever!)  It was a nice break and allowed us to refresh and cool off before heading back to our site.  After getting the boys in their PJ's, we loaded up in the truck and headed to the Drive-in to see Ice Age 4.  This was the boys first time at the Drive-in and they loved it.  They managed to stay up through half the movie and literally went from wide-eyed, to out cold in 3 seconds flat.  They were so out of it that they never woke up when we moved them into their car seats nor when we moved them into their beds.
Something Special:

The week before we left, I found these two cute canteens at Wal-Mart.  This is Nates (Josh's was in the fridge!) They were the special "treat" when we went to the movies. 
Photos:

Saturday
Food:
Breakfast:  Bacon and Eggs (cooked in the electric skillet), Donuts, and Chocolate Milk
Lunch: Left Over Pizza, Chips, and Grapes (we had planned to go to BernieO's for lunch so the left over pizza was perfect!)
Dinner: The boys had Hot Dogs while Darryl cooked Marinated Sirloin Steak Kabobs over the open fire and we had fried zucchini too (Electric Skillet - my best camping tool!)
Fun: The beach and going to Ruth Anne's for Ice Cream!
The Plan: Hang out at the campground in the morning; go to the beach in the afternoon; enjoy an treat of ice cream before dinner.
Tidbits:
1) The boys loved running up and down the little leaf covered hill on our camp site; they also loved pushing each out in the wagon up the hill and then letting it go to see where it landed
2) We couldn't have asked for better weather - it even got cloudy when we went to the beach which made it so much more fun to play.
3) The boys took their first real "showers" (instead of baths) at the campground.  They almost liked them.
4) The Collection of Acorns began.
5) You know your kids are tired when they ask to go to bed :-)
6) The boys enjoyed their first camp fire - and were slightly impressed but more afraid of it.
7) Sleeping - oh boy.  The boys went to bed well but Josh woke up in the middle of the night and ended up in bed with me in the twin bed.  I didn't sleep much that night (We actually put a mattress on the floor for Nate - but both boys slept on it . . well, until I ended up with a three year old electric blanket with me ;-) )
The Story:
What an awesome day.  We played at the campsite, went to the store to pick up a few odds and ends, played on the beach, enjoyed dinner, walked to the ice cream shop, and then Darryl and I enjoyed the campfire after the boys headed to bed.  It was a fabulous day. 
Something Special:

Yes.  Flashlights.  I picked up new flashlights at Wal-Mart for a dollar each.  We gave these to the boys and watched them shine lights on the ceiling of the cabin on Saturday evening.  They played for a good hour and then were sound asleep.
Photos:

Sunday
Food:
Breakfast: Cereal and Pastries (we picked up at the store on Saturday so they were fresh)
Lunch: Culvers - on the way home
Fun: A scavenger hunt and Packing up (if you consider that fun)
The Plan: Just get up and have breakfast before slowly packing up.
Tidbits:
1) Both boys told us that they loved camping and did not want to go home (but they both loaded themselves in the truck as soon as the doors were open and we started packing!)
2) The boys ditched the scavenger hunt and just went on a search for acorns.
The Story:
After not really sleeping, I got up at about 7:00 and left to use the restroom, unintentionally locking myself out of the cabin.  I enjoyed a very quiet hour sitting outside . . I actually took a snooze in the camping chairs.  We enjoyed playing for a bit before starting to pack up.  It was HOT on Sunday morning.  We finished up and hit the road at about noon and took the back way home with a stop for lunch at Culvers at about 1:00 (It tasted soooo good!!).  Once home, we unloaded and crashed - wow was it hot.  (Did I say that already)
Something Special:
We had planned to help the boys on this Scavenger Hunt from The Creative Homemaker. 

But instead the boys did this  . . . .

Yep.  Gathered acorns.  I'm sure there are some squirrels who will starve this winter or have to move else where due to my boys gathering up all of their winter supply :-) 
Photos:
I know you'll find this hard to believe but I did not take any photos on this last day.  In all honestly, I wish I could have gotten MORE photos and better photos.  There is a lot to keep track of though, when you camp with two very busy boys.

Did we love camping? YES!  Darryl and I used to camp alot before kids.  We have a great tent and really enjoyed just being away, sitting by a campfire and exploring the little towns we would drive through as we took road trips.  We took Josh camping when he was still a baby but once we had two kids, we took a break.  First because trying to take a toddler and a baby camping was more than we wanted to do and Second, because two toddlers and a campfire was not on our list of things to accomplish HA  This year, though, we knew the boys were old enough to understand some boundaries when it came to the campsite and the fire so we scheduled just one weekend to try it out.  Next year, we are planning to go at least twice, if not three times.  We plan to rent the little cabin BUT ultimately, we are hoping to find a pop-up or trailer for an amazing price (by amazing, I mean the kind of deal you talk about for years!!)  Personally I'd like a camper so I can leave it set up all summer - so much less work - but a pop-up would work too!  (But it MUST have Air!!) We figured that once this camping season is done, we can keep our eyes open and we might find something we just didn't expect :-)  And who knows, I have a little idea in the back of my head to steal the family away for a weekend in September when the campgrounds aren't busy just for one more camping trip this year!

Too Cute Not To Toot!

I've noticed that my original idea of "Too Cute Not to Toot" has turned into a place to share some ideas.  You may wonder if I ever go back and look at the ideas I post and, guess what, I do!  I also have learned to print the ideas I love the best and save them in a binder so I can find them easily when I want them but I also will go back through all of the Too Cute Posts to get inspiration.

One of the things my husband and I would like to start doing is planning a little get away with the boys about once every 6 weeks.  Now that we've found Priceline, it's actually doable to play an overnight stay at a hotel with a pool.  So when I saw this post from Cheerios and Lattes for swimming things, I had to share.  Really, what better place to work on teaching your kids to swim then in a small, "shallow" pool without a current or lots of waves.  :-)

How about some cupcakes???  Check out this recipe from Life, Etc.  Don't tell my family but I think I might take these as my dessert to the family reunion . .. I could frost them once I got there :-)

This idea from Blue Skies Ahead is something I think I'll add to my August Summer Fun plan.  The boys are really into things like worms and bugs right now.  (Me . . .ummm not so much HA)

This next idea is actually a whole group of ideas all dealing with activities that help keep the kids cool.  The post is from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas and includes link-ups.  I plan on printing many of the ideas to use in August but also to have for future years in our summer fun binder.

I'm going to end this week with a book idea from I Heart Crafty Things.  I love finding new books to add to our library and I love the looks of this one - plus she gives a great craft idea too. 

Summer Fun - Week 7

To catch up on the first 6 weeks of summer, click HERE


Holy Hotness Batman, summer can end anytime; I'm ready for fall and even for a blizzard or two.  Sheesh.

So this week started out . . well . . hot.  Another 100 degree down in the record books and I'm really tired of breaking records.  Actually, if I HAD records, I think they would have melted.  As much as I'd like to say that we did great things this week, we didn't . .. we sat in front of fans a lot and watched a lot of cartoons. 

Monday - Our summer fun was a trip to the dentist :-)  Josh had his first dentist appointment and it went well once he got in the chair.  The hygienist was fabulous and he did everything he was asked.  His teeth are fantastic and healthy :-)  PLUS the office had great A/C :-) LOL  After we left there we drove around for a bit and then got McDonalds for lunch as a treat for being so good at the dentist (well, they just knew it was for lunch - I'm trying NOT to teach my kids that they get rewards like that but they will figure it out eventually HA!) In the afternoon, the boys wanted to color - I got out paper and markers for them - they never color on anything except paper . . .until today.  I was sitting just a few feet from them at my desk when I turned and saw Nate coloring all over himself HA!  Josh spent a long time tracing his hand - by the time he was done doing it over and over, his hand was covered in marker.  Don't worry - it was all washable - it came off of them AND their clothes :-)

Tuesday - We melted.  Seriously.  I looked at a few options for the day but they all included loading three toddlers into the truck, loading up the stroller, driving 45 minutes away, unloading same three boys and stroller before even getting somewhere semi-cool where it would take this chicka a good hour to stop sweating.  If I'm going to sweat, I might as well be at home in front of fan.  The heat doesn't seem to impact the littles as much - we just didn't go outside; not even to the kiddie pool.  By the time it is full of "cool" water . . well, the water is hot from the heat!  So, this was what we did to stay cool.  The boys have discovered my water bottle - between the three of us, we drank about 4 of those.  Fans are our best friends :-)

Wednesday - It was horrid hot.  Nothing was done on this day.  Nothing. 

Thursday:  Talk about unexpected fun!!!  Our neighbors had to have two trees cut down - instant entertainment for two little boys.

It was really awesome to watch.  The boys even brought their stepping stools out so they could see better over the fence.  The boys watched this intently for about 30 minutes - it took the tree cutters about 8 hours to get both trees down.   By wait, we had more unexpected fun - it rained.  A fabulous summer rain - no blowing, no storms, just rain.  The boys LOVED playing outside - they were outside for well over an hour.

Friday-Sunday - We went camping!!!  I'm going to write a post later this week sharing all of our fun, food, and family time but I thought I'd leave you with this one photo.

We have a busy week coming up - I'm giving myself a break from planning anything specific because I still need to finish putting everything back together after camping, we are getting a guest cat one day this week, and then we have a mini-family reunion to get ready for at the end of the week.  I do have a special treat already in the freezer to eat this week, I need to clean out the pool so that we can use it this week as well, and if I get to it, I do have one fun craft to do - but again, no pressure. 

Our Weekly Menu

Hello!!!  What a week.  We did nothing. Why?  It was blazing hot.  I think I've said before that my rule used to be if it hit 90 degrees, I didn't cook.  Well, when every day is 90 degrees, that really doesn't work so now my rule is if it hits 95 degrees, I don't cook so on Tuesday, we had pizza.  We are eating very simply right now - lots of crock pot or quick stove top meals, fruit and chips.  I was thinking just the other day that I don't think I've cooked a meal in my oven in . . well. . a long time.  I'm looking forward to the fall/winter when I can cook Lasagna, Chicken and Rice, and my awesome Beef Drip sandwiches.  This coming week will be a another simple week because we have lots going on!

Saturday: Marinaded Steak Kabobs over the campfire, Fried Zucchini and Onions and Macaroni Salad.

Sunday: Tacos or Frito Pies (basically left over taco meat for an easy dinner when we get home)

Monday: Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin, mashed potatoes and corn . . probably some rolls or biscuits too

Tuesday: Marinated Pork Chops on the Grill, Corn on the Cob and Sweet potatoes in the crock pot.

Wednesday: It's just the kids and I - we'll have to run some errands before dinner so I am planning on picking something up for us.

Thursday: Dinner on the road as we head to Ohio for a mini-family reunion.

Friday: With the Family :-) 

Not a lot on the plan, as you can see. 

I also need to "apoligize" - I haven't updated my recipe tab in a while.  I'm not sure why I don't do it as soon as the post goes up on the blog but I will update it this coming week.  That way, you can find all of my fabulous recipes easier ;-)

Food Friday - Fresh Blueberry Pie

Fresh Blueberry Pie
adapted from D. Mundy (A friend)

This pie is so refreshing because of the lemon that is used in the cream cheese layer.  I also love it because the recipe is actually for two pies so it is great (and easy) to make for a crowd or to take to a party.  It's also fairly easy to cut in half if you just want one pie :-)

3 cups fresh blueberries
8 oz package Cream Cheese, Softened
6 oz Frozen Lemonade, undiluted
14 oz Sweetened condensed milk
8 oz cool whip
2 graham cracker crusts or 2 baked pie shells

Beat cream cheese until creamy; add lemonade and sweetened condensed milk.  Fold in ¾ of the cool whip and 2/3 of the blueberries.  Spread in pie shells; chill.  Garnish with remaining Cool Whip and blueberries.  For one pie, half the recipe.

What I'm Dreaming of . . . .

Yep, I'm done with summer but it isn't done with us yet!  I told my husband recently that in the first big blizzard we have, I'm standing outside on the deck in my bathing suit so I can soak up the COLD!


On a different note, for all of you Pinterest Users, have you ever been blocked and locked out before?  That is what has happened to me due to suspicious activity on my account.  They tell me that my pins are safe but now I have to wait for them to investigate and then send me an e-mail to reset my password.  I knew I should have been printing some of the stuff I needed this weekend!  Oh well.  I'm still hoping that it will be fixed by tomorrow . . .I miss it :-)

Bringing Back My Books

Earlier this week, I mentioned in a post that I realized that I have stepped away from my old goal of reading certain books within a quarter - these are books that will build me up as a mother, as a wife, and as, well, me.  I shared a link on Tuesday to Joyful Mothering that included her list of books that she wants to read in 2012.  I like her list - it has books that I already on my long list of "want to reads" plus there were quite a few new ones.  Anytime I can find a great source for books, I snatch it up, and that post seems like a great resource.

As was my pattern when I set my reading goals previously, I plan on setting a goal for 3 months worth of reading - basically a quarter. (The first quarter will begin August 1st).  I set the bar high and hope to read 3 books a month for a total of 9 books.  (Like you couldn't figure that out yourself. )

Here's my list for the first quarter.

That's My Son by Rick Johnson (Not Shown)
Wild Things; The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James (Not Shown)
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp

It Starts at Home by Bruner and Stroope
The Virtuous Woman: Shattering the Superwoman Myth by Vicki  Courtney
The Power of  a Positive Mom by Carol Ladd

Conversation Peace by Mary A. Kassian
The List by Marian Jordan
Jesus, The One and Only by Beth More

Also, I wanted to share another link that has a bunch of great parenting books - many of the books on this list will be added to MY reading wish list so I can tackle them in future months. Check out the post at Women Living Well.